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In this episode of the Teach Different Podcast, hosts Dan and Steve Fouts unpack a quote by Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce tribe: “I believe much trouble and blood would be saved if we opened our hearts more.” They explore the claim of this quote, discussing the importance of vulnerability, empathy, and compassion in preventing conflict. They also examine the counterclaim, debating whether opening the mind can also play a crucial role in resolving issues. Join them to reflect on how heart and mind both contribute to understanding and peace. Image Source:Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nez_Perc%C3%A9_Tribe,_Chief_Joseph,_1900,_Smithsonian_1901.jpg
Every year on September 13, readers, libraries, and booksellers around the world celebrate children’s book author Roald Dahl, who is renowned for works like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG, and Matilda. But what makes Dahl’s works so distinctive and memorable decades after they were written, is his ability to blend laughs and adventure with the harsh realities of life. As we all deal with a particularly challenging year, we look at Roald Dahl’s children’s books, and how they help children make sense of the darker and more difficult aspects of life. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Elon Musk recently showed off how his start-up Neuralink has successfully implanted chips into the brain of several pigs, with the hopes that these brain implants could someday be used in humans to cure diseases related to our nervous system. But how far off into the future is this possibility? Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Contact languages are created when groups of people who speak different languages come together and create a new language from their own ones - and today, many contact languages around the world are at risk of dying out. Among the most endangered, is Baba Malay, which originated in Melaka. We look at contact languages, and the challenges of preserving Baba Malay as a living language. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
People with kidney disease are at higher risk of more severe illness, and those on dialysis can have weaker immune systems, making it harder to fight infections. With the current risk of COVID-19 infection, and no clear end in sight to the pandemic, consultant nephrologist Dr Sunita Bavanandan explores the advantages of peritoneal dialysis (PD), while end-stage kidney disease patient Peter Tan shares how PD has given him a new lease on life. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
The cells that make up our body have a life cycle of growth and death, but this cycle changes when the cells become cancerous. Here to help us understand more about the biology of cancers is Dr Filippo Prischi, lecturer in biochemistry from the University of Essex. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Many a time, our country feels divided, bigotry and politics always getting in the way of proper unity. But if there's one thing that has always brought us together as a nation, it's sports, particularly the hard-hitting racquet sport of badminton. On this episode, we explore the history and cultural significance of badminton to Malaysia, discuss how it has constantly united us all irrespective of race, religion, colour or creed, and also talk about the Lee Chong Wei vs Lindan Olympics trilogy that captured our hearts and reverberated our souls. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Many a time, our country feels divided, bigotry and politics always getting in the way of proper unity. But if there's one thing that has always brought us together as a nation, it's sports, particularly the hard-hitting racquet sport of badminton. On this episode, we explore the history and cultural significance of badminton to Malaysia, discuss how it has constantly united us all irrespective of race, religion, colour or creed, and also talk about the Lee Chong Wei vs Lindan Olympics trilogy that captured our hearts and reverberated our souls. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Lego has introduced a Braille Bricks toolkit to teach Braille to children through play. We dive into why learning Braille is important in ensuring literacy for those with visual impairment. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
America was once considered the benchmark of excellence. A first world, free country that many considered to be the pinnacle of innovation, technological advancement and the arts. Many of us looked on with envy. But over the past six to eight months, a microscopic virus has brought the giant to its knees in embarrassing fashion. Now the world looks at America in bewilderment. 5 million positive cases of COVID-19 so far, close to 200 thousand deaths, an economy decapitated, with no signs of slowing down. At the centre of it all, is President Donald Trump. How did COVID-19 and Donald Trump decapitate America? We discuss this with Assistant Professor Peter Beattie, Retired Lawyer / Academic (political psychology, media, and global political economy). Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
America was once considered the benchmark of excellence. A first world, free country that many considered to be the pinnacle of innovation, technological advancement and the arts. Many of us looked on with envy. But over the past six to eight months, a microscopic virus has brought the giant to its knees in embarrassing fashion. Now the world looks at America in bewilderment. 5 million positive cases of COVID-19 so far, close to 200 thousand deaths, an economy decapitated, with no signs of slowing down. At the centre of it all, is President Donald Trump. How did COVID-19 and Donald Trump decapitate America? We discuss this with Assistant Professor Peter Beattie, Retired Lawyer / Academic (political psychology, media, and global political economy). Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Rising more than 1000m above sea level on the Titiwangsa Range, and straddling the Pahang-Selangor border, Fraser’s Hill is a highland rainforest area that is a popular ecotourism getaway for many. The sudden demolition of both the colonial-style Maybank Lodge and Jelai Resort last month, and the proposed construction of a 15-storey building Resort & Spa on the site has shocked residents. Residents are calling for a review of the proposed development, which is almost three times taller than anything else on Fraser's Hill. We find out more from Nik Jassmin Hew and Sean Yap, who are from Persatuan Alam dan Warisan Bukit Fraser. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
His 2006 talk ‘Do Schools Kill Creativity?’ has been viewed online over 60 million times, and has been seen by an estimated 380 million people in 160 countries. Sir Ken Robinson, regarded as one of the world’s leading thinkers on reforming the educational system, sadly passed away last Friday. We pay tribute to his legacy, and look back at his powerful takedown of the world’s current educational paradigm. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Rising more than 1000m above sea level on the Titiwangsa Range, and straddling the Pahang-Selangor border, Fraser’s Hill is a highland rainforest area that is a popular ecotourism getaway for many. The sudden demolition of both the colonial-style Maybank Lodge and Jelai Resort last month, and the proposed construction of a 15-storey building Resort & Spa on the site has shocked residents. Residents are calling for a review of the proposed development, which is almost three times taller than anything else on Fraser's Hill. We find out more from Nik Jassmin Hew and Sean Yap, who are from Persatuan Alam dan Warisan Bukit Fraser. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
World Humanitarian Day is held every year on 19 August to pay tribute to aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service, and to rally support for people affected by crises around the world. This year’s theme? Real Life Heroes. So in conjunction with that, we speak to Prema Thiyagu, the co-founder of the NGO, Pertubuhan Pembangunan HOPE Selangor, who’s a real life hero herself. Prema is someone who has been mobilising and providing food and aid for the underprivileged communities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, someone who for the past decade or so, has been helping to uplift and empower marginalised communities. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
On the 30th of July, Sabah Chief Minister Shafie Apdal announced that the state Governor Juhar Mah-ru-iddin had agreed to dissolve the state assembly and return the power to the people to choose the state government by way of snap polls. We speak to Mahirah Marzuki, the project coordinator of UndiSabah to find out what Sabahan youths will be considering when they cast their vote. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Humans and elephants have ‘co-existed for millenia’ in the Malay Peninsula. For his dissertation, Lim Teckwyn, from the Management & Ecology of Malaysian Elephants Project, studied human-elephant relations, from both social and ecological perspectives. In particular, he examined the intertwined histories of humans and elephants in Belum-Temengor, by exploring the history of elephants, the history of the people, and the history of the relationship between humans and elephants in this site. In conjunction with both International Day of the World's Indigenous People on August 9th, and ahead of World Elephant Day on August 12th, Teckwyn joins us to share his findings, and to offer some strategic suggestions in approaching elephant conservation in Malaysia. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
In recent weeks, we’ve seen rising concern that Malaysia may be on the verge of facing another wave of COVID-19, as cases have been on the rise based on recent reports. What are we doing (or rather aren’t we doing) to stem the tide? We speak to epidemiologist Prof Dr Sanjay Rampal and psychologist Dr Eugene Tee to find out more. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
World Lung Cancer Day was commemorated on the 1st of August, and it’s a timely reminder that the number of lung cancer cases is still very high in Malaysia, and that survival is poor, despite advances in treatment. As we revisit this disease again, we’ll be asking consultant oncologist Dr John Low why we cannot afford to stop talking about lung cancer. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
We live in politically turbulent times. And over the past few months, there has been plenty of talk on the “death of reformasi.” But what exactly is the reformasi movement? We speak to Dr. Bridget Welsh, Honorary Research Associate, University of Nottingham Asia Research Institute, on what reformasi actually means, if the survival of the movement is tied to political parties or is it something else entirely? Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
SL Wong and Law Yao Hua, the editors of Macaranga.org, return for their monthly show, to discuss major environmental news from July this year, and to highlight events and issues to look out for in August. This month, we discuss the passing of pioneering Malaysian zoologist Dr Lim Boo Liat, and the challenges to replicate his efforts in the current academic climate. We also take a look at how the plans to expedite the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Conservation blueprint might mean for ecotourism. We also look ahead to World Indigenous Day which will be observed on the 9th of August, and explore how our indigenous communities are struggling, post-MCO. Macaranga.org is a journalism portal covering environment and sustainability-related topics in Malaysia. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
The second meeting of the Third Term of the 14th Parliament kicked off on July 13th, with some chaotic scenes on the first day itself. We dissect what transpired in the first two weeks of this session, and look at what might happen after, with Maha Balakrishnan, who is the former Consti Committee Deputy Chair, and co-author of the book, "Malaysian Parliamentary Procedure: A Guide to the Standing Orders of the Dewan Rakyat' and also with Abraham Au, a Constitutional lawyer. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
With increased access to the internet and smartphones, social media has become a normal part of everyday life for children and teenagers of this generation. But as parents, you can’t help but worry that what they see and how they interact on these platforms could have a negative impact on their mental well-being. We speak to Dr Tee Bee Chin, consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist from Sunway Medical Centre to find out how parents can support their child’s use of social media and if it’s necessarily as bad as it seems. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
During Parlimen Digital, Klang MP Melinda Anne Sharlini passionately spoke about the economy through the lens of gender. In this episode, we talk to Melinda about her experience as one of the participants of Parlimen Digital, her passion for women’s rights activism, as well as the importance of having more women and young people in politics. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
We return to the fray with the most excellent Rob and Jaime to tackle Dr Radness' favourite emperor. How will Tiberius fare against the criteria of Totalus Rankium? We're about to find out! How great is Tiberius? Tune in to find out! How are we judging Tiberius? Oooo better not to ask me, Dr G, author of this post, because I'm too much of an Augustan fan-girl to answer this question. Okay, okay, here's how it will work. We'll discuss Tiberius' life and career and at the end of the conversation we'll apply the Totalus Rankium system to form a holistic judgement of the imperial man himself. Here are the categories: Fights Maximus - an emperor's fighting capacity Opprobrium Crazium - their average level of insanity / taking things just too far Succesus Ultimus - how successful were they (all things considered)? Image Facius - were they attractive? Yes, this is the sexy category An Origin Story Like many people, Tiberius rises from humble beginnings. We'll explore the nature of his childhood and consider how this may have influenced his character and disposition (a very Suetonian approach if we do say so ourselves). We're on the search for clues that may help us better understand the complex influences on his life. Tiberius Imperator Some argue that Tiberius is the first emperor of Rome because he is the first to 'inherit' the legal privileges and concessions that secured Augustus' rule. This is important as it reveals the tenuous nature of the imperial project in these early stages. The differences between Augustus and Tiberius are revealed the moment Tiberius becomes emperor. Part of the challenge when examining his rule is the underlying consideration: what makes a good emperor? We'll consider some of Tiberius' achievements and also some of the more controversial aspects of his rule in this collaborative episode. You just never know what controversy is in the wind when we're talking about Tiberius! Obverse: TI[berivs] CAESAR DIVI AVG[vsti] F[ilivs] AVGVSTS (Caesar Augustus Tiberius, son of the Divine Augustus), laureate head right, parallel ribbons Reverse: PONTIF[ex] MAXIM[us], Livia (as Pax) seated right, feet on footstool, holding sceptre and branch; ornate legs, one line below. Catalogue: RIC I 30; Lyon 154; RSC 16a. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons