Podcasts about Simon Fraser University

In this episode, we're talking about beloved computer game, The Sims, with special guest Ruth Ormiston. Ruth (they/them) is a book designer and cultural worker with an MA in English Literature from the University of Victoria (where they specialized in late-nineteenth-century children's publishing) and a Master of Publishing from Simon Fraser University. And they're a fan of The Sims.Released 25 years ago, the game has seen many updates and dozens of expansion packs, all while retaining a grip on children and adults alike who flock to it for escapism, world-building, chaos, and play. In our conversation, Hannah contextualizes its reception in the early aughts and helps us understand its enduring success across a diverse audience through a look at Jack Halberstam's work, The Queer Art of Failure. Together, Ruth, Marcelle and Hannah consider the pleasure of the open-endednesThe Sims provides, while still being a designed game that has particular ideas about the world coded into it. As you can imagine, the conversation turns to heteropatriachy and capitalism before deep-diving into the exit-less pool of subversive possibilities enabled in the gameplay itself.This episode cites work from Tanja Sihvonen, Jack Halberstam, Diane Nutt, Diane Railston, Hanna Wirman and Rhys Jones.. ***To learn more about Material Girls, head to our Instagram at instagram.com/ohwitchplease! Or check out our website ohwitchplease.ca. We'll be back next week with a Material Concerns episode, but until then, go check out all the other content we have on our Patreon at Patreon.com/ohwitchplease! Patreon is how we produce the show and pay our team! Thanks again to all of you who have already made the leap to join us there!***Material Girls is a show that makes sense of the zeitgeist through materialist critique* and critical theory! Each episode looks at a unique object of study (something popular now or from back in the day) and over the course of three distinct segments, Hannah and Marcelle apply their academic expertise to the topic at hand.*Materialist Critique is, at its simplest possible level, a form of cultural critique – that is, scholarly engagement with a cultural text of some kind – that is interested in modes of production, moments of reception, and the historical and ideological contexts for both. Materialist critique is interested in the question of why a particular cultural work or practice emerged at a particular moment. Music Credits:“Shopping Mall”: by Jay Arner and Jessica Delisle ©2020Used by permission. All rights reserved. As recorded by Auto Syndicate on the album “Bongo Dance”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do you do when life feels too heavy and quitting seems easier than pushing through? In this episode, Sam Hind sits down with Phebe Trotman—former professional soccer player, entrepreneur, and author of the Never Quit on a Bad Day series. Phebe’s journey is one of resilience and determination, shaped by both triumphs and setbacks. She opens up about the real struggles behind her success and the mindset shifts that helped her keep moving forward when life felt overwhelming. Through her stories, Phebe offers practical strategies for staying the course when challenges threaten to derail you. She reminds us that setbacks aren’t the end of the road, but opportunities to grow stronger, and that true success comes from implementing what we learn, not just hearing it. Tune in to gain encouragement, gather strategies to face your own obstacles, and walk away inspired to keep going—no matter what comes your way. We’ll be talking about: ➡ [0:00] Introduction: Never quit on a bad day, on a personal level… ➡ [2:33] Early reflections on resilience and growth ➡ [3:26] Imagining a day full of adventure ➡ [4:23] Sharing the craziest adventure experience ➡ [6:02] Never Quit On A Bad Day book series ➡ [10:15] Lessons from challenges in sport and business ➡ [14:20] A runner analogy ➡ [21:24] Tips from Phebe to give it a bit more ➡ [25:00] Helping others achieve the same success and building confidence ➡ [30:27] Keeping grounded and looking after ourselves ➡ [35:56] Maintaining balance ➡ [41:57] Finding ways to be grateful in your life ➡ [43:21] Phebe’s recommended book ➡ [43:32] Phebe’s favourite superpower ➡ [44:08] Phebe’s Favourite quote ➡ [44:21] Advice Phebe would give her past self ➡ [46:17] Check out Phebe Trotman’s website and socials ➡ [44:30] Closing encouragement and inspiration Resources Recommended Book: ➡ How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie: https://bit.ly/3J0gYgU ➡ Never Quit of A Bad Day by Phebe Trotman: https://bit.ly/3H7A5VQ Quotes: ➡ Never quit on a bad day, on a powerful day, on a day when you’ve decided it’s not for you - Phebe Trotman ➡ Champions are made and the choices that we make - Phebe Trotman ➡ It’s not quitting, it’s transitioning - John Maxwell ➡ Life begins at the end of your comfort zone - Neale Donald Walsch About our guest: Phebe Trotman is an award-winning entrepreneur, Hall of Fame athlete, and bestselling author of Never Quit on a Bad Day™: Inspiring Stories of Resilience book series. A dynamic speaker, coach, and mentor, Phebe is dedicated to helping individuals and teams reach their highest potential through intentional action and a growth-focused mindset.Phebe has excelled in both athletics and business, winning six national soccer championships across levels including U19, NAIA, W-League, Premier, and Masters (x2). She has also earned top honors such as W-League Player of the Year, NAIA Women’s Soccer Player of the Year, two-time First Team All-American, and Simon Fraser University’s Female Athlete of the Year. In business, Phebe quickly rose to the top, earning accolades such as Global Distributor of the Year, Global Trainer of the Year, and Top International Customer Sponsor. She has been featured in Success From Home, Networking Times, the #1 podcast MLM Nation, and the book The Four Year Career for Women. Phebe equips individuals and teams with both the practical tools and the champion's mindset needed to overcome challenges and succeed. She is passionate about empowering others to celebrate their wins, set and accomplish their goals, build resilience, and create a life they love. Connect with Phebe Trotman: ➡ Phebe Trotman’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phebeJOYtrotman/ ➡ Phebe Trotman’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trotmanphebe/?hl=en ➡ Phebe Trotman’s LinkedIn: ttps://www.linkedin.com/in/phebetrotman/?originalSubdomain=ca Connect with Never Quit On A Bad Day: Website: https://neverquitonabadday.com/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/NeverQuitOnABadDay Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/NeverQuitOnABadDay Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@NeverQuitonaBadDay Connect with Direct Selling Accelerator: ➡ Visit our website: https://www.auxano.global/ ➡ Subscribe to Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DirectSellingAccelerator ➡ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auxanomarketing/ ➡ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auxanomarketing/ ➡ Email us at communnity_manager@auxano.global If you have any podcast suggestions or things you’d like to learn about specifically, please send us an email at the address above. And if you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast. Are you ready to join the Auxano Family to get live weekly training, support and the latest proven posting strategies to get leads and sales right now - find out more here https://go.auxano.global/welcome See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Below the Radar, our host Am Johal is joined by Dorothy Christian, the Associate Director of Indigenous Policy & Pedagogy in the Faculty of Graduate Studies at Simon Fraser University. Dorothy talks about her work as a storyteller and academic, as well as her activism with the Oka crisis and the Gustafsen Lake standoff. Resources: Dorothy Christian: https://www.sfu.ca/gradstudies/about/contact/dorothy-christian.html Gathering knowledge : Indigenous methodologies of land/place-based visual storytelling/filmmaking and visual sovereignty: https://open.library.ubc.ca/soa/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/24/items/1.0343529 Bio: Dorothy Cucw-la7 Christian is Secwepemc and Syilx from the interior plateau regions of what is known as British Columbia. She is happy to be a good relative to her Coast Salish cousins while she lives, works, and plays on their lands. Her research centralizes land, story, cultural protocols and how Indigenous Knowledge informs film production practices. She is the the Associate Director of Indigenous Policy & Pedagogy in the Faculty of Graduate Studies at Simon Fraser University. Cite this episode: Chicago Style Johal, Am. “Story Sovereignty — with Dorothy Christian” Below the Radar, SFU's Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Podcast audio, August 12, 2025. https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/btr-bsides-dorothy-christian.html.

FASCISM...FRANCE. Two words/ideas that scholars have spent much time and energy debating in relationship to one another. Chris Millington's A History of Fascism in France: From the First World War to the National Front (Bloomsbury, 2019) is a work of synthesis that also draws on the author's own research for key examples and evidence to support its narrative and claims. Moving chronologically, the book's chapters take the reader from the impact of the First World War right up to the contemporary period in French politics, culture, and society. A narrative and analysis focused on the French context, the book situates France within a broader European frame. Engaging the complex historiographic battles surrounding French fascism in ways that will be helpful to non-specialists, and especially to student readers, the book condenses decades of previous scholarship while delving into concrete cases and moments that help to illustrate the stakes of this historical and political field. Examining movements like the Croix-de-Feu, Faisceau, Jeunesses Patriotes, Partie Social Français, and the Cagoulards within the broader interwar landscape of right-wing thought and politics, the book goes on to consider the Vichy period and the emergence of the National Front after the Second World War. *Special note: Chris and I ran out of time before I could ask him about what he's been working on since the publication of A History of Fascism in France. Readers may also be interested in his most recent book, France in the Second World War: Collaboration, Resistance, Holocaust, Empire (Bloomsbury, 2020). Roxanne Panchasi is an Associate Professor of History at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada who specializes in twentieth and twenty-first century France and its empire. If you have a recent title to suggest for the podcast, please send her an email (panchasi@sfu.ca). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Guest: Tom Korski, Managing Editor at Blacklock's Reporter https://www.blacklocks.ca/ Alex is joined by Tom Korski to break down the top political and policy stories making headlines: Austerity Budget Ahead? Prime Minister Mark Carney says he will table an “austerity budget” this fall, as the federal deficit runs 55 percent higher than projected. What are the implications for Canadians and government spending? Foreign Labour Under Fire: With unemployment among Canadian students at a 15-year high, Conservative MPs are calling for an end to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Meanwhile, the Immigration Department defends it as a way to “attract talent.” Marijuana Road Testing Lags: A Public Safety report shows that devices used to detect marijuana-impaired drivers are so unreliable that some police forces are waiting for better technology. What does this mean for roadside safety and enforcement? Academic Freedom and Global Conflict: A B.C. Supreme Court decision rules that university faculties can pass resolutions on international issues, such as the war in Gaza. The ruling comes after Simon Fraser University faculty members challenged anti-Israel motions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clete Hanson, newly appointed head coach at Simon Fraser University, talks about his return to the program that shaped much of his wrestling and coaching career. A Washington native and former nationally ranked high school wrestler, Hanson chose SFU for its unique blend of high-level international freestyle influence, academic excellence, and its rare status as a Canadian institution competing in the NCAA. Now, as only the third head coach in program history, he steps into a role once held by coaching legends Mike Jones and Justin Abdou—both of whom played pivotal roles in Hanson's development.In the interview, Hanson outlines the complexities of recruiting American athletes to a Canadian school, navigating dual academic and athletic standards, and the constant balancing act between freestyle and collegiate folkstyle wrestling. With about 70% of his roster made up of Canadian athletes—most of whom have never competed in folkstyle before—Hanson speaks candidly about the learning curve and the coaching strategies used to bridge that gap. Still, he emphasizes that “wrestling is wrestling,” and believes the transition can be streamlined with focused training and communication.Looking ahead, Hanson's vision is to elevate SFU's presence on both the NCAA and Canadian wrestling landscapes. While winning a national team title is an ambitious goal, he sees success in building a program that mirrors the developmental excellence of institutions like Cornell and Lehigh. With deep ties to the Burnaby Mountain Wrestling Club and a role as one of Canada's national training centers, SFU is uniquely positioned to continue producing world-class talent—both on the mat and beyond it.

FASCISM...FRANCE. Two words/ideas that scholars have spent much time and energy debating in relationship to one another. Chris Millington's A History of Fascism in France: From the First World War to the National Front (Bloomsbury, 2019) is a work of synthesis that also draws on the author's own research for key examples and evidence to support its narrative and claims. Moving chronologically, the book's chapters take the reader from the impact of the First World War right up to the contemporary period in French politics, culture, and society. A narrative and analysis focused on the French context, the book situates France within a broader European frame. Engaging the complex historiographic battles surrounding French fascism in ways that will be helpful to non-specialists, and especially to student readers, the book condenses decades of previous scholarship while delving into concrete cases and moments that help to illustrate the stakes of this historical and political field. Examining movements like the Croix-de-Feu, Faisceau, Jeunesses Patriotes, Partie Social Français, and the Cagoulards within the broader interwar landscape of right-wing thought and politics, the book goes on to consider the Vichy period and the emergence of the National Front after the Second World War. *Special note: Chris and I ran out of time before I could ask him about what he's been working on since the publication of A History of Fascism in France. Readers may also be interested in his most recent book, France in the Second World War: Collaboration, Resistance, Holocaust, Empire (Bloomsbury, 2020). Roxanne Panchasi is an Associate Professor of History at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada who specializes in twentieth and twenty-first century France and its empire. If you have a recent title to suggest for the podcast, please send her an email (panchasi@sfu.ca). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

FASCISM...FRANCE. Two words/ideas that scholars have spent much time and energy debating in relationship to one another. Chris Millington's A History of Fascism in France: From the First World War to the National Front (Bloomsbury, 2019) is a work of synthesis that also draws on the author's own research for key examples and evidence to support its narrative and claims. Moving chronologically, the book's chapters take the reader from the impact of the First World War right up to the contemporary period in French politics, culture, and society. A narrative and analysis focused on the French context, the book situates France within a broader European frame. Engaging the complex historiographic battles surrounding French fascism in ways that will be helpful to non-specialists, and especially to student readers, the book condenses decades of previous scholarship while delving into concrete cases and moments that help to illustrate the stakes of this historical and political field. Examining movements like the Croix-de-Feu, Faisceau, Jeunesses Patriotes, Partie Social Français, and the Cagoulards within the broader interwar landscape of right-wing thought and politics, the book goes on to consider the Vichy period and the emergence of the National Front after the Second World War. *Special note: Chris and I ran out of time before I could ask him about what he's been working on since the publication of A History of Fascism in France. Readers may also be interested in his most recent book, France in the Second World War: Collaboration, Resistance, Holocaust, Empire (Bloomsbury, 2020). Roxanne Panchasi is an Associate Professor of History at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada who specializes in twentieth and twenty-first century France and its empire. If you have a recent title to suggest for the podcast, please send her an email (panchasi@sfu.ca). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

FASCISM...FRANCE. Two words/ideas that scholars have spent much time and energy debating in relationship to one another. Chris Millington's A History of Fascism in France: From the First World War to the National Front (Bloomsbury, 2019) is a work of synthesis that also draws on the author's own research for key examples and evidence to support its narrative and claims. Moving chronologically, the book's chapters take the reader from the impact of the First World War right up to the contemporary period in French politics, culture, and society. A narrative and analysis focused on the French context, the book situates France within a broader European frame. Engaging the complex historiographic battles surrounding French fascism in ways that will be helpful to non-specialists, and especially to student readers, the book condenses decades of previous scholarship while delving into concrete cases and moments that help to illustrate the stakes of this historical and political field. Examining movements like the Croix-de-Feu, Faisceau, Jeunesses Patriotes, Partie Social Français, and the Cagoulards within the broader interwar landscape of right-wing thought and politics, the book goes on to consider the Vichy period and the emergence of the National Front after the Second World War. *Special note: Chris and I ran out of time before I could ask him about what he's been working on since the publication of A History of Fascism in France. Readers may also be interested in his most recent book, France in the Second World War: Collaboration, Resistance, Holocaust, Empire (Bloomsbury, 2020). Roxanne Panchasi is an Associate Professor of History at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada who specializes in twentieth and twenty-first century France and its empire. If you have a recent title to suggest for the podcast, please send her an email (panchasi@sfu.ca). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/european-studies

FASCISM...FRANCE. Two words/ideas that scholars have spent much time and energy debating in relationship to one another. Chris Millington's A History of Fascism in France: From the First World War to the National Front (Bloomsbury, 2019) is a work of synthesis that also draws on the author's own research for key examples and evidence to support its narrative and claims. Moving chronologically, the book's chapters take the reader from the impact of the First World War right up to the contemporary period in French politics, culture, and society. A narrative and analysis focused on the French context, the book situates France within a broader European frame. Engaging the complex historiographic battles surrounding French fascism in ways that will be helpful to non-specialists, and especially to student readers, the book condenses decades of previous scholarship while delving into concrete cases and moments that help to illustrate the stakes of this historical and political field. Examining movements like the Croix-de-Feu, Faisceau, Jeunesses Patriotes, Partie Social Français, and the Cagoulards within the broader interwar landscape of right-wing thought and politics, the book goes on to consider the Vichy period and the emergence of the National Front after the Second World War. *Special note: Chris and I ran out of time before I could ask him about what he's been working on since the publication of A History of Fascism in France. Readers may also be interested in his most recent book, France in the Second World War: Collaboration, Resistance, Holocaust, Empire (Bloomsbury, 2020). Roxanne Panchasi is an Associate Professor of History at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada who specializes in twentieth and twenty-first century France and its empire. If you have a recent title to suggest for the podcast, please send her an email (panchasi@sfu.ca). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Revolution and Dictatorship: The Violent Origins of Durable Authoritarianism (Princeton UP, 2022) explores why dictatorships born of social revolution—such as those in China, Cuba, Iran, the Soviet Union, and Vietnam—are extraordinarily durable, even in the face of economic crisis, large-scale policy failure, mass discontent, and intense external pressure. Few other modern autocracies have survived in the face of such extreme challenges. Drawing on comparative historical analysis, Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way argue that radical efforts to transform the social and geopolitical order trigger intense counterrevolutionary conflict, which initially threatens regime survival, but ultimately fosters the unity and state-building that supports authoritarianism. Steven Levitsky is the David Rockefeller Professor of Latin American Studies and Professor of Government at Harvard University. Lucan Way is a professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto, where he co-directs the Petro Jacyk Program for the Study of Ukraine. The previous book by both authors is Competitive Authoritarianism: Hybrid Regimes after the Cold War (Cambridge University Press, 2010). Sally Sharif is Simons Foundation Canada Post-Doctoral Fellow at the School for International Studies at Simon Fraser University. Her most recent paper is “Can the Rebel Body Function without its Visible Heads? The Role of Mid-Level Commanders in Peacebuilding.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Revolution and Dictatorship: The Violent Origins of Durable Authoritarianism (Princeton UP, 2022) explores why dictatorships born of social revolution—such as those in China, Cuba, Iran, the Soviet Union, and Vietnam—are extraordinarily durable, even in the face of economic crisis, large-scale policy failure, mass discontent, and intense external pressure. Few other modern autocracies have survived in the face of such extreme challenges. Drawing on comparative historical analysis, Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way argue that radical efforts to transform the social and geopolitical order trigger intense counterrevolutionary conflict, which initially threatens regime survival, but ultimately fosters the unity and state-building that supports authoritarianism. Steven Levitsky is the David Rockefeller Professor of Latin American Studies and Professor of Government at Harvard University. Lucan Way is a professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto, where he co-directs the Petro Jacyk Program for the Study of Ukraine. The previous book by both authors is Competitive Authoritarianism: Hybrid Regimes after the Cold War (Cambridge University Press, 2010). Sally Sharif is Simons Foundation Canada Post-Doctoral Fellow at the School for International Studies at Simon Fraser University. Her most recent paper is “Can the Rebel Body Function without its Visible Heads? The Role of Mid-Level Commanders in Peacebuilding.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/world-affairs

Revolution and Dictatorship: The Violent Origins of Durable Authoritarianism (Princeton UP, 2022) explores why dictatorships born of social revolution—such as those in China, Cuba, Iran, the Soviet Union, and Vietnam—are extraordinarily durable, even in the face of economic crisis, large-scale policy failure, mass discontent, and intense external pressure. Few other modern autocracies have survived in the face of such extreme challenges. Drawing on comparative historical analysis, Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way argue that radical efforts to transform the social and geopolitical order trigger intense counterrevolutionary conflict, which initially threatens regime survival, but ultimately fosters the unity and state-building that supports authoritarianism. Steven Levitsky is the David Rockefeller Professor of Latin American Studies and Professor of Government at Harvard University. Lucan Way is a professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto, where he co-directs the Petro Jacyk Program for the Study of Ukraine. The previous book by both authors is Competitive Authoritarianism: Hybrid Regimes after the Cold War (Cambridge University Press, 2010). Sally Sharif is Simons Foundation Canada Post-Doctoral Fellow at the School for International Studies at Simon Fraser University. Her most recent paper is “Can the Rebel Body Function without its Visible Heads? The Role of Mid-Level Commanders in Peacebuilding.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sociology

Revolution and Dictatorship: The Violent Origins of Durable Authoritarianism (Princeton UP, 2022) explores why dictatorships born of social revolution—such as those in China, Cuba, Iran, the Soviet Union, and Vietnam—are extraordinarily durable, even in the face of economic crisis, large-scale policy failure, mass discontent, and intense external pressure. Few other modern autocracies have survived in the face of such extreme challenges. Drawing on comparative historical analysis, Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way argue that radical efforts to transform the social and geopolitical order trigger intense counterrevolutionary conflict, which initially threatens regime survival, but ultimately fosters the unity and state-building that supports authoritarianism. Steven Levitsky is the David Rockefeller Professor of Latin American Studies and Professor of Government at Harvard University. Lucan Way is a professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto, where he co-directs the Petro Jacyk Program for the Study of Ukraine. The previous book by both authors is Competitive Authoritarianism: Hybrid Regimes after the Cold War (Cambridge University Press, 2010). Sally Sharif is Simons Foundation Canada Post-Doctoral Fellow at the School for International Studies at Simon Fraser University. Her most recent paper is “Can the Rebel Body Function without its Visible Heads? The Role of Mid-Level Commanders in Peacebuilding.”

Today, India and Israel have forged an alliance. It wasn't always that way. India became independent in 1947. Its first prime minister, Nehru, positioned his country as a champion of the Palestinian cause. As the leader of the non-aligned movement, India's stance on Palestine had great influence among other post-colonial nations. In the 1990s, that shifted. India moved into the U.S. orbit and embraced neoliberalism. And at the same time, it moved closer to Israel. It was said if India wanted to be close to the U.S., it had to reshape its critical policy towards Israel. And that they did. The two countries have something in common: India's military occupation and domination of Kashmiris and Israel's military occupation and domination of Palestinians. And India, under the Modi Hindutva, Hindu nationalist regime, is the world's largest buyer of Israeli weapons. Israel, in return, buys weapons from India. Recorded at Simon Fraser University, Harbour Centre, Vancouver, BC

I must've been a kid when I first heard the palindrome “Able I was ere I saw Elba”. Napoleon didn't mean a lot to me at the time. “Elba” meant even less. Decades later, I had learned a little more about Napoleon and his time there, but not that all that much it turns out. And then came Mark Braude's The Invisible Emperor: Napoleon on Elba from Empire to Exile (Penguin Press, 2018)… This unexpected and absorbing book delves into the story of Napoleon's exile on the island of Elba following his abdication in 1814. After his escape and return to France for the “100 Days,” Napoleon was, of course, finally defeated at Waterloo in 1815. The Invisible Emperor explores a period in between the “bigger-ticket” events with which readers may be more familiar, a time and space in which Napoleon at once out of sight and more in contact with everyday people than perhaps at any other point in his career. Written in multiple short chapters comprising four parts that follow the seasons of Bonaparte's ten-month stay on Elba, The Invisible Emperor reconsiders the Napoleonic legend from the point of view of a moment of relative quiet in a modest setting. Carefully researched and a pleasure to read, it challenges aspects of the towering historical figure's mythology. The space, timeline, and scale of this history may be small, but this is a Napoleon we don't typically hear about. Presented in a narrative rich with curious details and a surprising intimacy, The Invisible Emperor manages to humanize an epic history and life about which so much has been written over the past two centuries. Roxanne Panchasi is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Simon Fraser University. Her current research focuses on the representation of nuclear weapons and testing in France and its empire since 1945. She lives and reads in Vancouver, Canada. If you have a recent title to suggest, please send an email to: panchasi@sfu.ca. *The music that opens and closes the podcast is an instrumental version of “Creatures,” a song written and performed by Vancouver artist/musician Casey Wei (“hazy”). To hear more, please visit https://agonyklub.com/.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

I must've been a kid when I first heard the palindrome “Able I was ere I saw Elba”. Napoleon didn't mean a lot to me at the time. “Elba” meant even less. Decades later, I had learned a little more about Napoleon and his time there, but not that all that much it turns out. And then came Mark Braude's The Invisible Emperor: Napoleon on Elba from Empire to Exile (Penguin Press, 2018)… This unexpected and absorbing book delves into the story of Napoleon's exile on the island of Elba following his abdication in 1814. After his escape and return to France for the “100 Days,” Napoleon was, of course, finally defeated at Waterloo in 1815. The Invisible Emperor explores a period in between the “bigger-ticket” events with which readers may be more familiar, a time and space in which Napoleon at once out of sight and more in contact with everyday people than perhaps at any other point in his career. Written in multiple short chapters comprising four parts that follow the seasons of Bonaparte's ten-month stay on Elba, The Invisible Emperor reconsiders the Napoleonic legend from the point of view of a moment of relative quiet in a modest setting. Carefully researched and a pleasure to read, it challenges aspects of the towering historical figure's mythology. The space, timeline, and scale of this history may be small, but this is a Napoleon we don't typically hear about. Presented in a narrative rich with curious details and a surprising intimacy, The Invisible Emperor manages to humanize an epic history and life about which so much has been written over the past two centuries. Roxanne Panchasi is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Simon Fraser University. Her current research focuses on the representation of nuclear weapons and testing in France and its empire since 1945. She lives and reads in Vancouver, Canada. If you have a recent title to suggest, please send an email to: panchasi@sfu.ca. *The music that opens and closes the podcast is an instrumental version of “Creatures,” a song written and performed by Vancouver artist/musician Casey Wei (“hazy”). To hear more, please visit https://agonyklub.com/.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history

I must've been a kid when I first heard the palindrome “Able I was ere I saw Elba”. Napoleon didn't mean a lot to me at the time. “Elba” meant even less. Decades later, I had learned a little more about Napoleon and his time there, but not that all that much it turns out. And then came Mark Braude's The Invisible Emperor: Napoleon on Elba from Empire to Exile (Penguin Press, 2018)… This unexpected and absorbing book delves into the story of Napoleon's exile on the island of Elba following his abdication in 1814. After his escape and return to France for the “100 Days,” Napoleon was, of course, finally defeated at Waterloo in 1815. The Invisible Emperor explores a period in between the “bigger-ticket” events with which readers may be more familiar, a time and space in which Napoleon at once out of sight and more in contact with everyday people than perhaps at any other point in his career. Written in multiple short chapters comprising four parts that follow the seasons of Bonaparte's ten-month stay on Elba, The Invisible Emperor reconsiders the Napoleonic legend from the point of view of a moment of relative quiet in a modest setting. Carefully researched and a pleasure to read, it challenges aspects of the towering historical figure's mythology. The space, timeline, and scale of this history may be small, but this is a Napoleon we don't typically hear about. Presented in a narrative rich with curious details and a surprising intimacy, The Invisible Emperor manages to humanize an epic history and life about which so much has been written over the past two centuries. Roxanne Panchasi is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Simon Fraser University. Her current research focuses on the representation of nuclear weapons and testing in France and its empire since 1945. She lives and reads in Vancouver, Canada. If you have a recent title to suggest, please send an email to: panchasi@sfu.ca. *The music that opens and closes the podcast is an instrumental version of “Creatures,” a song written and performed by Vancouver artist/musician Casey Wei (“hazy”). To hear more, please visit https://agonyklub.com/.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biography

I must've been a kid when I first heard the palindrome “Able I was ere I saw Elba”. Napoleon didn't mean a lot to me at the time. “Elba” meant even less. Decades later, I had learned a little more about Napoleon and his time there, but not that all that much it turns out. And then came Mark Braude's The Invisible Emperor: Napoleon on Elba from Empire to Exile (Penguin Press, 2018)… This unexpected and absorbing book delves into the story of Napoleon's exile on the island of Elba following his abdication in 1814. After his escape and return to France for the “100 Days,” Napoleon was, of course, finally defeated at Waterloo in 1815. The Invisible Emperor explores a period in between the “bigger-ticket” events with which readers may be more familiar, a time and space in which Napoleon at once out of sight and more in contact with everyday people than perhaps at any other point in his career. Written in multiple short chapters comprising four parts that follow the seasons of Bonaparte's ten-month stay on Elba, The Invisible Emperor reconsiders the Napoleonic legend from the point of view of a moment of relative quiet in a modest setting. Carefully researched and a pleasure to read, it challenges aspects of the towering historical figure's mythology. The space, timeline, and scale of this history may be small, but this is a Napoleon we don't typically hear about. Presented in a narrative rich with curious details and a surprising intimacy, The Invisible Emperor manages to humanize an epic history and life about which so much has been written over the past two centuries. Roxanne Panchasi is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Simon Fraser University. Her current research focuses on the representation of nuclear weapons and testing in France and its empire since 1945. She lives and reads in Vancouver, Canada. If you have a recent title to suggest, please send an email to: panchasi@sfu.ca. *The music that opens and closes the podcast is an instrumental version of “Creatures,” a song written and performed by Vancouver artist/musician Casey Wei (“hazy”). To hear more, please visit https://agonyklub.com/.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/european-studies

This is a hybrid heart disease risk factor post of a podcast with Prof Bruce Lanphear on lead and a piece I was asked to write for the Washington Post on risk factors for heart disease.First, the podcast. You may have thought the problem with lead exposure was circumscribed to children, but it's a much bigger issue than that. I'll concentrate on the exposure risk to adults in this interview, including the lead-estrogen hypothesis. Bruce has been working on the subject of lead exposure for more than 30 years. Let me emphasize that the problem is not going away, as highlighted in a recent New England Journal of Medicine piece on lead contamination in Milwaukee schools, “The Latest Episode in an Ongoing Toxic Pandemic.”Transcript with links to the audio and citationsEric Topol (00:05):Well, hello. This is Eric Topol with Ground Truths, and I'm very delighted to welcome Professor Bruce Lanphear from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia for a very interesting topic, and that's about lead exposure. We tend to think about lead poisoning with the Flint, Michigan, but there's a lot more to this story. So welcome, Bruce.Bruce Lanphear (00:32):Thank you, Eric. It's great to be here.Eric Topol (00:33):Yeah. So you had a New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) Review in October last year, which was probably a wake up to me, and I'm sure to many others. We'll link to that, where you reviewed the whole topic, the title is called Lead Poisoning. But of course it's not just about a big dose, but rather chronic exposure. So maybe you could give us a bit of an overview of that review that you wrote for NEJM.Bruce Lanphear (01:05):Yeah, so we really focused on the things where we feel like there's a definitive link. Things like lead and diminished IQ in children, lead and coronary heart disease, lead and chronic renal disease. As you mentioned, we've typically thought of lead as sort of the overt lead poisoning where somebody becomes acutely ill. But over the past century what we've learned is that lead is one of those toxic chemicals where it's the chronic wear and tear on our bodies that catches up and it's at the root of many of these chronic diseases that are causing problems today.Eric Topol (01:43):Yeah, it's pretty striking. The one that grabbed me and kind of almost fell out of my chair was that in 2019 when I guess the most recent data there is 5.5 million cardiovascular deaths ascribed to relatively low levels, or I guess there is no safe level of lead exposure, that's really striking. That's a lot of people dying from something that cardiology and medical community is not really aware of. And there's a figure 3 [BELOW] that we will also show in the transcript, where you show the level where you start to see a takeoff. It starts very low and by 50 μg/liter, you're seeing a twofold risk and there's no threshold, it keeps going up. How many of us do you think are exposed to that type of level as adults, Bruce?Bruce Lanphear (02:39):Well, as adults, if we go back in time, all of us. If you go back to the 1970s when lead was still in gasoline, the median blood lead level of Americans was about 13 to 15 µg/dL. So we've all been exposed historically to those levels, and part of the reason we've begun to see a striking decline in coronary heart disease, which peaked in 1968. And by 1978, there was a 20% decline, 190,000 more people were alive than expected. So even in that first decade, there was this striking decline in coronary heart disease. And so, in addition to the prospective studies that have found this link between an increase in lead exposure and death from cardiovascular disease and more specifically coronary heart disease. We can look back in time and see how the decline in leaded gasoline led to a decline in heart disease and hypertension.Eric Topol (03:41):Yeah, but it looks like it's still a problem. And you have a phenomenal graph that's encouraging, where you see this 95% reduction in the lead exposure from the 1970s. And as you said, the factors that can be ascribed to like getting rid of lead from gasoline and others. But what is troubling is that we still have a lot of people that this could be a problem. Now, one of the things that was fascinating is that you get into that herbal supplements could be a risk factor. That we don't do screening, of course, should we do screening? And there's certain people that particularly that you consider at high risk that should get screened. So I wasn't aware, I mean the one type of supplements that you zoomed in on, how do you say it? Ayurvedic?Supplements With LeadBruce Lanphear (04:39):Oh yeah. So this is Ayurvedic medicine and in fact, I just was on a Zoom call three weeks ago with a husband and wife who live in India. The young woman had taken Ayurvedic medicine and because of that, her blood lead levels increased to 70 µg/dL, and several months later she was pregnant, and she was trying to figure out what to do with this. Ayurvedic medicine is not well regulated. And so, that's one of the most important sources when we think about India, for example. And I think you pointed out a really important thing is number one, we don't know that there's any safe level even though blood lead levels in the United States and Europe, for example, have come down by over 95%. The levels that we're exposed to and especially the levels in our bones are 10 to 100 times higher than our pre-industrial ancestors.Bruce Lanphear (05:36):So we haven't yet reached those levels that our ancestors were exposed to. Are there effects at even lower and lower levels? Everything would suggest, we should assume that there is, but we don't know down below, let's say one microgram per deciliter or that's the equivalent of 10 parts per billion of lead and blood. What we also know though is when leaded gasoline was restricted in the United States and Canada and elsewhere, the companies turned to the industrializing countries and started to market it there. And so, we saw first the epidemic of coronary heart disease in the United States, Canada, Europe. Then that's come down over the past 50 years. At the same time, it was rising in low to middle income countries. So today over 95% of the burden of disease from lead including heart disease is found in industrializing countries.Eric Topol (06:34):Right. Now, it's pretty striking, of course. Is it true that airlines fuel is still with lead today?Bruce Lanphear (06:45):Well, not commercial airlines. It's going to be a small single piston aircraft. So for example, when we did a study down around the Santa Clara County Airport, Reid-Hillview, and we can see that the children who live within a half mile of the airport had blood lead levels about 10% higher than children that live further away. And the children who live downwind, 25% higher still. Now, nobody's mapped out the health effects, but one of the things that's particularly troubling about emissions from small aircraft is that the particle size of lead is extraordinarily small, and we know how nanoparticles because they have larger surface area can be more problematic. They also can probably go straight up into the brain or across the pulmonary tissues, and so those small particles we should be particularly worried about. But it's been such a long journey to try to figure out how to get that out of aircraft. It's a problem. The EPA recognized it. They said it's an endangerment, but the industry is still pushing back.Eric Topol (07:55):Yeah, I mean, it's interesting that we still have these problems, and I am going to in a minute ask you what we can do to just eradicate lead as much as possible, but we're not there yet. But one study that seemed to be hard to believe that you cited in the review. A year after a ban leaded fuel in NASCAR races, mortality from coronary heart disease declined significantly in communities near racetracks. Can you talk about that one because it's a little bit like the one you just mentioned with the airports?Bruce Lanphear (08:30):Yeah. Now that study particularly, this was by Alex Hollingsworth, was particularly looking at people over 65. And we're working on a follow-up study that will look at people below 65, but it was quite striking. When NASCAR took lead out of their fuel, he compared the rates of coronary heart disease of people that live nearby compared to a control group populations that live further away. And he did see a pretty striking reduction. One of the things we also want to look at in our follow-up is how quickly does that risk begin to taper off? That's going to be really important in terms of trying to develop a strategy around preventing lead poisoning. How quickly do we expect to see it fall? I think it's probably going to be within 12 to 24 months that we'll see benefits.Eric Topol (09:20):That's interesting because as you show in a really nice graphic in adults, which are the people who would be listening to this podcast. Of course, they ought to be concerned too about children and all and reproductive health. But the point about the skeleton, 95% of the lead is there and the main organs, which we haven't mentioned the kidney and the kidney injury that occurs no less the cardiovascular, the blood pressure elevation. So these are really, and you mentioned not necessarily highlighted in that graphic, but potential cognitive hit as well. You also wrote about how people who have symptoms of abdominal pain, memory impairment, and high blood pressure that's unexplained, maybe they should get a blood level screening. I assume those are easy to get, right?Bruce Lanphear (10:17):Oh yeah, absolutely. You can get those in any hospital, any clinic across the country. We're still struggling with having those available where it's most needed in the industrializing countries, but certainly available here. Now, we don't expect that for most people who have those symptoms, lead poisoning is going to be the cause, right. It'd still be unusual unless you work in an industry, for example, smelting batteries to recycle them. We don't expect it to be real common, and we're not even sure, Eric, whether we should be doing widespread screening. If I looked at this as a population scientist, the real focus should be on identifying the sources. We mostly know where those are here and radically moving it down. Getting rid of the lead service lines, which was such a big part of what President Biden was doing, and it was perfect. For every dollar invested to reduce lead exposure from those lead service lines. Ronnie Levin at Harvard said there'd be a 35-fold return in cost, benefits really, and this has always been true, that reducing lead exposure throughout the past 40 years has always been shown to be amazingly cost beneficial. The problem is operating within a free market health system, even though there's tremendous social benefits, that benefit isn't going to be monetized or privatized. And so, who's going to make those decisions? We hope our government is, but that doesn't always play out.Eric Topol (11:52):Well. What's interesting is, as opposed to the problems we have today that are prominent such as the microplastic, nanoplastics, the air pollution, the forever chemicals, that just keep getting worse, I mean, they are just cumulative. This one, there was tremendous improvement, but it's still not enough. And I guess you're zooming in on the lead lines. That'd be the most important thing to work on today. Another thing that has come up, there's been trials, as you may I'm sure, because all over this field of chelation, there's a trial that was run by the NIH, supported by NH that looked at chelation to prevent coronary disease. Is there any evidence that people who have a problem with lead would benefit from chelation therapy?Bruce Lanphear (12:44):Well, there's two major studies that have been done, and Tony Lamas was in charge of both of them. The first one Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT) study, it was a randomized controlled trial, not intended specifically to focus on lead, but rather it was to look at sort of this alternative therapy. They found significant benefits about an 18% reduction in subsequent cardiac events. That led to a second study that was just published last year, and it was focused on people who had diabetes. They saw some benefit, but it wasn't significant. So whether that's because there wasn't enough variability and exposure, it's not entirely clear, but we've seen this with lead in IQ deficits in kids where we can show that we can reduce blood lead levels. But ultimately what tends to happen is once you've taken lead out of the blood, some of it's released again from the bone, but you still have all that lead in the bone that's there. You get some of it out, but you're not going to get the bulk of it out.The Lead-Estrogen HypothesisEric Topol (13:47):Right. It's a reservoir that's hard to reckon with. Yeah. Now another thing, you have a Substack that is called Plagues, Pollution & Poverty, and you wrote a really provocative piece in that earlier and April called How Estrogen Keeps Lead - and Heart Attacks - in Check, and basically you got into the lead estrogen hypothesis.Eric Topol (14:10):Can you enlighten us about that?Bruce Lanphear (14:12):Yeah. A lot of the seminal work in this area was done by Ellen Silbergeld, who's a brilliant and somewhat peculiar toxicologist and Ellen for years, I focused on childhood lead exposure, and for years Ellen would tell me, almost demolish me for not studying adults. And because she had found back in 1988 that as women go into menopause, their blood lead levels spike increased by about 30%, and that's where most of our lead is stored is in our bone. And so, as I was thinking about this, it all became clear because blood lead levels in boys and girls is about the same. It's comparable up until menarche, and then girls young women's blood leads fall by about 20%. And they stay 20% lower throughout the reproductive years until menopause. And especially during those first few years around menopause, perimenopause, you see fairly striking increases in the weakening of the bone and blood lead levels.Bruce Lanphear (15:19):So that might very well help to explain why estrogen is protected, because what happens is throughout the reproductive life, women are losing a little bit of lead every month. And estrogen is at its lowest during that time, and that's going to be when blood lead is at its highest because estrogen pushes lead into the bone. Not only that, women lose lead into the developing fetus when they're pregnant. So what Ellen found is that there was less of a spike around menopause for the women that had three or four pregnancies because they had offloaded that into their babies. So all of this, if you put it together, and this is of course in a very short note of it, you can see that lead increases dyslipidemia, it leads to tears in the endothelium of the arterial wall, it's going to increase thrombosis. All of these things that we think of as the classic atherosclerosis. Well, what estrogen does is the opposite of those. It decreases dyslipidemia, it repairs the arterial endothelial wall. So how much of it is that estrogen is protective, and how much is it that it's moving lead out of the system, making it less biologically available?Eric Topol (16:46):Yeah, I know. It's really interesting. Quite provocative. Should be followed up on, for sure. Just getting to you, you're a physician and epidemiologist, MD MPH, and you have spent your career on this sort of thing, right? I mean, is your middle name lead or what do you work on all the time?Bruce Lanphear (17:09):Yeah, I've been doing this for about 30 years, and one of my mentors, Herb Needleman spent 40 years of his career on it. And in some ways, Eric, it seems to me particularly in these very difficult entrenched problems like lead, we don't have any pharmaceutical company reaching out to us to promote what we do. We've got industry trying to squash what we do.Bruce Lanphear (17:35):It really does take a career to really make a dent in this stuff. And in a way, you can look at my trajectory and it is really following up on what Herb Needleman did and what Clare Patterson did, and that was finding the effects at lower and lower levels. Because what we do with lead and most other toxic chemicals, the ones that don't cause cancer, is we assume that there's a safe level or threshold until we prove otherwise. And yet when you look at the evidence, whether it's about asbestos and mesothelioma, air pollution and cardiovascular mortality, lead and cardiovascular mortality, benzene and leukemia, none of those exhibit a threshold. In some cases, the risks are steepest proportionately at the lowest measurable levels, and that really raises some tremendous challenges, right? Because how are we going to bring air pollution or lead down to zero? But at the same time, it also provides these tremendous opportunities because we know that they're causing disease. We know what the sources are. If we could only bring about the political will to address them, we could prevent a lot of death, disease, and disability. I mean, about 20% of deaths around the world every year are from air pollution, lead, and other toxic chemicals, and yet the amount of money we invest in them is just paltry compared to what we invest in other things. Which is not to pit one against the other, but it's to say we haven't invested enough in these.Eric Topol (19:14):No, absolutely. I think your point, just to make sure that it's clear, is that even at low levels, this is of course where most of the population exposure would be, and that's why that's so incriminating. Now, one of the things I just want to end up with is that we know that these are tiny, tiny particles of lead, and then the question is how they can synergize and find particulate matter of air pollution in the nanoplastic, microplastic story and binding to forever chemicals, PFAS. How do you process all that? Because it's not just a single hit here, it's also the fact that there's ability to have binding to the other environmental toxins that are not going away.Bruce Lanphear (20:10):That's right. And in a way, when we talk about lead playing this tremendous role in the rise and decline of coronary heart disease, we can't entirely separate it out, for example, from air pollution or cigarette smoke for that matter, nor plastic. So for example, with air pollution, if we look at air pollution over the past century, up until the 1980s, even into the 1990s, it was leaded, right? So you couldn't separate them. If you look at cigarette smoke, cigarette tobacco in the 1940s and 1950s was grown in fields where they used lead arsenic as an insecticide. So smokers even today have blood lead levels that are 20% higher than non-smokers, and people who are not smokers but exposed to secondhand smoke have blood lead levels 20% higher than non-smokers who aren't exposed to secondhand smoke. So in a way, we should try to tease apart these differences, but it's going to be really challenging. In a way we can almost think about them as a spectrum of exposures. Now with plastics, you can really think of plastics as a form of pollution because it's not just one thing. There's all these additives, whether it's the PFAS chemicals or lead, which is used as a stabilizer. And so, all of them really are kind of integrated into each other, which again, maybe there's some opportunity there if we really were ready to tackle.Eric Topol (21:40):And interestingly, just yesterday, it was announced by the current administration that they're stopping all the prior efforts on the forever chemicals that were initiated in the water supply. And I mean, if there's one takeaway from our discussion, it's that we have to get all over this and we're not paying enough attention to our environmental exposures. You've really highlighted spotlighted the lead story. And obviously there are others that are, instead of getting somewhat better, they're actually going in the opposite direction. And they're all tied together that's what is so striking here, and they all do many bad things to our bodies. So I don't know how, I'm obviously really interested in promoting healthy aging, and unless we get on this, we're chasing our tails, right?Bruce Lanphear (22:31):Well, I think that's right, Eric. And I was reading the tips that you'd written about in preparation for your book release, and you focused understandably on what each of us can do, how we can modify our own lifestyles. We almost need six tips about what our government should do in order to make it harder for us to become sick, or to encourage those healthy behaviors that you talked about. That's a big part of it as well. One of the things we're celebrating the hundredth anniversary. This is not really something to celebrate, but we are. The hundredth anniversary of the addition of tetraethyl lead to gasoline. And one of the key things about that addition, there was this debate because when it was being manufactured, 80% of the workers at a plant in New Jersey suffered from severe lead poisoning, and five died, and it was enough that New York City, Philadelphia and New Jersey banned tetraethyl lead.Bruce Lanphear (23:31):Then there was this convening by the US Surgeon General to determine whether it was safe to add tetraethyl lead to gasoline. One scientist, Yandell Henderson said, absolutely not. You're going to create a scourge worse than tuberculosis with slow lead poisoning and hardening of your arteries. Robert Kehoe, who represented the industry said, we know lead is toxic, but until you've shown that it's toxic when added to gasoline, you have no right to prohibit us from using it. So that is now known as the Kehoe rule, and it's relevant not only for lead, but for PFAS, for air pollution, for all these other things, because what it set as a precedent, until you've shown that these chemicals or pollution is toxic when used in commerce, you have no right to prohibit industry from using it. And that's the fix we're in.Eric Topol (24:27):Well, it sounds too much like the tobacco story and so many other things that were missed opportunities to promote public health. Now, is Canada doing any better than us on this stuff?Bruce Lanphear (24:40):In some ways, but not in others. And one of the interesting thing is we don't have standards, we have guidelines. And amazingly, the cities generally try to conform to those guidance levels. With water lead, we're down to five parts per billion. The US is sticking around with ten parts per billion, but it's not even really very, it's not enforced very well. So we are doing better in some ways, not so good in other ways. The European Union, generally speaking, is doing much better than North America.Eric Topol (25:15):Yeah, well, it doesn't look very encouraging at the moment, but hopefully someday we'll get there. Bruce, this has been a really fascinating discussion. I think we all should be thankful to you for dedicating your career to a topic that a lot of us are not up on, and you hopefully are getting us all into a state of awareness. And congratulations on that review, which was masterful and keep up the great work. Thank you.Bruce Lanphear (25:42):Thank you, Eric. I appreciate it.________________________________________________My Recommendations for Preventing Heart Disease (Markedly Truncated from Text and Graphics Provided in SUPER AGERS)Recently the Washington Post asked me for a listicle of 10 ways to prevent heart disease. I generally avoid making such lists but many people have de-subscribed to this newspaper, never subscribed, or missed the post, so here it is with links to citations:Guest column by Eric Topol, MDThe buildup of cholesterol and other substances in the wall of our arteries, known as atherosclerosis, is common. It can lead to severe plaques that narrow the artery and limit blood flow, or to a crack in the artery wall that can trigger blood clot formation, resulting in a heart attack.While we've seen some major advances in treating heart disease, it remains the leading killer in the United States, even though about 80 percent of cases are considered preventable. There are evidence-based steps you can take to stave it off. As a cardiologist, here's what I recommend to my patients.1. Do both aerobic and resistance exerciseThis is considered the single most effective medical intervention to protect against atherosclerosis and promote healthy aging. Physical activity lowers inflammation in the body. Evidence has shown that both aerobic and strength training forms of exercise are important. But only 1 in 4 Americans meet the two activity guidelines from the American Heart Association: aerobic exercise of 150 minutes per week of at least moderate physical activity, such as walking, bicycling on level ground, dancing or gardening, and strength training for at least two sessions per week, which typically translates to 60 minutes weekly.The protective benefit of exercise is seen with even relatively low levels of activity, such as around 2,500 steps per day (via sustained physical activity, not starting and stopping), and generally increases proportionately with more activity. It used to be thought that people who exercise only on the weekend — known as “weekend warriors” — put themselves in danger, but recent data shows the benefits of exercise can be derived from weekend-only workouts, too.2. Follow an anti-inflammatory dietA predominantly plant-based diet — high in fiber and rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains, as seen with the Mediterranean diet — has considerable evidence from large-scale observational and randomized trials for reducing body-wide inflammation and improving cardiovascular outcomes.Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, also form part of a diet that suppresses inflammation. On the other hand, red meat and ultra-processed foods are pro-inflammatory, and you should limit your consumption. High protein intake of more than 1.4 grams per kilogram of body weight per day — around 95 grams for someone who is 150 pounds — has also been linked to promoting inflammation and to atherosclerosis in experimental models. That is particularly related to animal-based proteins and the role of leucine, an essential amino acid that is obtained only by diet.3. Maintain a healthy weightBeing overweight or obese indicates an excess of white adipose tissue. This kind of tissue can increase the risk of heart disease because it stores fat cells, known as adipocytes, which release substances that contribute to inflammation.In studies, we've seen that glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) drugs can reduce inflammation with weight loss, and a significant reduction of heart attacks and strokes among high-risk patients treated for obesity. Lean body weight also helps protect against atrial fibrillation, the most common heart rhythm abnormality.4. Know and avoid metabolic syndrome and prediabetesTied into obesity, in part, is the problem of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Two out of three people with obesity have this syndrome, which is defined as having three out of five features: high fasting blood glucose, high fasting triglycerides, high blood pressure, low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and central adiposity (waist circumference of more than 40 inches in men, 35 inches in women).Metabolic syndrome is also present in a high proportion of people without obesity, about 50 million Americans. Prediabetes often overlaps with it. Prediabetes is defined as a hemoglobin A1c (a measure of how much glucose is stuck to your red blood cells) between 5.7 and 6.4 percent, or a fasting glucose between 100 and 125 milligrams per deciliter.Both metabolic syndrome and prediabetes carry an increased risk of heart disease and can be prevented — and countered — by weight loss, exercise and an optimal diet.As the glucagon-like peptide drug family moves to pills and less expense in the future, these medications may prove helpful for reducing risk in people with metabolic syndrome and prediabetes. For those with Type 2 diabetes, the goal is optimizing glucose management and maximal attention to lifestyle factors.5. Keep your blood pressure in a healthy rangeHypertension is an important risk factor for heart disease and is exceptionally common as we age. The optimal blood pressure is 120/80 mm Hg or lower. But with aging, there is often an elevation of systolic blood pressure to about 130 mm Hg, related to stiffening of arteries. While common, it is still considered elevated.Ideally, everyone should monitor their blood pressure with a home device to make sure they haven't developed hypertension. A mild abnormality of blood pressure will typically improve with lifestyle changes, but more substantial elevations will probably require medications.6. Find out your genetic riskWe now have the means of determining your genetic risk of coronary artery disease with what is known as a polygenic risk score, derived from a gene chip. The term polygenic refers to hundreds of DNA variants in the genome that are linked to risk of heart disease. This is very different from a family history, because we're a product of both our mother's and father's genomes, and the way the DNA variants come together in each of us can vary considerably for combinations of variants.That means you could have high or low risk for heart disease that is different from your familial pattern. People with a high polygenic risk score benefit the most from medications to lower cholesterol, such as statins. A polygenic risk score can be obtained from a number of commercial companies, though it isn't typically covered by insurance.I don't recommend getting a calcium score of your coronary arteries via a computed tomography (CT) scan. This test is overused and often induces overwhelming anxiety in patients with a high calcium score but without symptoms or bona fide risk. If you have symptoms suggestive of coronary artery disease, such as chest discomfort with exercise, then a CT angiogram may be helpful to map the coronary arteries. It is much more informative than a calcium score.7. Check your blood lipidsThe main lipid abnormality that requires attention is low-density cholesterol (LDL), which is often high and for people with increased risk of heart disease should certainly be addressed. While lifestyle improvements can help, significant elevation typically requires medications such as a statin; ezetimibe; bempedoic acid; or injectables such as evolocumab (Repatha), alirocumab (Praluent) or inclisiran (Leqvio). The higher the risk, the more aggressive LDL lowering may be considered.It should be noted that the use of potent statins, such as rosuvastatin or atorvastatin, especially at high doses, is linked to inducing glucose intolerance and risk of Type 2 diabetes. While this is not a common side effect, it requires attention since it is often missed from lack of awareness.A low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol often responds to weight loss and exercise. We used to think that high HDL was indicative of “good cholesterol,” but more recent evidence suggests that is not the case and it may reflect increased risk when very high.To get a comprehensive assessment of risk via your blood lipids, it's important to get the apolipoprotein B (apoB) test at least once because about 20 percent of people have normal LDL and a high apoB.Like low HDL, high fasting triglycerides may indicate insulin resistance as part of the metabolic syndrome and will often respond to lifestyle factors.The lipoprotein known as Lp(a) should also be assessed at least once because it indicates risk when elevated. The good news is scientists are on the cusp of finally having medications to lower it, with five different drugs in late-stage clinical trials.8. Reduce exposure to environmental pollutantsIn recent years, we've learned a lot about the substantial pro-inflammatory effects of air pollution, microplastics and forever chemicals, all of which have been linked to a higher risk of heart disease. In one study, microplastics or nanoplastics in the artery wall were found in about 60 percent of more than 300 people. Researchers found a vicious inflammatory response around the plastics, and a four- to fivefold risk of heart attacks or strokes during three years of follow-up.While we need policy changes to address these toxic substances in the environment, risk can be reduced by paying attention to air and water quality using filtration or purification devices, less use of plastic water bottles and plastic storage, and, in general, being much more aware and wary of our pervasive use of plastics.9. Don't smoke This point, it should be well known that cigarette smoking is a potent risk factor for coronary artery disease and should be completely avoided.10. Get Good SleepAlthough we tend to connect sleep health with brain and cognitive function, there's evidence that sleep regularity and quality are associated with less risk of heart disease. Regularity means adhering to a routine schedule as much as possible, and its benefit may be due to our body's preference for maintaining its circadian rhythm. Sleep quality — meaning with fewer interruptions — and maximal deep sleep can be tracked with smartwatches, fitness bands, rings or mattress sensors.Sleep apnea, when breathing stops and starts during sleep, is fairly common and often unsuspected. So if you're having trouble sleeping or you snore loudly, talk to your doctor about ruling out the condition. Testing for sleep apnea can involve checking for good oxygen saturation throughout one's sleep. That can be done through a sleep study or at home using rings or smartwatches that include oxygen saturation in their sensors and body movement algorithms that pick up disturbed breathing.Eric Topol, MD, is a cardiologist, professor and executive vice president of Scripps Research in San Diego. He is the author of “Super Agers: An Evidence-Based Approach to Longevity” and the author of Ground Truths on Substack.*********************°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°Thanks to many of you Ground Truths subscribers who helped put SUPER AGERS on the NYT bestseller list for 4 weeks.Here are 2 recent, informative, and fun conversations I had on the topicMichael Shermer, The SkepticRuss Roberts, EconTalk I'm also very appreciative for your reading and subscribing to Ground Truths.If you found this interesting PLEASE share it!That makes the work involved in putting these together especially worthwhile.All content on Ground Truths—its newsletters, analyses, and podcasts, are free, open-access.Paid subscriptions are voluntary and all proceeds from them go to support Scripps Research. They do allow for posting comments and questions, which I do my best to respond to. Please don't hesitate to post comments and give me feedback. Let me know topics that you would like to see covered.Many thanks to those who have contributed—they have greatly helped fund our summer internship programs for the past three years. Just a week ago we just had nearly 50 interns (high school, college and medical students) present posters of the work they did over the summer and it was exhilarating! Some photos below Get full access to Ground Truths at erictopol.substack.com/subscribe

Charly Coleman's latest book, The Spirit of French Capitalism: Economic Theology in the Age of Enlightenment (Stanford University Press, 2021) is at once a history of ideas, the economy, religion, and material culture. Pursuing the imbrication of the economy and theology with respect to both worldly and spiritual value and wealth, the book explores the emergence and development of a specifically Catholic ethic of capitalism particular to the French context in the century and more leading up to the French Revolution. In its six chapters, the book examines the Eucharist, John Law's system, speculation and debt, usury, consumption, luxury, and more. By the time this reader reached the epilogue, it became clear that The Spirit of French Capitalism is both a history of the Age of Enlightenment and a genealogy/prehistory of the commodity fetishism elaborated by Marx and Marxist thinkers from the nineteenth century to the present. Faith in infinite wealth creation, obsessive consumption, pleasure, abundance, and enchantment are as much a part of the history of capitalism as scarcity, regulation, and restraint. Provocative and complicated, the book will be of great interest scholars and students of the histories of the early modern economy, religion, and the state in France and elsewhere, as well as the history of capitalism more broadly. Roxanne Panchasi is an Associate Professor of History at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada who specializes in twentieth and twenty-first century France and its empire. If you have a recent title to suggest for the podcast, please send her an email (panchasi@sfu.ca). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charly Coleman's latest book, The Spirit of French Capitalism: Economic Theology in the Age of Enlightenment (Stanford University Press, 2021) is at once a history of ideas, the economy, religion, and material culture. Pursuing the imbrication of the economy and theology with respect to both worldly and spiritual value and wealth, the book explores the emergence and development of a specifically Catholic ethic of capitalism particular to the French context in the century and more leading up to the French Revolution. In its six chapters, the book examines the Eucharist, John Law's system, speculation and debt, usury, consumption, luxury, and more. By the time this reader reached the epilogue, it became clear that The Spirit of French Capitalism is both a history of the Age of Enlightenment and a genealogy/prehistory of the commodity fetishism elaborated by Marx and Marxist thinkers from the nineteenth century to the present. Faith in infinite wealth creation, obsessive consumption, pleasure, abundance, and enchantment are as much a part of the history of capitalism as scarcity, regulation, and restraint. Provocative and complicated, the book will be of great interest scholars and students of the histories of the early modern economy, religion, and the state in France and elsewhere, as well as the history of capitalism more broadly. Roxanne Panchasi is an Associate Professor of History at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada who specializes in twentieth and twenty-first century France and its empire. If you have a recent title to suggest for the podcast, please send her an email (panchasi@sfu.ca). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charly Coleman's latest book, The Spirit of French Capitalism: Economic Theology in the Age of Enlightenment (Stanford University Press, 2021) is at once a history of ideas, the economy, religion, and material culture. Pursuing the imbrication of the economy and theology with respect to both worldly and spiritual value and wealth, the book explores the emergence and development of a specifically Catholic ethic of capitalism particular to the French context in the century and more leading up to the French Revolution. In its six chapters, the book examines the Eucharist, John Law's system, speculation and debt, usury, consumption, luxury, and more. By the time this reader reached the epilogue, it became clear that The Spirit of French Capitalism is both a history of the Age of Enlightenment and a genealogy/prehistory of the commodity fetishism elaborated by Marx and Marxist thinkers from the nineteenth century to the present. Faith in infinite wealth creation, obsessive consumption, pleasure, abundance, and enchantment are as much a part of the history of capitalism as scarcity, regulation, and restraint. Provocative and complicated, the book will be of great interest scholars and students of the histories of the early modern economy, religion, and the state in France and elsewhere, as well as the history of capitalism more broadly. Roxanne Panchasi is an Associate Professor of History at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada who specializes in twentieth and twenty-first century France and its empire. If you have a recent title to suggest for the podcast, please send her an email (panchasi@sfu.ca). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charly Coleman's latest book, The Spirit of French Capitalism: Economic Theology in the Age of Enlightenment (Stanford University Press, 2021) is at once a history of ideas, the economy, religion, and material culture. Pursuing the imbrication of the economy and theology with respect to both worldly and spiritual value and wealth, the book explores the emergence and development of a specifically Catholic ethic of capitalism particular to the French context in the century and more leading up to the French Revolution. In its six chapters, the book examines the Eucharist, John Law's system, speculation and debt, usury, consumption, luxury, and more. By the time this reader reached the epilogue, it became clear that The Spirit of French Capitalism is both a history of the Age of Enlightenment and a genealogy/prehistory of the commodity fetishism elaborated by Marx and Marxist thinkers from the nineteenth century to the present. Faith in infinite wealth creation, obsessive consumption, pleasure, abundance, and enchantment are as much a part of the history of capitalism as scarcity, regulation, and restraint. Provocative and complicated, the book will be of great interest scholars and students of the histories of the early modern economy, religion, and the state in France and elsewhere, as well as the history of capitalism more broadly. Roxanne Panchasi is an Associate Professor of History at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada who specializes in twentieth and twenty-first century France and its empire. If you have a recent title to suggest for the podcast, please send her an email (panchasi@sfu.ca). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/christian-studies

Covering the pivotal period from the mid-seventeenth century through the era of the French Revolution, Christy Pichichero's The Military Enlightenment: War and Culture in the French Empire from Louis XIV to Napoleon (Cornell University Press, 2018; paperback ed. 2020) is a fascinating interdisciplinary study that pushes us to rethink our ideas about both the military and the Enlightenment in and beyond a France that was a global, as well as a continental European imperial power. As Pichichero shows, the (long) eighteenth century holds the key to our understanding historical concepts and transformations that we tend to associate with later developments in military thought and practice, from conventions around "good" and "humane" conflict to ideas about community and civility between soldiers fighting together and on opposing sides. The book's five chapters explore a broad range of compelling events and sources, from the work of well known Enlightenment thinkers and authors such as Voltaire and Choderlos de Laclos, to military manuals and debates regarding how wars would and should be waged, how soldiers should be trained to think and act in battle. Now available in a new paperback edition, the book is a must-read for anyone interested in the longue durée of military culture and warfare, as well as those with an interest in all that the Enlightenment did and could mean. Roxanne Panchasi is an Associate Professor of History at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada who specializes in twentieth and twenty-first century France and empire.She is the founding host of New Books in French Studies, a channel launched in 2013. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Clete Hanson, newly appointed head coach at Simon Fraser University, talks about his return to the program that shaped much of his wrestling and coaching career. A Washington native and former nationally ranked high school wrestler, Hanson chose SFU for its unique blend of high-level international freestyle influence, academic excellence, and its rare status as a Canadian institution competing in the NCAA.Now, as only the third head coach in program history, he steps into a role once held by coaching legends Mike Jones and Justin Abdou—both of whom played pivotal roles in Hanson's development.In the interview, Hanson outlines the complexities of recruiting American athletes to a Canadian school, navigating dual academic and athletic standards, and the constant balancing act between freestyle and collegiate folkstyle wrestling. With about 70% of his roster made up of Canadian athletes—most of whom have never competed in folkstyle before—Hanson speaks candidly about the learning curve and the coaching strategies used to bridge that gap. Still, he emphasizes that “wrestling is wrestling,” and believes the transition can be streamlined with focused training and communication.Looking ahead, Hanson's vision is to elevate SFU's presence on both the NCAA and Canadian wrestling landscapes.While winning a national team title is an ambitious goal, he sees success in building a program that mirrors the developmental excellence of institutions like Cornell and Lehigh. With deep ties to the Burnaby Mountain Wrestling Club and a role as one of Canada's national training centers, SFU is uniquely positioned to continue producing world-class talent—both on the mat and beyond it.

What's a veterinarian's view on dog training methods? And if your pet is terrified of going to the vet, how can they help? We find out from an amazing veterinarian, Dr. Adrian Walton of Dewdney Animal Hospital in Maple Ridge, BC.We talked about:Dr. Walton's position on dog training methods, and his experience of so-called “balanced” trainersHow he trained sealions at the Toronto Zoo with a whistle and a bucket of fishHow a large lizard ended up at his clinic and what his technician taught the Nile monitor to doHow we know that lizards can countThe difference that medication can make for pets who are scared at the vetHow pain can affect pets' behaviourWhat it's like working with exotic animalsThe best pet to get for your kidAnd Dr. Walton recommends the books he's been readingThe books:Invertebrate Medicine by Gregory A LewbartBoat Camping in Haida Gwaii by Neil FrazerDr. Adrian Walton is the owner of Dewdney Animal Hospital in Maple Ridge, BC. He's a graduate of University of Guelph and has degrees in Marine Biology from Dalhousie University and a Masters Degree from Simon Fraser University. Prior to moving to Maple Ridge he was an emergency veterinarian in Seattle. His area of interest is exotic animal medicine and spends a lot of his spare time helping abandoned and neglected reptiles and exotics find forever homes.Website: https://dewdneyvet.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dewdneyvet/Look out for the lizard training videos, coming soon on companionanimalpsychology.com which is also where you will find a transcript for this episode. You can watch a clip of the lizard following a target stick here: https://youtu.be/OunQ-vmtw28 The video is courtesy of Dr. Adrian Walton.Send us a text to say hello!About the co-hosts: Kristi Benson is an honours graduate of, and now on staff with, the prestigious Academy for Dog Trainers and has her PCBC-A from the Pet Professional Accreditation Board. She lives in beautiful northern British Columbia, where she helps dog guardians through online classes. She is also a northern anthropologist. Kristi Benson's website Facebook Zazie Todd, PhD, is the award-winning author of Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog, Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy and Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy. She is the creator of the popular blog, Companion Animal Psychology, and has a column at Psychology Today. She lives in Maple Ridge, BC, with her husband, a dog and a cat. Instagram BlueSky

SummaryThis "farewell" podcast episode was recorded live at the SpokenWeb Institute on May 17, 2025, at the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus, Kelowna, BC. Producers Nick Beauchesne and Chelsea Miya, with host Maia Harris, lead an audio-visual journey exploring the roots and evolution of SpokenWeb's Symposia and Institutes from 2019 through 2025."The SpokenWeb Symposia Retrospective: Celebrating Sound Studies Since 2013" presents original voice, sound, and music from SpokenWeb collaborators (including Ali Barillaro, Nix Nihil, and Jason Camlot); clips from past Symposia manifestos; live panel guests (including Jason Camlot, Katherine McLeod, Karis Shearer, and Klara du Plessis); pre-recorded interview segments (including Jordan Abel, Oana Avasilichioaei, Annie Murray, Jason Wiens, Cole Mash, and Erin Scott); and a ShortCuts interlude featuring an "unarchiving" of Phyllis Webb combined with live flamenco dancing from Katherine McLeod--yes, you can dance in a podcast!Join us as we "re-sound" some memorable moments from the Symposia and Institutes of SpokenWeb's past. We will also look to the future, as our guests speculate on the legacies and possibilities of our research, creative performances, archives, and community. TopicsIn this episode, producers Nick Beauchesne and Chelsea Miya interview various SpokenWeb members and reminisce about past Symposia and Institutes.IntroductionPre-Recorded Interview with Annie Murray and Jason WiensLive Panel with Jason Camlot and Katherine McLeodPre-Recorded Interviews and Soundscapes with Jordan Abel and Oana AvasilichioaeiShortCuts Interlude with Katherine McLeodPre-Recorded Interview with Cole Mash and Erin ScottLive Panel with Karis Shearer and Klara du PlessisConclusionCredits Show NotesThe SpokenWeb theme music was composed by Jason Camlot, with vocals performed by Ali Barillaro. She recorded a new version for this live show Redux, over a beat produced by Nix Nihil. In the ShortCuts interlude, Katherine McLeod danced to a remix by Jason Camlot of Phyllis Webb reading “Rilke” in Montreal in 1966.Myron Campbell hosted the “Draw by Night” event on the first night of the SpokenWeb 2025 Institute. UBC Okanagan student Evan Berg designed the SpokenWeb Logo. The design work and branding package for the Re-Sounding Poetries Conference is by Mikah Assaly. Conference illustration is by artist Reuban Scott, whose work you can find on Instagram at @roobtoons.Camlot, Jason, and Katherine McLeod, editors. CanLit Across Media: Unarchiving the Literary Event. McGill-Queen's University Press, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780773559813.Camlot, Jason and Katherine McLeod. "Introduction: New Sonic Approaches in Literary Studies." ESC: English Studies in Canada, vol. 46 no. 2, 2020, p. 1-18. Project MUSE, https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/esc.2020.a903552.Camlot, Jason. “Listening Practice Guided by Jason Camlot – Disciplinary Listening: Does Literature have an Audile Technique?” The SpokenWeb [website], September 18, 2019, https://spokenweb.ca/events/listening-practice/.McFarland, Joe. “Schulich Professor Says Municipalities around the World Are Learning Lessons from Calgary's 2024 Water Feeder Main Break.” UCalgary News, January 7, 2025. https://ucalgary.ca/news/schulich-professor-says-municipalities-around-world-are-learning-lessons-calgarys-2024-water-feeder.McLeod, Katherine. “SpokenWeb Concordia Has Launched Ghost Reading Series” [blog post]. SpokenWeb Concordia, December 1, 2018, https://spokenweb.ca/spokenweb-concordia-has-launched-ghost-reading-series/. Murray, Annie, and Jared Wiercinski. “A Design Methodology for Web-based Sound Archives.” Digital Humanities Quarterly, vol. 8, no. 2 (2014), https://dhq.digitalhumanities.org/vol/8/2/000173/000173.html. Music and Sound Effects“Sounding Out!” by Jordan Abel, Conyer Clayton, Manahil Bandukwala, Liam Burke, and Nathanael Larochette, performed and recorded live at the SpokenWeb Symposium 2023 at the University of Alberta, May 2, 2024.“Operator” by Oana Avasilichioaei, performed and recorded live at the 2019 SpokenWeb Sound Institute at Simon Fraser University.Chalice by Blue Dot Sessions.“Culpable Tranquility” by Nix Nihil and Psyoptic. Used with permission from the artist.“Canadian Cicada (Okanagana canadensis)” by Wil Hershberger, Songs of Insects, https://songsofinsects.com/.“Sunwaves” by Nix Nihil and Psyoptic. Used with permission from the artist.Soundfx from freesound.org:“Creek Swimming,” by JazzyBay, (https://freesound.org/people/JazzyBay/sounds/435055/), licensed under Creative Commons. AcknowledgementsWe would like to thank our live and pre-recorded guests for sharing their stories and memories of the SpokenWeb: Annie Murray, Jason Wiens, Jason Camlot, Katherine McLeod, Jordan Abel, Oana Avasilichioaei, Cole Mash, Erin Scott, Karis Shearer, and Klara du Plessis.We are grateful for the support of the talented 2025 SpokenWeb Institute organizing committee and tech team: in particular, Erin Scott, Garth Evans, and Kailee Fawcett, who helped in countless ways behind the scenes to make the live show possible.

The Warrior Sings by Michelle Dosanjh-Johal Michelle-dosanjh-johal.mykajabi.com https://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Sings-Michelle-Dosanjh-Johal/dp/1666745812 During the height of suffering, the soul silently speaks. Poetry evolves from the depths of this experience, when one is brave enough to surrender to the darkness and explore its lessons. Poetry becomes the place where healing amalgamates with writing, and the soul's musings are voiced. That is how The Warrior Sings: a poetry book of raw, vulnerable, and genuine expression, and an authentic invitation to finding your own courage, healing, and empowerment.About the author Michelle Dosanjh-Johal is a special education teacher, wife, and mom to children with autism and Mosaic Turner Syndrome. The challenges navigated with her children's diagnoses, including her daughter's open heart surgery, led her back to writing poetry as an agent of healing and self love. Her poetry, seen as a call for hope and healing, can also be found on her IG page @mindful.warriors.way. She is a Golden Key Honor recipient at Simon Fraser University.

Mandy Dhaliwal, CMO at Nutanix, shares her journey transforming a technical infrastructure company into a leader in hybrid multi-cloud solutions, driving market value from $5 billion to $20 billion through strategic marketing and positioning.• Simplifying complex technology messaging from "hybrid multi-cloud" to the customer-friendly "run anything anywhere"• Implementing agentic AI on the Nutanix website to provide 24/7 global customer support and real-time market feedback• Building credible brand identity by standing out with bold visual choices while focusing on substance and customer value• Aligning marketing with broader business objectives through cross-functional collaboration and shared revenue goals• Empowering internal technical experts and executives as marketing channels and amplifying authentic customer stories• Balancing work and family by taking five years off to raise her son while maintaining career momentum• Moving from imposter syndrome to "empowerment syndrome" by educating stakeholders about marketing's strategic valueEver wonder how a tech company transforms from a $5 billion infrastructure provider to a $20 billion cloud leader? The secret might just be in its marketing strategy.Mandy Dhaliwal, CMO at Nutanix, pulls back the curtain on her remarkable journey reshaping how enterprises approach hybrid multi-cloud solutions and AI deployment. With 25 years of technology marketing experience and a Level Two sommelier certification, Mandy brings unique perspective to brand transformation and customer engagement."When I arrived, everyone talked about hybrid multi-cloud, but I said 'I don't know a single CIO who wakes up wanting to buy that,'" Mandy reveals. Instead, she championed clear, customer-centric messaging: "One platform to run apps and data anywhere." This fundamental shift from technical jargon to value-driven communication helped quadruple Nutanix's market value.She shares candidly about elevating authentic customer voices, breaking through the "sea of sameness" with bold branding decisions, and building cross-functional alignment between marketing, sales, and product teams.Beyond marketing strategy, Mandy offers refreshing insights on work-life integration, including her decision to take five years off to raise her son without missing a career beat. Check out Nyla, the AI agent at nutanix.com, and see how they're making AI deployment simpler for enterprises with our "run anything anywhere" platform.Rajiv Parikh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajivparikh/Mandy Dhaliwal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/1mandydhaliwal/As the Chief Marketing Officer for Nutanix, she leads the global marketing strategy.  She's been a key leader in Nutanix's remarkable progress, quintupling its market value from roughly $5B to $20B, proving that marketing, branding, positioning has a hand in driving valuation.Before joining Nutanix, Dhaliwal held the CMO position at Boomi and Fugue, and she has also been a senior marketing leader at BlazeMeter, SOASTA, EMC, and Legato Systems.She attended Simon Fraser University for undergrad and holds an MBA in Technology Management from Pepperdine University and notably, a level two certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers.Website: https://www.position2.com/podcast/Rajiv Parikh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajivparikh/Sandeep Parikh: https://www.instagram.com/sandeepparikh/Email us with any feedback for the show: spark@position2.com

Covering the pivotal period from the mid-seventeenth century through the era of the French Revolution, Christy Pichichero's The Military Enlightenment: War and Culture in the French Empire from Louis XIV to Napoleon (Cornell University Press, 2018; paperback ed. 2020) is a fascinating interdisciplinary study that pushes us to rethink our ideas about both the military and the Enlightenment in and beyond a France that was a global, as well as a continental European imperial power. As Pichichero shows, the (long) eighteenth century holds the key to our understanding historical concepts and transformations that we tend to associate with later developments in military thought and practice, from conventions around "good" and "humane" conflict to ideas about community and civility between soldiers fighting together and on opposing sides. The book's five chapters explore a broad range of compelling events and sources, from the work of well known Enlightenment thinkers and authors such as Voltaire and Choderlos de Laclos, to military manuals and debates regarding how wars would and should be waged, how soldiers should be trained to think and act in battle. Now available in a new paperback edition, the book is a must-read for anyone interested in the longue durée of military culture and warfare, as well as those with an interest in all that the Enlightenment did and could mean. Roxanne Panchasi is an Associate Professor of History at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada who specializes in twentieth and twenty-first century France and empire.She is the founding host of New Books in French Studies, a channel launched in 2013. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

Covering the pivotal period from the mid-seventeenth century through the era of the French Revolution, Christy Pichichero's The Military Enlightenment: War and Culture in the French Empire from Louis XIV to Napoleon (Cornell University Press, 2018; paperback ed. 2020) is a fascinating interdisciplinary study that pushes us to rethink our ideas about both the military and the Enlightenment in and beyond a France that was a global, as well as a continental European imperial power. As Pichichero shows, the (long) eighteenth century holds the key to our understanding historical concepts and transformations that we tend to associate with later developments in military thought and practice, from conventions around "good" and "humane" conflict to ideas about community and civility between soldiers fighting together and on opposing sides. The book's five chapters explore a broad range of compelling events and sources, from the work of well known Enlightenment thinkers and authors such as Voltaire and Choderlos de Laclos, to military manuals and debates regarding how wars would and should be waged, how soldiers should be trained to think and act in battle. Now available in a new paperback edition, the book is a must-read for anyone interested in the longue durée of military culture and warfare, as well as those with an interest in all that the Enlightenment did and could mean. Roxanne Panchasi is an Associate Professor of History at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada who specializes in twentieth and twenty-first century France and empire.She is the founding host of New Books in French Studies, a channel launched in 2013. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Covering the pivotal period from the mid-seventeenth century through the era of the French Revolution, Christy Pichichero's The Military Enlightenment: War and Culture in the French Empire from Louis XIV to Napoleon (Cornell University Press, 2018; paperback ed. 2020) is a fascinating interdisciplinary study that pushes us to rethink our ideas about both the military and the Enlightenment in and beyond a France that was a global, as well as a continental European imperial power. As Pichichero shows, the (long) eighteenth century holds the key to our understanding historical concepts and transformations that we tend to associate with later developments in military thought and practice, from conventions around "good" and "humane" conflict to ideas about community and civility between soldiers fighting together and on opposing sides. The book's five chapters explore a broad range of compelling events and sources, from the work of well known Enlightenment thinkers and authors such as Voltaire and Choderlos de Laclos, to military manuals and debates regarding how wars would and should be waged, how soldiers should be trained to think and act in battle. Now available in a new paperback edition, the book is a must-read for anyone interested in the longue durée of military culture and warfare, as well as those with an interest in all that the Enlightenment did and could mean. Roxanne Panchasi is an Associate Professor of History at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada who specializes in twentieth and twenty-first century France and empire.She is the founding host of New Books in French Studies, a channel launched in 2013. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history

Covering the pivotal period from the mid-seventeenth century through the era of the French Revolution, Christy Pichichero's The Military Enlightenment: War and Culture in the French Empire from Louis XIV to Napoleon (Cornell University Press, 2018; paperback ed. 2020) is a fascinating interdisciplinary study that pushes us to rethink our ideas about both the military and the Enlightenment in and beyond a France that was a global, as well as a continental European imperial power. As Pichichero shows, the (long) eighteenth century holds the key to our understanding historical concepts and transformations that we tend to associate with later developments in military thought and practice, from conventions around "good" and "humane" conflict to ideas about community and civility between soldiers fighting together and on opposing sides. The book's five chapters explore a broad range of compelling events and sources, from the work of well known Enlightenment thinkers and authors such as Voltaire and Choderlos de Laclos, to military manuals and debates regarding how wars would and should be waged, how soldiers should be trained to think and act in battle. Now available in a new paperback edition, the book is a must-read for anyone interested in the longue durée of military culture and warfare, as well as those with an interest in all that the Enlightenment did and could mean. Roxanne Panchasi is an Associate Professor of History at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada who specializes in twentieth and twenty-first century France and empire.She is the founding host of New Books in French Studies, a channel launched in 2013. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/european-studies

This is a special edition of conscient roundtable featuring Aaron Lui-Rosenbaum, Barry Truax, Jacek Smolicki (for more on Jacek's work also see conscient e113 part 1 and e133 part 2)  Kathy Kennedy, Lindsey French, Natalie Dusek, Sabine Breitsameter (all see conscient e175) Vincent Andrisani and myself. We are part of the Sonic Research Group out of Simon Fraser University (for more from this group see episodes 157 and 170). This time our topic was ‘low technology' or low tech in the sense of what do we do when we have less energy and technology, which is coming and how does it relate to our field of acoustic ecology. Being a research group, we pondered 3 questions :  How can we continue our work in acoustic ecology in a world with less energy and in perpetual crisis, including the climate emergency, the depletion of non-renewable resources, loss of biodiversity and so on ?What role can artistic practice in acoustic ecology play in the transition towards sustainability? What steps can we take now to prepare a better future for generations of acoustic ecologists to come? The group shared some convincing answers and some new questions. You'll find a set of resource links in the episode now (below). Resource ListAI's impact on energy and water usageAlexis Zeigler –  Living Without Fossil Fuels: How Living Energy Farm Created a Comfortable Off-Grid Lifestyleclimate amnesia : canada's cultural moment and the climate emergency are one and the sameDecomposed : The Political Ecology of MusicHow to Build a Low-tech InternetMusic, Soundscape and Acoustic SustainabilityPeter Strack – 2000-Watt Society: The Realities of Living a Lower Energy LifestyleRegenerative Energy CommunitiesSun ThinkingTrapped by Industrialism: Civilization's Daily Resource Demands *END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODESHey conscient listeners, I've been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020 on un-ceded Anishinaabe Algonquin territory (Ottawa). It's my way to give back.In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I I publish free ‘a calm presence' Substack see https://acalmpresence.substack.com.Your feedback is always welcome at claude@conscient.ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads, BlueSky, Mastodon, Tik Tok, YouTube and Substack.Share what you like, etcI am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. Claude SchryerLatest update on July 8, 2025

Let’s talk about dick pics. A lot of guys send these without even asking. In today’s show, we're going to dive into the data and explore how many men have ever sent an unsolicited dick pic and why, how these photos are perceived by recipients, as well as what you need to know about sexting if you really want to connect with someone. My guests today are Dr. Cory Pederson and Amanda Champion. Cory is the Lab Director and Principal Investigator of the ORGASM Lab. She also teaches human sexuality courses at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU). Amanda is a doctoral student in the school of criminology at Simon Fraser University and a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at KPU. Cory and Amanda have studied the science of dick pics and are going to be discussing the details of a new study they completed in collaboration with MANSCAPED®. Some of the specific topics we explore include: How many people have ever received an unsolicited dick pic? What kind of reaction are people who send unsolicited dick pics hoping for? What platforms are men typically sending these photos on? How often are these photos perceived positively versus negatively? If you’re thinking about sending a dick pic to someone, what do you need to know? You can check out the work of the ORGASM Lab on their website. Got a sex question? Send me a podcast voicemail to have it answered on a future episode at speakpipe.com/sexandpsychology. *** Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, or Bluesky to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram. Listen and stream all episodes on Apple, Spotify, Google, or Amazon. Subscribe to automatically receive new episodes and please rate and review the podcast! Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.

About the Guest(s):Dr. Leah Kelley is a distinguished neurodivergent education consultant, author, activist, educator, and parent. With 25 years of experience as a public school teacher, her roles have included primary teacher, inclusion resource teacher, and SEL Mental Health helping teacher. Leah is known for her national and international presentations on neurodiversity, advocacy, and inclusion, as well as her popular blog “30 Days of Autism.” She is a sought-after speaker recognized for her storytelling and practical wisdom, encapsulated in her book “The Person Who Arrives: Connecting Disability Studies to Educational Practice for Teachers, Parents, and Others.”Dr. Kari Gustafson is an instructor and researcher specializing at the intersection of neurodiversity, disability studies, education, and role-playing games. Kari holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy of Education from Simon Fraser University, where their dissertation delved into relationality and inclusion within role-playing games like D&D. Currently a faculty member in the Disability and Community Studies program at Douglas College, Kari brings a unique perspective to educational practices that prioritize strength-based collaboration and inclusivity.Episode Summary: In this episode of Think Inclusive, host Tim Villegas engages in a thought-provoking discussion with Dr. Leah Kelley and Dr. Kari Gustafson. The conversation delves into the importance of play and creativity within the context of inclusion, education, and disability studies. As advocates for neurodiversity, Leah and Kari offer insightful perspectives on how play can be an essential tool for both personal growth and collaborative learning, especially for individuals with disabilities.Complete show notes and transcript: https://mcie.org/think-inclusive/exploring-plays-role-in-inclusion-and-personal-growth/Key Takeaways:-Play is a vital tool for imagination, personal growth, and collaborative learning in neurodiverse and inclusive settings.-Societal pressures often replace play with structured therapies, particularly for children with disabilities, emphasizing the need to reclaim play.-Role-playing games, such as D&D, offer collaborative storytelling experiences that promote inclusivity and value diverse strengths.Embracing play can lead to increased joy and energy, benefiting personal well-being and educational outcomes.-Facilitating inclusive environments that prioritize creativity and play helps individuals thrive and fosters strength-based collaboration.Thank you to our sponsor, IXL: https://ixl.com/inclusive Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this powerful episode, we sit down with educator, author, and girl-advocate Lindsay Sealey to unpack the real-life impact of “Super Girl Syndrome” — the pressure many girls feel to be perfect, polished, and pleasing at all times. Drawing on her experience working with thousands of girls, Lindsay shares insights from her new book and offers practical strategies to support girls facing societal, academic, digital, and emotional pressures. From navigating the expectations to “do it all” to reclaiming confidence, self-worth, and authenticity, this episode is a must-listen for parents, educators, and anyone who wants to raise empowered, resilient girls.Lindsay Sealey is an educator, academic strategist, and best-selling author dedicated to empowering girls through her work as the founder and CEO of Bold New Girls™, an organization that supports social-emotional learning and academic development. With a B.A. in English and Psychology from Simon Fraser University and an M.A. in Educational Leadership from San Diego State University, she brings over 15 years of experience in education, curriculum design, and youth coaching. Her books—including Growing Strong Girls, Rooted, Resilient and Ready, Made for More, and Super Girl Syndrome—have won numerous accolades such as the Eric Hoffer Montaigne Medal and Nautilus Book Award. Lindsay is a sought-after speaker and contributor to outlets like HuffPost and The Globe and Mail, known for addressing topics such as confidence, perfectionism, and mental health in girls.You can purchase her books here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new book examines the experiences of the women who faced the worst effects of the pandemic and the inequities it exposed. Conscripted to Care reveals how structural inequality placed women on the frontlines of the pandemic response, yet did not provide them with enough resources or a voice in decision-making. We speak with author Dr Julia Smith, assistant professor in Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University.

Ted Bundy, arguably the most notorious serial murderer of women in American history, committed many of his crimes in the landscape of the Pacific Northwest. But in the 1970s and '80s, Bundy was just one perpetrator amid a large number of serial and violent acts across the region. Why were there so many, and so particularly gruesome? What caused the rise and then sudden fall of an epidemic of serial killing? In Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers, nonfiction author and Pulitzer Prize winner Caroline Fraser maps the lives and careers of Bundy and his infamous peers—the Green River Killer, the I-5 Killer, the Night Stalker, the Hillside Strangler, and even Charles Manson. Fraser's research takes her around the Northwest as she seeks to uncover mysteries and investigate an overlapping pattern of environmental destruction. For example, in nearby Tacoma, Bundy's ground zero, stood one of the most poisonous lead, copper, and arsenic smelters in the world. As Fraser's investigation proceeds around our region and beyond, evidence mounts that the emissions from these smelters not only infected and sickened millions but also warped young minds, including some who grew up to become serial killers. Whether a fan of true crime or noir novels, anyone curious about the minds and motivations of serial killers may find Murderland‘s findings of interest. Caroline Fraser is the author of Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder, which won the Pulitzer Prize as well as the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Heartland Prize, and the Plutarch Award for Best Biography of the Year. She is also the author of God's Perfect Child: Living and Dying in the Christian Science Church, and her writing has appeared in the New York Review of Books, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, the Los Angeles Times, and the London Review of Books, among other publications. She lives in New Mexico. Bruce Lanphear, MD, MPH, a Professor at Simon Fraser University, has conducted research on the sources of lead exposure and impacts of lead poisoning for over 25 years. He led studies used by federal agencies to set standards for lead in air, water, and house dust. His studies also obliged federal agencies to conclude that no amount of lead is safe. Dr. Lanphear, who is a member of the US EPA's science advisory panel for the national air lead standard, produces videos to show how human health is inextricably linked with the environment and to elevate efforts to prevent disease. Buy the Book Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers (Hardcover) Third Place Books

Subscribe now for the full episode and access to all news specials. Derek welcomes back to the show Jason Stearns, associate professor at Simon Fraser University and author of The War That Doesn't Say Its Name: The Unending Conflict in the Congo, to talk about the state of play between the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as well as the ceasefire between the DRC and Rwanda. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ivan Coyote is a writer and storyteller. Born and raised in Whitehorse, Yukon, they are the author of thirteen books, the creator of four films, six stage shows, and three albums that combine storytelling with music. Coyote's books have won the ReLit Award, been named a Stonewall Honour Book, been longlisted for Canada Reads, and been shortlisted for the Hilary Weston Prize for non-fiction and the Governor General's award for non-fiction twice. In 2017 Ivan was given an honorary Doctor of Laws from Simon Fraser University, and in 2023 they received the first Honorary Doctor of Arts ever bestowed on anyone by Yukon University. They have toured public schools solo around the world for 19 years now, using the power of a personal story to fight bullying and make schools safer for students, staff and parents. In 2024 Ivan will mark 30 years on the road as an international touring storyteller and musician. Coyote's stories grapple with the complex and intensely personal topics of gender identity, family, class, and queer liberation, but always with a generous heart, and a quick wit. Ivan's stories manage to handle both the hilarious and the heartbreaking with reverence and compassion, and remind us all of our own fallible and imperfect humanity, while at the same time inspiring us to change the world. Ivan's 13th book, Care Of, was released in June 2021 by McClelland and Stewart.

Chris and Cristina interview Dr. Pablo Nepomnaschy, a professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University and a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar. Originally from Argentina, Dr. Nepomnaschy began his academic journey with a degree in Biology from the University of Patagonia. He went on to earn his Ph.D. in Biological Anthropology and Ecology from the University of Michigan, where he also trained in reproductive sciences and social research. He completed his postdoctoral work at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and is an alum of the renowned LIFE Program at the Max Planck Institute in Berlin. Dr. Nepomnaschy's research explores how social, ecological, and biological factors interact to shape human reproductive biology and health across the life course. ------------------------------ Find the Papers discussed in this episode: Rowlands, A., Juergensen, E. C., Prescivalli, A. P., Salvante, K. G., & Nepomnaschy, P. A. (2021). Social and Biological Transgenerational Underpinnings of Adolescent Pregnancy. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(22), 12152. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182212152 Dinsdale, N., Nepomnaschy, P., & Crespi, B. (2021). The evolutionary biology of endometriosis. Evolution, medicine, and public health, 9(1), 174-191. ------------------------------ Contact Dr. Nepomnaschy: E-mail: pablo_nepomnaschy@sfu.ca Listen to a previous episode with Pablo: SoS #72 ------------------------------ Contact the Sausage of Science Podcast and Human Biology Association: Facebook: facebook.com/groups/humanbiologyassociation/, Website: humbio.org, Twitter: @HumBioAssoc Chris Lynn, Host Website: cdlynn.people.ua.edu/, E-mail: cdlynn@ua.edu, Twitter:@Chris_Ly Cristina Gildee, Co-host, SoS Co-Producer, HBA Junior Fellow Website: cristinagildee.org, E-mail: cgildee@uw.edu

Politically-driven chaos is disrupting U.S. scientific institutions and creating challenges for science in Canada. Science is a global endeavour and collaborations with the U.S. are routine. In this special episode of Quirks & Quarks, we explore what Canadian scientists are doing to preserve their work to assert scientific sovereignty in the face of this unprecedented destabilization. Canadian climate scientists brace for cuts to climate science infrastructure and data U.S. President Donald Trump's attacks on climate science are putting our Earth observing systems, in the oceans and in orbit, at risk. Canadian scientists who rely on U.S. led climate data infrastructure worry about losing long-term data that would affect our ability to understand our changing climate. With: Kate Moran, the president and CEO of Ocean Networks Canada and Emeritus Professor of Oceanography at the University of Victoria Debra Wunch, Physicist at the University of TorontoChris Fletcher, Department of Geography and Environmental Management at the University of WaterlooU.S. cuts to Great Lakes science and monitoring threaten our shared freshwater resourceU.S. budget and staffing cuts are jeopardizing the long-standing collaboration with our southern neighbour to maintain the health of the Great Lakes, our shared resource and the largest freshwater system in the world. With: Jérôme Marty, executive director of the International Association for Great Lakes Research and part-time professor at the University of OttawaGreg McClinchey, policy and legislative director with the Great Lakes Fishery CommissionMichael Wilkie, Biologist at Wilfred Laurier UniversityBrittney Borowiec, research associate in the Wilkie Lab at Wilfred Laurier UniversityAaron Fisk, Ecologist and Canada Research Chair at the University of WindsorUnexpected ways U.S. culture war policies are affecting Canadian scientists One of the first things President Trump did after taking office was to sign an executive order eliminating all DEI policies in the federal government. This is having far-reaching consequences for Canadian scientists as they navigate the new reality of our frequent research partner's hostility against so-called “woke science.”With:Dr. Sofia Ahmed, Clinician scientist, and academic lead for the Women and Children's Health Research Institute at the University of Alberta Angela Kaida, professor of health sciences and Canada Research Chair at Simon Fraser University in VancouverDawn Bowdish, professor of immunology, the executive director of the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health and Canada Research Chair at McMaster UniversityKevin Zhao, MD/PhD student in immunology in the Bowdish Lab at McMaster UniversityJérôme Marty, executive director of the International Association for Great Lakes ResearchCanada has a ‘responsibility' to step up and assert scientific sovereigntyA 2023 report on how to strengthen our federal research support system could be our roadmap to more robust scientific sovereignty. The Advisory Panel on the Federal Research Support System made recommendations to the federal government for how we could reform our funding landscape. The intent was to allow us to quickly respond to national research priorities and to make Canada a more enticing research partner in world science. With: Frédéric Bouchard, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and professor of philosophy of science at the Université de Montreal. Chair of the Advisory Panel on the Federal Research Support System.

Some experts are calling loneliness an epidemic in Canada and throughout much of the world. Social isolation is a public health risk with consequences for individuals, communities and for our social systems. A multi-disciplinary panel, hosted at the University of British Columbia, examine loneliness from perspectives of men's and women's health, interpersonal relations, climate change and public policy. Guests in this episode:Dr. Kiffer Card is an assistant professor at Simon Fraser University's Faculty of Health Sciences. He was the moderator of the panel presentation, All the Lonely People: the Search for Belonging in an Uncertain World.Mandy Lee Catron is from the School of Creative Writing, at UBC.Dr. John Oliffe is a professor and Canada Research Chair in Men's Health Promotion at the School of Nursing, at UBC.Dr. Carrie Jenkins is a professor in the Department of Philosophy at UBC.Dr. Marina Adshade is an assistant professor of teaching at the Vancouver School of Economics, at UBC.

NBN host Hollay Ghadery speaks with author and actor Melia McClure about her novel, All The World's a Wonder (Radiant Press, 2023). A playwright possessed by her muses, an actress desperate to succeed, and a doctor haunted by a lost love. Three people cross time and space to meet through the playwright's bizarre creative process: to create, the playwright must become her characters; to tell her tragic story, the actress must speak from the grave; to heal his harrowing past, the doctor must surrender to his patient - the playwright. About Melia McClure: Melia McClure is the author of the novel The Delphi Room and continues to delve into the eccentric as a writer, editor, and actor. As an actor, she has traversed a range of realms, from a turn as Juliet in an abridged collage of Shakespeare's classic to the sci-fi universe of Stargate Atlantis. Melia studied writing at The Writer's Studio at Simon Fraser University, and her fiction was shortlisted for a CBC Literary Award. Born in Vancouver, she has since travelled the world in search of the ever-shapeshifting muse Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

NBN host Hollay Ghadery speaks with author and actor Melia McClure about her novel, All The World's a Wonder (Radiant Press, 2023). A playwright possessed by her muses, an actress desperate to succeed, and a doctor haunted by a lost love. Three people cross time and space to meet through the playwright's bizarre creative process: to create, the playwright must become her characters; to tell her tragic story, the actress must speak from the grave; to heal his harrowing past, the doctor must surrender to his patient - the playwright. About Melia McClure: Melia McClure is the author of the novel The Delphi Room and continues to delve into the eccentric as a writer, editor, and actor. As an actor, she has traversed a range of realms, from a turn as Juliet in an abridged collage of Shakespeare's classic to the sci-fi universe of Stargate Atlantis. Melia studied writing at The Writer's Studio at Simon Fraser University, and her fiction was shortlisted for a CBC Literary Award. Born in Vancouver, she has since travelled the world in search of the ever-shapeshifting muse Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

Listening well is an essential aspect of leadership - not just to maintain good relationships with employees, but to drive real business improvements and results. But many of us still get it wrong - or might think we are good listeners but don't give that impression to our teams. Jeff Yip, assistant professor of management at Simon Fraser University's Beedle School of Business, explains why the skill is so important to business success and identifies the five main mistakes leaders make when it comes to listening. He is coauthor, along with Colin Fisher of University College London, of the HBR article “Are You Really A Good Listener?”

Alberto Toscano is Professor of Critical Theory in the Department of Sociology and Co-Director of the Centre for Philosophy and Critical Theory at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Term Research Associate Professor at the School of Communications at Simon Fraser University. He is the author of Fanaticism: On the Uses of an Idea (Verso, 2010; 2017, 2nd ed.), Cartographies of the Absolute (with Jeff Kinkle, Zero Books, 2015), Una visión compleja. Hacía una estética de la economía (Meier Ramirez, 2021), La abstracción real. Filosofia, estética y capital (Palinodia, 2021), and the co-editor of the 3-volume The SAGE Handbook of Marxism (with Sara Farris, Bev Skeggs and Svenja Bromberg, SAGE, 2022), and Ruth Wilson Gilmore's Abolition Geography: Essays in Liberation (with Brenna Bhandar, Verso, 2022). He is a member of the editorial board of the journal Historical Materialism: Research in Critical Marxist Theory and is series editor of The Italian List for Seagull Books. He is also the translator of numerous books and essays by Antonio Negri, Alain Badiou, Franco Fortini, Furio Jesi and others. Subscribe to our newsletter

What explains selective violence against social and community leaders in the aftermath of war? Why does the killing of community and social leaders continue unabated in Colombia?  This week on the Colombia Calling podcast, we look at a new academic article entitled: "Delegative peacebuilding: Explaining post-conflict selective violence," written by Dr Sally Sharif and Dr Francy Carranza-Franco which explains so much regarding the on-going conflict in Colombia, the issue of "partial peace, who is doing the killing and why and hear some possible solutions.  Joining us is Dr Sally Sharif, School for International Studies, Simon Fraser University and Department of Political Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada and incoming assistant professor of comparative politics at Holy Cross University, Boston.  The Colombia Briefing is reported by Grace Brennan.  Support us: https://www.patreon.com/c/colombiacalling