Podcasts about York University

All Home Care Matters and our host, Lance A. Slatton were honored to welcome Katrina Love Prescott back to the show as our guest.   About Katrina Love Prescott, Writer/Director/Producer:   Katrina Love Prescott is a caregiver advocate, coach, and media producer based in Vancouver. She spent a decade in commercial TV production in New York before returning to Vancouver, where caregiving for her mother pulled her into a new line of work. She co-founded Care Nation Society, a nonprofit supporting caregivers, and Sunny Love Productions, and created Things Not to Say to a Caregiver and Therapeutic Fibbing to give caregivers real tools instead of platitudes. She advises organizations such as UBC, Vancouver Coastal Health, Providence Health Care, York University, and the BC Office of the Seniors Advocate.   In 2023 she won the Caregiver Advocacy Award from the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence. Through Care Nation, she's building healthcare systems and community that actually work for people with chronic illness and the caregivers holding it together.    About Sunny Love Productions:   Change the Story. Change the World.    Jess and Katrina bring decades of experience in scripted, unscripted, and commercial production. We're impact creators — our expertise is listening to people, understanding complex issues, and turning them into stories that resonate and move people to act.   Every frame, every word is built to make the invisible visible — because the truth, told well, is more powerful than any campaign.    About "Things Not to Say to a Caregiver":   When someone says the wrong thing to a caregiver, a no-nonsense Care-y Godmother freezes the scene, educates the unintentional offender, and rewrites the moment — one caregiving crisis at a time.   Things Not to Say to a Caregiver is a comedic web series that tackles the awkward, misguided things people say to caregivers — and how we can do better. Each episode, a no-nonsense Care-y Godmother freezes the offender mid-fumble, delivers the reality check they didn't know they needed, and rewrites the moment into something actually helpful. Blending sketch comedy with real caregiving insight, TNTS turns cringeworthy into teachable moments — and reminds us that the right words can change everything

In September, Morocco's citizens will go to the polls for the country's general election. Morocco is a constitutional monarchy, with a multi-party-political system. A new head of government will be appointed by King Mohammed VI, from the winning party, to form a ruling coalition. But whilst these elections may be seen as an opportunity for Moroccans to shape the next phase of their country's political landscape, there are concerns about potential voter apathy and wider discontent. Only last year, nationwide protests led by Moroccan youth called for less state spending on infrastructures like the new World Cup stadium and more funding to improve economic opportunities and public services. Whilst efforts were made to respond to their calls, including proposals to get young people involved in formal politics and increased funding for education and health, there is a sense that there is still little change to people's daily lives. High unemployment rates and regional inequalities remain as issues. So, is it possible that these elections can restore Moroccans faith in their country?(Photo: A picturesque view of Rabat, Morocco's capital city. Sunshine with blue skies with a view of Bouregreg River. Credit: Sergio Formoso via Getty Images)Contributors: Dr Mohammed Masbah, founder and president, the Moroccan Institute for Policy Analysis, Rabat, Morocco Merouan Mekouar, full professor of development studies and social sciences, York University, Toronto, Canada Intissar Fakir, senior fellow, the Middle East Institute, Washington DC, USA Ahmed Jazouli, author and independent policy expert in governance, democracy and development, Rabat, MoroccoPresenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Jill Collins Researcher: Evie Yabsley Technical producer: Richard Hannaford Production co-ordinator: Phoebe Lomas Production management assistant: Liam Morrey Editor: Tom Bigwood

They wore caps and gowns to celebrate the future — but before the night was over, some would lie dead in pools of blood, their dreams buried with them.EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/capsgownscasketsREAD or DOWNLOAD the full transcript of this episode: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4d8r6tb9FEATURED STORIES IN THIS EPISODE: Graduation is a special time in just about everyone's life when they make their way from childhood, to adulthood. And while that step might be a bit scary for some, we all get past it – we have to. But what if there is something truly to be afraid of at your graduation? Like the possibility of being murdered? (Murdered During Graduation) *** Joseph McKinnon strangled his girlfriend Patricia Dent, then died while trying to bury her body in their garden. (Killed By Karma) *** When you die, do you know that you are dead? A new study says that maybe… yes. You might still be conscious enough to know you are dead even after your body ceases to live. But for how long? (When You Die, You Are Conscious Long Enough To Know It) *** The term Zodiac in true crime circles invokes images of serial murder, cryptograms and bragging letters in and around San Francisco. But the California Zodiac is not the only Zodiac out there. (A Tale of Two Zodiacs)CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00.00.000 = Show Open00:01:54.162 = Murdered During Graduation00:13:33.644 = A Tale Of Two Zodiacs ***00:35:21.731 = When You Die You Are Conscious Long Enough To Know It ***00:44:27.121 = Killed By Karma00:48:08.338 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakLISTEN ON PODCAST APPS: Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.com/wdapps*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*SOURCES and RESOURCES:“A Tale of Two Zodiacs” by Paul Drexler for Crime Traveller: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ycknuxfd“Killed By Karma” by Kaleena Fraga for All That's Interesting: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/pzrdsmsy“When You Die, You Are Conscious Long Enough To Know It” by Matthew Lavelle for Ranker's Graveyard Shift:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4kkcc9m7“Murdered During Graduation” by Mary Fetzer for ListVerse: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p92rn29(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.Originally aired: May, 2022This episode of Weird Darkness, hosted by Darren Marlar, moves from a string of graduation celebrations that ended in murder to a comparison of the Korean and California Zodiac killers, a scientific claim that human consciousness lingers briefly after death, and the case of a South Carolina man who died burying the girlfriend he had just strangled.It opens with a survey of graduation celebrations turned deadly, beginning with the May 2020 party in southwest Indiana where 47-year-old William Baker carried a .30-06 rifle into a shed and shot 18-year-old South Dearborn High School graduate Paycin Kritlow in the back, claiming his daughter had been raped even though she and her friends denied any assault occurred, a killing that earned Baker a 55-year sentence in November 2021. The segment moves through Menhaz Zaman, a 24-year-old outside Toronto who murdered his father, mother, sister, and grandmother with a crowbar-like weapon and a knife the day before a York University graduation he had faked after failing out of Seneca College; the June 2020 shooting of 19-year-old Tyana Johnson in a Bronx park while her friend Ahamad Branch worked as the DJ; and the June 2017 ambush of Maryland teenagers Shadi Adi Najjar and Artem Ziberov, shot thirty times between them by a group who had searched online for a song called "I Kill for My Family" and killed over a stolen handful of marijuana. Other cases stretch across Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, and Louisiana, including 18-year-old Hailey Deickman, who died days before her high school graduation after Franklin Senfles sold her fentanyl she believed was oxycodone.From there, the show sets two very different Zodiac cases side by side. The first is the Korean "Zodiac Killer," the Hwaseong murders that began on September 15th, 1986 with the rape and strangling of 71-year-old Lee Wan-im and continued as women were strangled with their own clothing on dark rural roads, a case that drew a manhunt of more than 21,000 suspects and sent a disabled man named Yoon Sung-yeo to prison on a coerced confession, until DNA identified Lee Choon-jae in 2019, a man already jailed since 1995 who confessed to 14 murders and 30 rapes and had escaped suspicion because police wrongly believed the killer's blood was type B rather than his actual type O. Darren places that against the California Zodiac, who killed at least five people around San Francisco between 1968 and 1971, taunted newspapers with cryptograms and threats against schoolchildren, and drew suspicion onto former schoolteacher Arthur Leigh Allen without ever being caught. The segment weighs how each case reached the screen, contrasting Bong Joon-ho's 2003 film Memories of Murder, made while the Korean killer was still unknown, with David Fincher's 2007 Zodiac, built on Robert Graysmith's books, and argues that a competent investigation on either continent might have swapped the outcomes.Next, the episode turns to research suggesting that human consciousness may briefly outlast the body. Dr. Sam Parnia, director of critical care and resuscitation research at NYU Langone in New York City, describes cardiac-arrest patients who were revived and could recall specific conversations and the actions of the doctors and nurses working to save them, and his work points to conscious awareness continuing for as long as three minutes after the heart stops even though the brain's electrical activity typically flatlines within twenty to thirty seconds. The segment adds microbiologist Peter Noble of the University of Washington, whose studies on mice and zebrafish found certain genes increasing in activity in the hours after death, and it frames both findings as evidence that cells shut down gradually rather than switching instantly from living to dead.The episode closes with the death of Joseph McKinnon in Trenton, South Carolina, whom deputies first found lying unresponsive in his yard, dead of a heart attack he suffered while filling in a pit a neighbor believed was meant for a new water feature. When investigators could not locate McKinnon's girlfriend, 65-year-old Patricia Dent, and learned she had missed her shift at the Mount Vintage Golf Club, they dug into the pit and uncovered black garbage bags holding her bound, bruised, and strangled body. Edgefield County Sheriff Jody Rowland and Coroner David Burnett concluded that McKinnon had attacked and choked Dent inside their home, wrapped her, and collapsed from cardiac arrest as he covered her over, and her twin sister Pamela Briggs spoke of her grief while police noted the couple had no known history of domestic violence, meaning that had McKinnon lived, Dent might simply have vanished.

Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's podcast takes us to the heart of London, where we sat down with Maggie Fanari, the CEO of J Rothschild Capital Management Limited, manager of RIT Capital Partners plc. RIT blends a rich heritage with a modern approach to both asset allocation and private markets. Lord Jacob Rothschild founded Rothschild Investment Trust in 1971. RIT listed on the London Stock Exchange with total assets of £280M. Today, the firm stands tall as one of the UK's largest investment trusts with over £4.7B of total assets.The firm's permanent capital and family office heritage have enabled the firm to think long-term, according to Maggie. “Permanent capital is a privilege,” she said.Maggie has brought an institutional allocator's background to RIT. She joined as CEO of RIT from Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan in 2024, where she was Senior Managing Director, Global Group Head of High Conviction Equities at OTPP, which has a global mandate to invest in public and private companies.Maggie and I had a fascinating discussion about how the firm invests across public and private markets, balancing both top-down portfolio construction and bottom-up asset selection. We covered:How RIT has aimed to compound wealth over time.Why top-down portfolio construction and bottom-up asset allocation are equally important.How can investors capture as much growth, limit market volatility, and compound growth over a long period of time?How RIT finds unique and different managers in private markets, which includes some of the top investors in the world.What market structure changes mean for investing across public and private markets?How to invest when the world order has changed.Taking a family office mindset and applying that investment mindset for investors in RIT.Why permanent capital is a privilege.How to be early to a theme rather than chase the trend.Why RIT decided to invest in SpaceX, Anthropic, OpenAI, Databricks, and Epic Systems.Where do investors bucket RIT into their asset allocation?What is a manager's edge and how can they apply that edge with consistency?Why depth of network matters for private markets managers.Why RIT invested in firms like Thrive, Greenoaks, and Ribbit.BioMaggie Fanari is the CEO of J. Rothschild Capital Management Limited (JRCM) , investment manager for RIT Capital Partners plc. She is Chair of JRCM's Investment Committee.Maggie was previously Senior Managing Director, Global Group Head of High Conviction Equities at Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, which has a global mandate to invest in public and private companies.At Ontario Teachers', she served as a member of many of the pension plan's investment committees. She was involved in the execution of investments across a variety of asset classes (private and public), including supporting the development and execution of the venture and growth business.Before joining Ontario Teachers', Maggie worked at KPMG and Scotia Capital. Maggie is a chartered accountant and a CFA charter holder. She also holds a BBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University and ICD.D certification from the Institute of Corporate Directors.Maggie served as a non-executive director on the Board of RIT Capital Partners plc from April 2019 to February 2024.Thanks, Maggie, for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and passion across public and private markets and your thoughtful perspectives from your experiences as an institutional investor.This podcast was recorded on 15 June 2026, and therefore all RIT data is provided as at 31/05/2026. Show Notes00:42 Meet Maggie Fanari03:44 Teachers' Pension Roots04:51 Top Down Meets Bottom Up05:50 Allocating In New Paradigm06:15 Diversification Returns07:02 Volatility Creates Opportunity07:22 What Makes RIT Unique08:08 Compounding With Downside09:41 Brand Opens Doors10:05 Backing Emerging Managers11:57 Co-Invest Importance12:36 Returns And Realizations13:22 Great Co-Investor Playbook15:02 Building AI Theme Exposure16:06 Sourcing Deals Like SpaceX16:37 Public Private Value Split20:09 Public Themes And Sovereignty20:58 Moats And Terminal Value24:06 Permanent Capital Edge25:07 Oversubscribed Fund Access26:46 Underwriting And Discipline27:17 Why AI Needs Capital27:49 Anthropic Growth Math28:15 Databricks Scale Comparison28:41 Can Funds Get Bigger30:22 FOMO And Chasing30:47 Portfolio Allocation Guardrails31:47 Permanent Capital Advantage32:13 Right Sized Private Exposure32:51 Liquidity And Realizations33:28 Owning Winners At Scale34:11 Private To Public Hold34:41 Re Underwriting Post IPO35:38 Retail Investor Impact36:20 Public Market Liquidity Needs37:57 Why Investment Trusts Work38:56 Discounts As Margin Safety40:08 How Shareholders Allocate41:03 Sentiment Shifts In Cycles42:02 What Makes Great Managers43:14 Manager Edge Examples45:02 AI And Finding Leaders46:56 Consolidation And Differentiation47:51 Being A Great LP Partner48:50 Macro Lens As Edge49:42 Private Signals Inform Public50:48 Culture One Team One NAV51:28 Risk And Scenario Analysis52:59 Multipolar World Investing54:14 Geopolitics In Diligence55:10 Permanent Capital Best Of BothA Word from Our Sponsor, UltimusThis episode of Alt Goes Mainstream is brought to you by Ultimus, the full-service fund administrator and transfer agent powering asset managers in private and public markets. As alts go mainstream, you need real expertise to handle complex fund structures, connect with key distribution partners, and handle sophisticated compliance, reporting, and transparency demands.That's Ultimus: high-tech, high-touch solutions for over 450 clients and 2,500 funds with $775B in assets under administration. Backed by an expert team of over 1,200 employees, they place client service at the core of their business, helping you navigate complexity during your fund structuring or launch and then supporting you through every stage of growth. Whether you're already in the market or thinking about entering private wealth, you can trust their team's deep expertise in retail alternatives to help you reach your goals.Learn more at ultimusfundsolutions.com or email info@ultimusfundsolutions.com.We thank Ultimus for their support of alts going mainstream.Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

This season starts off with a wonderful conversation with Dr. Gordon Flett, Professor Emeritus in Psychology at York University in Canada and the author of the 2018 book, The Psychology of Mattering:  Understanding the Human Need to be Significant.   Dr. Flett's research into “mattering” – which he started in the 1980's --  seems to be finding a contemporary relevance in the 21st century as our society trends toward social isolation and loneliness.  His work resonates with Heart Forward because of our belief that the human posture of coming alongside people, and practicing radical hospitality in our relationships, can be transformative for all involved.    Flett, who is considered one of the global experts on this topic, believes that the experience of mattering is critical for human well-being and a sense of flourishing.  As you will hear, this is not the same as a sense of belonging or self-esteem.  People need to feel seen and heard and they yearn to know that they are making a difference or add value in some way. Dr. Flett has been busy in his so-called retirement from academic life and has appeared on several podcasts and interviews in the past year.  Here are some helpful links:Hidden Brain podcast:  Do you Feel Invisible (Feb 2026)Hidden Brain podcast:  A Secret Source of Connection (June 2026)  Dr. Flett responds to listener questions and comments sparked by the February podcast)The Oprah Podcast:  How Mattering to Yourself & Others Can Change Your Life with Oprah, Jennifer Wallace & Ina Garten (January 2026) Books and publicationsThe Psychology of Mattering:  Understanding the Human Need to be Significant.  Dr. Gordon Flett.  Published 2018. The Healing Power and Potential of Mattering.    APA PsycNet.  Other resourcesMattering in Action | Making Schools More HumanWhy ‘Mattering' Is a Key Part of Mental Health - The New York TimesTed Talk Des Moines Nov 2021 Angela Maiers – You Matter   Gordon L. Flett.  2026With special recognition to our key sponsors:Presenting Sponsor, Tony HaleCommunity Impact Sponsor, Peter LizotteAnd a special thank you to those who have helped to make this season possible:Sarah Dusseault, Brian Folb, Dave Pilon, Nick Halaris, Jae Lee and David Israelian.

Mark takes your calls. Should Mark Carney follow Britain's plan to get people hanging out more? GUESTS: Jesse Rogerson - Associate Science Professor at York University and author of the book Daydreaming in the Solar SystemJustin Ling - staff columnist for the Star and an investigative journalist based in Montreal

On today's episode of the Illumination by Modern Campus podcast, podcast host Shauna Cox was joined by Michelle Aarons to discuss the evolving role of continuing education in workforce development within Canada and the importance of stronger partnerships between higher education, employers, and communities to build a lifelong learning ecosystem.

Amanda Galbraith hosts the Jerry Agar show today. She kicks things off with the start of the NFL preseason, with TSN Reporter, Dave Naylor. With the prospect of 50% tariffs looming just two weeks away, Amanda examines the political and economic implications of the dispute and is joined by Scott Reid, CTV political commentator. A SpaceX rocket is believed to have crashed into the Moon, raising questions about space exploration and the growing amount of human-made material beyond Earth. Amanda speaks with Jesse Rogerson, astrophysicist and assistant professor at York University, about the incident.

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when you refuse to stop asking questions?In Episode 491 of Leave Your Mark, I sit down with Steven Copobianco—better known to many as "Capo"—to explore a career that has been defined by curiosity, continuous learning, and a relentless desire to better serve people.Steve is a clinician, educator, innovator, and co-founder of RockTape. A graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic West with a Diplomate in Rehabilitation and Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist designation, he has spent more than two decades teaching clinicians around the world to think differently about movement, rehabilitation, and performance.But this conversation goes far beyond credentials.We trace Steve's journey from growing up on a farm near Barrie, Ontario, to his love of hockey and the Boston Bruins, through York University, Florida, Palmer West, and eventually to building one of the most recognizable education companies in rehabilitation.Along the way, we discuss the value of observation, why you don't need to be an expert in every sport to understand movement, how working with individuals with cerebral palsy changed the trajectory of his career, and why the best clinicians eventually stop treating body parts and start seeing the person in front of them.We also talk about entrepreneurship, fatherhood, community, and how success often comes from being willing to leave the comfort of what you know in pursuit of what you might become.If you're a clinician, coach, therapist, or simply someone who believes that growth begins with curiosity, you'll find plenty to take away from this conversation.Enjoy Episode 491 with Steven Copobianco.If you liked this EP, please take the time to rate and comment, share with a friend, and connect with us on social channels IG @Kingopain, TW @BuiltbyScott, LI+FB Scott Livingston. You can find all things LYM at www.LYMLab.com, download your free Life Lab Starter Kit today and get busy living https://lymlab.com/free-lym-lab-starter/Please take the time to visit and connect with our sponsors, they are an essential part of our success:www.ReconditioningHQ.comwww.FreePainGuide.com 

At approximately 10 o'clock on the evening of Saturday the 27th of July 2019, a 23-year-old man in the Toronto suburb of Markham, Ontario, logged in to a private chat server on the messaging app Discord and began, in real time, to type a message that would be seen, over the course of the following 18 hours, by dozens of video gamers scattered across the world. His name was Menhaz Zaman. His username was Menhaz. His avatar, in the online video game he had played for years, was an elf cleric. The message he began to type read, in the plain lowercase style he typically used: "I killed mom and granny so far, waiting for sister in 5 minutes and dad in 1 hour." The other players initially assumed it was a joke. Then he sent a photograph. Over the following 18 hours, he would post a running commentary of a quadruple homicide, along with an explanation of why he was doing it. For three years, he had been telling his parents he was studying mechanical engineering at York University. He was not. He had dropped out of a lesser college after two semesters. He had told them his graduation was scheduled for Sunday the 28th of July 2019. As the deadline approached, and the lie became impossible to sustain, he decided instead to kill his mother, his grandmother, his 21-year-old sister, and his 59-year-old taxi-driving father, so that they would never have to discover the truth about who their son had become. The story of a three-year deception, a quadruple homicide committed over nine hours, an extraordinary international manhunt conducted by video gamers on a Discord server, and a Tunisian stranger who picked up the phone to Toronto Police to try to save two lives.Become a Patreon or Apple + subscriber now for ealry and ad free access from as little as $1.69 a week. All the details hereSubscribe to Crime at Bedtimes Youtube channel HERE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Dennis Pilon is a political science professor at York University who studies elections and democracy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dennis M. Pilon, chair of the department of politics at York University spoke with Sue Smith, in for Aaron Rand

It’s Party for Two, and Jerry is joined by Jim Richards, host of The Jim Richards Show, to break down the top stories of the day. Next, what's the secret to a better commute? Jerry speaks with Winny Shen, an Associate professor at the Schulich School of Business at York University. Revisiting the topic of coyotes from hour 1, Jerry speaks with Steve Yamada, a councillor serving his third term on Whitby Council and his second term at the Region. It's Friday! Bob Reid is here for Touchdowns and Fumbles. Bringing the top communications question of the week.

Guest host Rob Fai spoke to Eric Kennedy, Associate Professor, Disaster & Emergency Management at York University about Wildfire smoke persists in Toronto, conditions may improve Friday: Environment Canada Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We hear how smoke and wildfires are affecting your life and we hear from Eric Kennedy, associate professor of disaster and emergency management at York University. We also hear from Dr. Sehjal Bhargava, incoming president of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and New Democrat MPP Lise Vaugeois.

In this episode of the 17 County Podcast, we sit down with Felicity Johnson, a recent York University graduate and summer intern with the York County Visitors Bureau, to talk about finding opportunities close to home and discovering everything York County has to offer. Felicity shares how growing up in the area, her experience at York University, and the connections she built along the way led her to an internship focused on tourism and community promotion. We talk about the projects she's working on this summer, the hidden places and stories she's discovering across York County, and why internships and local connections can create meaningful opportunities for young professionals. She also shares her perspective on small-town life, why there's more to do in York County than people may think, and how learning to appreciate the quiet, simple moments has shaped the way she sees her community. If you're a student, a young professional, or someone who thinks they already know everything York County has to offer, this episode might inspire you to take another look.

Guest host Rob Fai spoke with Jack Rozdilsky, Associate professor of disaster and emergency management at York University about deadly Toronto festival shooting prompts calls for better security. But that misses the key issue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: combatting loneliness, turning down the volume on social comparison, and why mattering to a few people beats outperforming everyone. Gordon Flett is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at York University where he has served as the Director of the LaMarsh Centre for Child and Youth Research. Dr. Flett is most known for his influential research on perfectionism in health and mental health and his more recent work on the psychology of mattering.  In this episode we talk about: The difference between perfectionism and healthy striving How perfectionism functions as a coping mechanism for unmet needs for love, belonging, and significance What "mattering" actually means Antimattering (and our fear of not mattering) Why feeling like you matter to others can loosen the grip of perfectionism Why people consistently underestimate how much they matter to others Practical ways to help others feel like they matter Why helping others feel like they matter boomerangs back and boosts your own sense of significance The fear of not mattering in the age of AI Get the 10% with Dan Harris app here Sign up for Dan's free newsletter here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Additional Resources:  Gordon's books: The Psychology of Mattering, Mattering as a Core Need in Children and Adolescents, and Perfectionism: Theory, Research, and Treatment Join Dan, Sebene Selassie, and Jeff Warren for Meditation Party, a 3-day immersive retreat at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, October 16–18. Grab your in-person spot here, or sign up to livestream here! This episode is sponsored by: Quo – Try Quo for free, plus get 20% off your first six months when you go to quo.com/happier.  BetterHelp — Online therapy, matched to your needs. Get 10% off your first month at https://www.betterhelp.com/happier Warby Parker — Prescription glasses with virtual try-on. Buy one prescription pair and get 20% off additional prescription pairs at https://www.warbyparker.com/happier IQBAR:   To get twenty percent off all IQBAR products, including the ultimate sampler pack, plus free shipping, text DAN to 64000. To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris

Good morning.Like millions of others, I stayed up late on Saturday, watching the England men's team play Norway. It's actually the first live game I've watched this World Cup, and not just because time differences make for very late finishes. What attracted me was that I would be watching it in a crowded bar alongside several hundred of the Church of England's most committed members, bishops, vicars and lay people, gathered in York for the summer meeting of the General Synod. From the moment we roared out “God save the King”, with a raucous enthusiasm sufficient to send any self respecting choir leader running for cover, to the joyful air punching which greeted the final whistle, we were bound together in a common cause.Watching the match in York with my colleagues brought home to me that neither following Jesus nor following the England team are things I'm satisfied doing on my own. My faith is far more than a combination of private beliefs and personal moral practices. Yesterday morning, along with most of my fellow Synod members, or at least those of us who had recovered from the match, I attended the main Sunday Service in York Minster. The hymns we sang differed somewhat from the chants I hear on a Saturday afternoon, as a season ticket holder at Salford City's home fixtures, but both are an expression of a shared commitment and belonging. So, whilst there are plenty of churches whose services I could follow on line, some of them with Premier League quality preachers, the moment Covid restrictions were lifted, I was straight back in church. I need to be worshipping God as part of a congregation gathered physically together. That's where I belong. But gathering in church is not the end of the matter. The final prayers of the Church of England Holy Communion Service often include the plea, “Send us out in the power of your Spirit, to live and work to your praise and glory”. It's a powerful commissioning, one that underpins how Christian faith breaks out beyond the church doors, equipping us to serve both our communities and the whole creation. It's a reminder too that we are not simply sent on private missions, but to work together, tackling the inequalities and injustices so visible in the world around us. That, for me, is a faith worth belonging to. A faith that needs to gather together.By Wednesday's semi-final, Synod will be over. I'll be with another of my tribes, in Parliament. And with all due respect to the other home nations, who are no longer contenders for the cup, I think Britain will be better governed if the palace authorities can match York University and find us a big screen, so we too can watch the game together.

What is taught today as basic science, argues Efraim Palvanov, was taught centuries ago in the Zohar. To Efraim, complex scientific functions such as quantum physics, epigenetics, and wave particle duality go hand in hand with Torah and Jewish mysticism. Efraim Palvanov studied biology and chemistry at York University, earned a bachelor of education at University of Toronto, and studied at Aish HaTorah in Jerusalem. He is head of the science department at Bnei Akiva Schools Toronto, runs two regular blogs as well as a YouTube channel, and is the author of five books.Now, he sits down with us to answer eighteen questions with Rabbi Dr. Benji Levy on Jewish mysticism such as the dangers of misinformation in today's world, prayer as self-reflection, and every Jew's role in bringing Mashiach [the Messiah]. 'Here are our questions: What is Jewish mysticism?How were you introduced to Jewish mysticism?In an ideal world, would all Jews be mystics?What do you think of when you think of God?What is the purpose of the Jewish people?How does prayer work?What is the goal of Torah study?Does Jewish mysticism view men and women the same?Should Judaism be hard or easy?Why did God create the world? Can humans do something that is against God's will?What do you think of when you think about Moshiach?Is the State of Israel part of the final redemption?What is the greatest challenge facing the world today?How has modernity changed Jewish mysticism?What differentiates Jewish mysticism from the mysticism of other religions? Does one need to be religious to study Jewish mysticism?Can mysticism be dangerous?How has Jewish mysticism affected your relationships with yourself and with others?What is a Jewish teaching that you always take with you?

What does trade set in motion beyond the exchange of goods? Anne McElvoy explores the movement of commerce across time as a carrier of habits, ideas, ambitions and influence, as well as of material things. From the early modern world, where trade was entangled with colonial expansion and shaped by unequal, sometimes unexpected encounters, to the supply chains and diplomatic negotiations of the present, this discussion asks how economic exchange has also mediated cultural contact. Alongside rivalry and wealth, how has trade given rise to its own languages of civility, reciprocity and trust?Guests include:Nandini Das is Professor of Early Modern Literature and Culture at Oxford University and author of This Little World: A New History of Tudor and Stuart EnglandJeremy Hunt is a former Chancellor of the Exchequer and the author of Can We Be Rich Again?Soumaya Keynes is an economist and columnist at the Financial Times and the author of How to Win a Trade WarProfessor Rana Mitter is ST Lee Chair in US-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy SchoolDr Lauren Working is a Lecturer in Early Modern Literature at York University and author of A Golden World: How the Americas Transformed Renaissance EnglandProducer: Ruth Watts

What does trade set in motion beyond the exchange of goods? Anne McElvoy explores the movement of commerce across time as a carrier of habits, ideas, ambitions and influence, as well as of material things. From the early modern world, where trade was entangled with colonial expansion and shaped by unequal, sometimes unexpected encounters, to the supply chains and diplomatic negotiations of the present, this discussion asks how economic exchange has also mediated cultural contact. Alongside rivalry and wealth, how has trade given rise to its own languages of civility, reciprocity and trust? Guests include: Nandini Das is Professor of Early Modern Literature and Culture at Oxford University and author of This Little World: A New History of Tudor and Stuart EnglandJeremy Hunt is a former Chancellor of the Exchequer and the author of Can We Be Rich Again?Soumaya Keynes is an economist and columnist at the Financial Times and the author of How to Win a Trade WarProfessor Rana Mitter is ST Lee Chair in US-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy SchoolDr Lauren Working is a Lecturer in Early Modern Literature at York University and author of A Golden World: How the Americas Transformed Renaissance England Producer: Ruth Watts

Send us Fan MailLev Gonick is the CIO at Arizona State University, one of the largest and fastest-growing universities in the United States, with over 200,000 students across campuses in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Washington, and 35 partner institutions around the world. He won an ORBIE Award in 2023 as a top large Enterprise CIO, was named a Top 50 Educational Technology Influencer by EdScoop in 2022, and holds a PhD in International Political Economy from York University.Before joining ASU, he was one of the rare CIOs who came from the classroom, having spent the first decade of his career as a teacher and researcher before pioneering online learning in the 1990s, long before it became an industry. In this episode, Lev draws on more than 40 years at the intersection of technology and education to make the case that AI is not the disruptor of higher education, it is the accelerant, and that the institutions treating it that way are already building what everyone else is still debating.In this conversation, we discuss:Why AI is not the disruptor of higher education, and what has actually been driving the disruption for decadesHow ASU went from survival mode during the 2009 financial crisis to building the largest online learning operation in the country, and why the same instinct is now driving its AI strategyWhat ASU's data from 200,000 students using AI daily actually reveals about which skills will endure and which ones will notHow the role of university faculty is fundamentally changing in the AI era, and why the hardest question has nothing to do with cheatingWhat the "Agentic self" means for creatives, and how a unique course taught by Will.i.am is helping students protect and amplify their creative futures.How the traditional responsibilities of the Chief Information Officer are expanding beyond basic operations to actively shaping institutional strategy and innovation. Explore this conversation:00:00 Intro and AI Fun Fact: Blue Books vs AI Rethinking Academic Integrity04:25 Introducing Lev Gonick, CIO at Arizona State University05:17 From Classroom Teacher to Academic Disruptor at ASU08:16 ASU Principled Innovation and the Design Build Approach to AI13:23 Co-Creating with Industry: AWS Zoom and the GSV Summit at ASU17:35 Soft Skills Are Smart Skills: Rethinking AI Literacy in Higher Ed23:25 Rethinking Assessment: What Faculty Must Adapt to in the AI Era27:01 Why a College Degree Still Matters in the Age of AI30:37 From YouTube to ASU: Meeting Learners Where They Are34:22 Disrupt or Be Disrupted: ASU Mission to Reach 300000 Students35:57 From Operator to Strategist: The New Playbook for the Modern CIO40:26 Connect with Lev Gonick and Arizona State University RESOURCESSubscribe to the AI & The Future of Work NewsletterConnect with Lev on LinkedInAI fun fact article: Blue Books Are Making a Campus Comeback via Axios, by Josephine WalkerOn what most entrepreneurs get wrong when pitching to VCs.

From the medicine wheel to the building blocks of DNA, the number four has represented structure and stability. But four is also a troublemaker: a portal to realms like the fourth dimension. Our series, The Greatest Numbers of All Time explores how four helps us understand the world — by making the rules, and by breaking them. More in the series:Listen to The Curse of 13Listen to 12 is SublimeListen to 27 Club LoreListen to The 33,000 Horsepower GamechangerGuests in this episode:Joyce Perreault is an Ojibway Anishinaabe children's book author and elementary school teacher at Donald Ahmo School in Crane River, MB.Brian Katz is a composer, instrumentalist, improviser, and guitar instructor at University of Toronto and York University.Lauren Fink is a professor of cognitive neuroscience at McMaster University.Alex Fisher is a professor of musicology and area coordinator for early music at the University of British Columbia.Tyrone Ghaswala is an assistant professor teaching stream with the Centre for Education and Computing (CEMC) and an adjunct professor in the Pure Mathematics department at the University of Waterloo. Wenran Jiang is the founding director of the China Institute at the University of Alberta. Stephan Reuter is an associate professor for plasma physics and spectroscopy at the Engineering Physics Department of Polytechnique Montréal Sarah Hart is professor emerita of mathematics at Birkbeck College and author of "Once Upon a Prime: The Wondrous Connections between Mathematics and Literature."

I just sat my first open book exam, the format where you’re allowed to bring your notes. You can even bring the physical textbook if you want, a testing format that was totally new to me. Should be easy, right? That’s what your tricky examiners want you to think. And I know not to fall for it. I have a PhD in Humanities, two MA degrees and taught at three universities around the world. During my years of teaching, I wrote, administered and graded more exams and assignments than I can count. Now, back in school as I near my 50s, I’m working on a second Bachelor’s degree. This time in law so I can develop an exact understanding for what law memorization is all about. For my first exam, I scored “High Distinction.” That’s the top grade here in Australia. But here’s something to consider that probably no one else will tell you about open book exams: There was one question I got wrong. And it wasn’t even the one I thought I’d missed. This “error” suggests that having the textbook wouldn’t have saved me even if I’d brought it with me. No, the problem was caused by the open book format itself. In this experience-based guide, I’ll show you what this kind of exam actually tests, and how to prepare properly. That way you can avoid the same recycled study advice just about everyone else gives online. https://youtu.be/_orag2IBwbA What an Open Book Exam Actually Tests (It Isn’t What Most Guides Tell You) First, I have to tell you that I was initially surprised that open book testing exists in law school at all. Especially since to pay for my earlier university studies I took some high-stakes exams for jobs I worked to help pay my tuition at York University. For example, I worked as a store detective and having open book testing for the required security guard license would have been absurd. No employer wants a guard who needs to flip through a textbook to determine whether or not they’ve witnessed a crime, after all. But now that I’ve taken my first exam of this type, I’m fascinated and did some research on why such tests are administered in the first place. In this study, researchers Ming-Yin Chan and Kwok-Wai Mui reveal that open book examinations have existed since at least the 1930s. Using my university library access, I found one such early study in the Journal of Higher Education from March, 1934. As John and Ruth Stalnaker argue in Open-Book Examinations, such testing has many positives: Emphasis falls on the course objectives Students utilize facts to solve problems Inference skills are exercised More time tends to be spent by students on preparation rather than cramming They predict that these kinds of tests will be more widely used in the future and encourage more research into the best kinds of questions suited to this format. Are the questions suitable to the format of studying law? Now that I’ve sat for a couple, I think so. After all, law is the field where getting even just one section number wrong could change the outcome of a case. That means this kind of testing is only partially about testing recall. It’s more about determining whether you can read with precision and work with the exact information as worded on a variety of source materials while the clock is ticking. Twenty Questions, Sixty Minutes, and No Authentic Way to “Look Things Up” So there I was at my laptop, the entire device reduced to just one screen by a lockdown browser called Respondus. My first exam was for a course called “Legal Institutions and Processes.” It is heavy on history and legislation. The first few weeks involved a ton of dense reading from multiple textbooks and a legal dictionary. This is the kind of reading I really haven’t done since I changed my major from Political Science to English during the second year of my first undergraduate degree. Although I had dreamed at my naive young age of one day becoming the Prime Minister of Canada, I changed my mind that year after interviewing the premier of British Columbia for the student newspaper. He clearly lied in response to my question and I determined right then that I was never going to be anything like him. Anyhow, do the math with me. Twenty questions during an hour-long exam gives you three minutes per question. During that time, you need to Read each question carefully Check your answers Fight off all kinds of urges and fidgety feelings that arise when you’re trapped And due to how the lockdown browser software works, I was literally trapped. The rules dictated that I could not leave the computer until I ended the session or the time ran out. The Practical Reality of Flipping Through Notes If you’ve never sat for an exam like this, ask yourself: How much time can you really afford to spend flipping through fifty pages of notes looking for an answer you don’t know? There’s no cookie-cutter answer here, but without preparation, the answer may as well be “zero.” The research agrees. In a 2024 study involving 112 open book and 83 closed book cognitive psychology students, the open book group scored higher. However, they also took longer to finish their exams. One way to interpret these research findings is that having access to your textbook increases your accuracy. But at what price in a world where time is your scarcest resource? How Long Did I Spend? As a time-poor entrepreneur with lots of polymathic projects on the go, I finished my first open book test in approximately thirty minutes. But needing the time to do other things was only part of the reason. A lot of the questions I was able to answer simply by using critical thinking, a skill I taught at university as a professor myself for four years. If you’re interested, here’s a list of my favorite critical thinking books. But the real reason I finished early is because I took the exam without a textbook. And that means for me, it wasn’t an open book situation at all. At least not in the normal sense. Here’s what I mean: My Notes-Only Experiment: Testing Digital Amnesia Under Exam Conditions Years ago, I wrote about a condition the Kaspersky Lab researchers called “digital amnesia.” In brief, your mind blanks out when trying to access information because you’ve stored it on a device you trust instead of in your head. Back then, I argued that every time you reach for a search engine instead of pausing to ask your own memory first, you deskill it. This is not unlike the way your muscles droop when you stop performing pushups. Here’s my original digital amnesia article if you’re interested. Anyhow, I don’t know if I’ll take more advanced law school courses without buying the physical textbooks. But for this exam, I took it as my chance to run a more high-stakes experiment with digital amnesia than I’d ever tried before. Did I have to experiment under proctored conditions, with a grade attached? Of course. Because real test conditions matter. And all the more so in the age of Artificial Intelligence, which challenges many aspects of mind and memory as I’ve previously written about in the context of learning. Let me take you a bit deeper behind the scenes. Because if you know my work with the Magnetic Memory Method, you’ve probably seen me with books frequently. And it can be confusing to suddenly hear that I decided to study 100% online. Why I Refused to Buy the Course Textbooks on Purpose Two reasons. First, I’ve said it on the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast for years: I don’t memorize well from screens. In fact, 3x USA memory champion John Graham and I have talked about this “problem” of mine on more than one of our podcast conversations. I’m not alone with this problem. Some researchers even have a name for people who forget what they read from digital devices: the screen inferiority effect. Pablo Delgado and his research team probably gave away the best advice about how to handle the fact that we forget what we read from screens. They gave the solution away in the title of their 2018 Educational Research Review meta-analysis, “Don’t throw away your printed books.” Don’t throw print away indeed. Even some of the most pro-digital people I know follow this advice. For example, Andrew Mayne, host of the OpenAI podcast has been on my podcast to talk about how and why he still uses print journals and physical notebooks as part of training his memory. Second, I made this choice to dimensionalize my work on Peter of Ravenna, the 15th-century jurist who wrote about his legendary memory techniques. In my imagination, he wouldn’t have bought the textbooks either. All of which is to say that I knew what I was getting into when I made the deliberate choice to forgo ordering any of the physical textbooks for my first trimester of law school. But when I learned that my first test settings were going to be open book? I immediately had to reconsider my approach. And handle a frustration I faced with a contradiction in terms. The Unprintable Textbook Problem The assigned textbook, Laying Down the Law, is available through the university’s online library. But they’ve offered it in a digital format that makes printing individual chapters impossible. This means that a student who can’t afford the print edition, or doesn’t want to study from print, has exactly one permitted way to use the textbook: effective note taking. Could I have opened the library copy on a second computer during the exam? Technically, perhaps. But the rules make clear that accessing any secondary device counts as cheating. So I showed up to the test prepared with my handwritten textbook notes instead. I also prepared my own version of the lecture slides to make sure I could refer to them if needed. This required a couple of steps: Download them from the online course platform Upload them into Google Slides Export them as text files Edit the text into useful notes in a Google Doc Supplement the notes with my own observations Print them out Study them further from the printout These steps took time. But I wound up with much more understandable notes as a result. The notes not only fused the lecture content with the readings. I also got an additional review of the material. An Absurd Study Requirement Still, part of my mind couldn’t let go of the absurdity of the situation. I was preparing for an open book exam where the book is locked behind a screen you’re not allowed to open. Students willing to spend the money get to bring the textbook. Anyone else has to bring whatever they managed to copy out by hand. This is not a level testing field. It’s a paywall wearing an academic gown. In my case, the absurdity of this barrier served my learning experiment. But I had a choice. Plenty of students don’t. Think First, Verify Second: How I Actually Used My Notes So how did my handwritten notes and transformed notes based on the slides perform against the clock? At first, I didn’t use the notes at all. Instead, I initially answered every question by thinking first. Then I went over everything a minimum of three times, checking my answers for accuracy against the notes. In other words, I used my notes as a verification instrument, letting the answers come first from my memory. Now that you know how my exam went, let me consolidate everything into some tips for your own open book test. How to Prepare for Your First Open Book Exam: My Best Tips My study suggestions break down into practical strategies and mindset management. You really can’t have one without the other because unexpected things can and do happen no matter how prepared you come to a test. Build a Reading “Moat” Well In Advance Even before I knew about the assignment structure and course exams, I started reading the instant I had access to the course area. But not just the textbook. I made ample use of the included dictionary and memorized new terms using this tried and true vocabulary memorization process. To supplement the reading, I also found as many YouTube channels and podcasts about Australian law as I could. I listened intensely and watched as many hours of video tutorials as possible. Sometimes these audio and video supplements went quite ahead of the reading. So I took care to balance going too far afield of the requirements against making sure I was going through additional material related to legal institutions. Placing guardrails on myself required vigilant self-monitoring and discipline, but I wound up with a “moat” around the core reading. In other words, my core reading was surrounded by related multi-media study. How to Pass an Open Book Exam? Complete All the Readings & Every Exercise Often students ask me about how to find the most important details in their study materials. As I discussed in my tutorial on finding the main points in books and articles, many books include summaries and conclusions. And some include dedicated exercises. That was the case with Laying Down the Law. The instructor also included some additional exercises, and so I completed both. And this is exactly what you need to do too. Be a completist. I know it is tempting to search for hacks of every kind under the sun. But in reality, the point of studying something is to become an expert in that topic. Some experts certainly do skim and scan, but that doesn’t mean you should. Frankly, I found both the readings and the exercises for my first exam a bit boring. But I went through them anyway to help develop my understanding of the material. And to go beyond the call of duty so that later on, I will know I at least tried my best. How to Pass an Open Book Test with Help from AI As I discussed in my video tutorial on studying complex topics, I wrote an AI prompt to spar with and test my answers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfL5ygsYpyg The prompt is called A.I.M. and you’re welcome to grab it below if you want to give this GPT I trained for myself a try with your study material. Here’s an important point: Getting your reading down early and supplementing it with additional material enriches how you complete your exercises. Memorize Anyway, Even If You Have Textbook Access & Keep Flawless Notes One thing I kept hearing early on were sentiments like, “No one cares if you can remember legal Latin.” I took this point into consideration, but memorized the phrases I came across anyway. It turns out one Latin phrase did show up on the quiz. If I hadn’t memorized it, I would have been underprepared (especially since I did not have the textbook with me). Memorization of terms, dates, important names, sections and other minutiae related to your studies might not prove valuable in the end. But more practice with a variety of memory training techniques will provide many benefits. The core techniques I used for this part of the study process were: Memory Palaces Pegword method PAO System Spaced repetition Although it can take a while to learn and practice these mnemonic devices, it is well worth having them on your side. Organize & Supplement Your Notes Effectively I actually got the idea to print out the slides and then rearrange them from my friend Nick. At first, I thought it might be a waste of time. I already faced the problem of forgetting more from digital exposure. But as I edited the slides in a Google document, I realized that the additional exposure involved looking at the information from a unique perspective. While changing the format and organizing them into a structure I better understood, I was processing the information again. I wouldn’t call this form of learning either deep or shallow. It was simply an integrative step that enabled further questioning after I printed out the notes. And I found some initial study exercises in the notes that I later answered with a red pen after doing further research. For example, I extended my understanding of the “Cab-Rank rule” as you see here:   Additionally, I took a moment to set up the footer area. As you can see in the example, this simple trick indicates: To which lecture slide the notes belong The page number The total number of pages for this set of notes Although I felt a bit silly, and perhaps more like a secretary than a student doing this, the rewards were obvious as I was doing it. Knowing that each set of notes was full and completed reduced my test anxiety. And because the pages were numbered and using the footer showed me at a glance that I wasn’t missing anything, I spared myself any and all mystery about the status of my notes during the testing hour. This is not a small point because anxiety-induced memory loss is a real problem. Seriously. I can imagine nothing worse than my mind seizing up with worry that a page of notes had gone missing. Especially when the rules of the test required that I remain in front of the computer throughout. Finally, I bound each set of notes together with a simple clip from the stationery store. Again, it felt a bit secretarial, but it was really useful in making sure all of my notes were organized. I did the same with my handwritten notes. In this case, my handwritten notes were based entirely on key terms I thought would be important for the exam. What I found interesting is that most of what I had written out from the online textbook was the same as on the lecture slides. For more tips on dealing with your reading, check out how to take notes from a textbook. Follow up with my how to memorize a textbook training for what to do with your notes once you’ve got them. Take Deliberately Timed Breaks While Studying Provided you’ve started reading early and expanded your reading to include a variety of sources, it’s important to rest. Frankly, taking breaks is a weakness of mine. I love to plow forward. But I made myself take entire days off leading up to the exam where I didn’t read anything related to the exam. However, I did engage in reflective thinking about my studies. This simple activity while taking time off helps with memory formation and comprehension. Verify Your Sources Before Exam Day As a final step, I went through everything again the day before the exam. This included checking the file names of all my notes and various citations. Plus, there were various names and dates that I had memorized that were not on my notes. So I checked those, such as for the Mabo decision, an important legal case in Australia. Although I knew it was unlikely that a multiple choice question was going to confirm that I knew Mabo’s first name was Eddie, I checked my memory of the fact anyway. This simple verification step not only made sure that other details of the case were clear to me. It’s also just fun to check for accuracy. For Online Open Book Exams, Test All Software In Advance Since I’m a remote student, I not only made sure I completed installing the Respondus software days in advance of the exam. I also made sure all my software was up to date, from the browser to the operating system. Not only is regularly updating software a best practice. Knowing that everything is operational helps reduce exam anxiety. Control Your Mind While the Clock is Ticking Although I finished the exam quickly, it’s not that time wasn’t on my mind. In fact, it was raining hard and I hadn’t slept well. Both of these factors injected no small amount of misery into my mind. In my case, I kept thinking about Peter of Ravenna and how disappointed he would be. There wasn’t much room for memory techniques to shine during the exam experience. Then I started doubting that law school was such a great idea after all. As soon as I caught myself doing that, I started running some of the mantras I memorized prior to writing The Victorious Mind. Having this simple ritual focused my mind back on the task at hand by blowing the distracting thoughts away. If mind wandering causes you issues while sitting for exams, it could be worth looking into various mental routines you can practice. This complete guide contains multiple concentration meditations you might find useful as a learner. Why Do Teachers Give Open Book Exams? Although I passed with High Distinction, my first exam of this type felt alienating. I can’t quite put my finger on what bothers me about it. But to use a critical thinking tactic, I’ll try to steelman the format by way of understanding the reason behind the testing scheme. It’s clear that this kind of test is less about knowledge and more about how detail-oriented the student is. I also suspect that the reason the teacher gave an open book exam is twofold: One: Anti-Guessing Design The open book format means that you will actually go through your learning material. There’s no incentive to guess when you can look at your study sources, leading to at least one more pass through the material. Two: Blended Testing This exam was only part of the grading for the course. I still need to give an oral presentation and submit an essay. By having an initial exam with the anti-guessing design optimized to generate an additional review of the study material, it does set the stage for stronger performance. Summing up: A Plan for Your First Open Book Exam Because time is always in short supply, I suggest that you: Start reading as soon as possible, ideally before the course even begins. Take extensive notes and give yourself time to verify them. Complete all of the available practice questions. Use ChatGPT as a sparring partner, not as a source of answers. Schedule plenty of breaks. If you’re a remote student, check that all of your software is updated. If you would like access to the sparring partner I created for myself, it is called A.I.M. As a study prompt, it’s simple and direct. But I found that it helped me identify a number of blind spots in my thinking. Click or tap the image below to claim it: I don’t know what Peter of Ravenna would have to say about exams like this. But in my experience, the format rewards the prepared mind and the precise reader. I expect my memory will be tested in future law courses and because of the amount of review this kind of testing promotes, I expect the experience has indeed helped my recall. Even if in a different way than I’m used to when studying. For more of my experience and teaching on that, check out my guide on How to Study Effectively next. Above all, enjoy the learning process. We sometimes forget what a blessing it is to be able to study at all. Yet, here we all are, with more people on the planet studying than ever before. Don’t forget to celebrate the opportunity you have and bring that awareness to the exam. Keeping a positive attitude is a major skill that promotes massive success in all of life’s many “tests.”

What if the problem is not that online leads do not work, but that most advisors are targeting the wrong people with the wrong message?   In this episode of the Registered Investment Advisor Podcast, Seth Greene interviews Allan Khazak, Founder & CEO of Vroom Media Group, who explains how his company helps insurance agents, RIAs, regional firms, and IMOs attract better prospects through targeted online advertising, client avatars, landing pages, surveys, nurture campaigns, and sales training. He also discusses why dinner seminars and radio shows are less effective than they used to be, how compliance affects advisor marketing, and why patience, follow-up, and continual improvement are essential to converting online leads.   Key Takeaways: → Online ads perform best when advisors target a specific client avatar. → Campaigns focused on tax issues, Roth conversions, or TSPs can attract more qualified prospects. → Lead quality improves when prospects are filtered by age, assets, and fit before they reach the advisor. → A strong landing page and survey process help train the ad algorithm to identify better prospects. → Advisors who treat every failed conversation as feedback can improve conversion rates over time. Allan Khazak is a Canadian entrepreneur, digital marketing expert, and founder and CEO of Vroom Media Group, a results-driven agency that helps life insurance brokers, financial advisors, and annuity agents generate qualified prospects and convert them into clients. Raised in Canada by an immigrant family, Allan developed a strong work ethic and entrepreneurial mindset early in life. He studied at the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto before beginning his career in public accounting. In 2019, Allan founded Vroom Media Group to help solve one of the insurance industry's biggest challenges: consistent lead generation and conversion. Under his leadership, the agency has built a niche using data-driven strategies, online advertising, and proprietary systems to help advisors book qualified appointments and grow annuity production.   Connect With Allan: Website: https://www.vroommediagroup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vroommediagroup/ X: https://x.com/GroupVroom Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VRMMediaGroupLeadGen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the problem is not that online leads do not work, but that most advisors are targeting the wrong people with the wrong message?   In this episode of the Registered Investment Advisor Podcast, Seth Greene interviews Allan Khazak, Founder & CEO of Vroom Media Group, who explains how his company helps insurance agents, RIAs, regional firms, and IMOs attract better prospects through targeted online advertising, client avatars, landing pages, surveys, nurture campaigns, and sales training. He also discusses why dinner seminars and radio shows are less effective than they used to be, how compliance affects advisor marketing, and why patience, follow-up, and continual improvement are essential to converting online leads.   Key Takeaways: → Online ads perform best when advisors target a specific client avatar. → Campaigns focused on tax issues, Roth conversions, or TSPs can attract more qualified prospects. → Lead quality improves when prospects are filtered by age, assets, and fit before they reach the advisor. → A strong landing page and survey process help train the ad algorithm to identify better prospects. → Advisors who treat every failed conversation as feedback can improve conversion rates over time. Allan Khazak is a Canadian entrepreneur, digital marketing expert, and founder and CEO of Vroom Media Group, a results-driven agency that helps life insurance brokers, financial advisors, and annuity agents generate qualified prospects and convert them into clients. Raised in Canada by an immigrant family, Allan developed a strong work ethic and entrepreneurial mindset early in life. He studied at the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto before beginning his career in public accounting. In 2019, Allan founded Vroom Media Group to help solve one of the insurance industry's biggest challenges: consistent lead generation and conversion. Under his leadership, the agency has built a niche using data-driven strategies, online advertising, and proprietary systems to help advisors book qualified appointments and grow annuity production.   Connect With Allan: Website: https://www.vroommediagroup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vroommediagroup/ X: https://x.com/GroupVroom Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VRMMediaGroupLeadGen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Detransitioning, a term for stopping, shifting, or reversing an initial gender transition, is a word that has been stripped of its human meaning by the political forces fighting over it. Last week, I shared my interview with Dr. Kinnon Ross MacKinnon, a trans researcher at York University whose landmark DARE study surveyed 957 people who had detransitioned. MacKinnon's data show that the detransitioners he interviewed are not a single monolith with identical motivations, but rather four distinct groups with distinct sets of needs. Despite this emerging research, the Trump administration now attempts to justify banning care for everyone, a flagrant distortion of what the science shows we should do to support those who are both transgender and those who wish to detransition. During our discussions, MacKinnon recommended I speak with Alexander Linkowski, whom he described as a thoughtful voice from inside the detransition experience. Alexander is a 32-year-old philosopher, transhumanist, and YouTuber based in Norway. He lived as a trans woman for approximately three years before detransitioning and is currently completing a book on detransition and identity. He realized he was neurodiverse. Alexander's story is not political ammunition for either side. It is one person's vulnerable story, told with honesty and philosophical depth, and it deserves to be heard on its own terms. Alexander grew up in Poland, a deeply conservative Catholic country where 1950s ideals of masculinity and femininity shaped sex education. He described being bullied at school and told repeatedly he was “not a real man,” feeling profound discomfort in his body from early childhood, something he now understands as connected to his autism diagnosis, which he received as an adult. Living within a homophobic society, Alexander also described deep shame around his attraction to other males, buried for years. “Everything led me to believe that life would be easier, life would be better, if I lived socially as a woman.” He transitioned medically and socially at 19. Based on the DARE study, Alexander's experience maps closely onto what MacKinnon describes as the first pathway to detransition. These are people who detransitioned with strong decisional regret, who often reported that their clinical care was not thorough enough, and fewer than half of whom felt they received adequate decision-making support before they began. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The federal government has unveiled a two-billion-dollar AI strategy aimed at boosting jobs, skills training, and business growth, alongside plans to build large-scale AI data centres powered by clean energy. But as these projects move into communities, opposition is mounting. Recent protests in Hamilton and an Angus Reid poll showing 68 per cent of Canadians would oppose a data centre near their home raise questions about public buy-in. With roughly 100 data centres already in Ontario, do more bring opportunity or risk? We examine the concerns and separate fact from fiction with Kathleen Kauth of the Advanced Energy Centre at MaRS and Mark Winfield of York University.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greg Brady spoke with Amila Buturović, Professor of Humanities & Religious Studies at York University and expert on Bosnian history, identity, religion, and culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can you memorize entire books by using your concentration alone? Some people claim such retention is possible, and often point to figures like Swami Vivekananda. Frankly, I’m skeptical. Not because Vivekananda wasn’t smart, influential and an author of interesting works. No, I’m skeptical and concerned because such claims are unlikely to be true. And not only has no solid evidence been presented, but when myths about people who aren’t here to be tested, stories about them tend to grow larger with each retelling. Plus, there is so much value to be had from real techniques that actually work. True, there’s a bit of effort involved in learning and using mnemonic devices properly. For some people, lots of effort. But you can still get there with proper training, steps you might never find if you’re lost in mythology and chasing after outcomes that were never true. That’s why I want to respond in depth to this question from a reader of this website and fan of the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass: I like your MMM System, and I am learning and following it bit by bit. But I have one doubt. In India the Swami Vivekananda and other people read a book page by page without using any mnemonics techniques, and are still able to recall all of the concepts and vocabulary words. Simply they say, and only by using concentration. Which memory technique is this? Is this better than mnemonics or journey system? How do I develop this type of memory? Thank you for your reply. Quick answer: Concentration certainly can assist memory when reading. But reliable recall and verbatim memorization from books requires robust memory techniques for encoding and ample review. I’ve done quite a bit of verbatim memorization and will share my process at the end of this post. For now, let’s look deeper at the question of whether or not concentration will help with book memorization. Can Concentration Alone Help You Memorize An Entire Book? Assuming Vivekananda did this or anyone exists who has memorized any substantial amount of information through concentration alone, then I guess that’s the word you would use to describe this memory technique: “Concentration.” Guess what? Concentration does work to help you form memories. It’s also a great way to connect new information to older information that you’ve already learned. But you have to concentrate on the right things, such as using a mnemonic linking method to connect the information in your mind. As far as I’m aware, there’s only ever been one documented case of what people sometimes call “photo reading.” But it’s an episode from the history of memory science that should make us all skeptical. I cover it in my full breakdown of why photographic memory doesn’t exist. Long story short, such claims involve people who are probably not being honest. Why Extraordinary Claims About Memory Need Scientific Testing Let me ask you this: Do you really think such extraordinary claims about people reading one page or more of a book and repeating it perfectly would stand up to scrutiny through scientific testing? Even if something like flashbulb memory were involved while reading (which is unlikely), the claims of being able to recall entire books remain dubious. Part of the argument about concentration assisting memory does make sense, however. Merely concentrating on a book does indeed help me personally learn and remember the material from it. But how exactly this increase would lead to memorization of the exact content without some kind of elaborative encoding in the mix is a mystery to me. How I Use Memory Techniques While Studying Law Frankly, I’ve dealt with lack of concentration often in my life. I’m dealing with it now as I go through law school and apply memory techniques to help me get through it. I reported this new study project recently in my law memorization announcement. In order to reliably memorize the tons of material I’m currently facing, I’m once again using the textbook memorization system that helped me so much while getting my PhD in Humanities at York University many years ago. You can learn all about the process in this detailed video tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIQRiqQFKQY Here’s the full written version of the video above on How to Memorize a Textbook if you prefer reading. Quite frankly, there are so many advantages to this textbook method that I would sooner have people who are serious about learning take a few extra steps rather than experimenting with the claims of dead Swamis and their fans. In the case of Vivekananda, he was called a srutidhara. This is a Sanskrit term used to describe an eidetic person. This condition is sometimes confused with, but is absolutely not the same as photographic memory. Not only that, but eidetic memory has to do with visual memory, not the semantic memory involved in words on pages. According to my research, eidetic memory has only been scientifically demonstrated as valid for a couple of minutes. And as the original study by Ralph Haber discusses, it’s a kind of recall practically unheard of in adults. The Closest Case Still Involves Memory Techniques If there is one interesting case, you’ll find it in the story of Solomon Shereshevsky. But even then, there’s evidence that the potent memory skills of this figure involved the use of mnemonics. In any case, I suspect that many people can recite the gist of what they read on a page for a couple of minutes after placing a book aside. It’s long-term retention that matters. And this means that even if you could work on developing an eidetic memory to visually recall a page, it’s unlikely to help with developing the strong memory skills that help you retain information for the long haul. What Did Vivekananda Say About His Own Memory? Of course, Vivekananda did not use either the term photographic memory or eidetic memory. A large part of how his memory was described comes from the diary of a disciple named Shri Sharat Chandra Chakravarty. This disciple records the following statement from Vivekananda after being asked to explain how he quoted a variety of points from various texts: Simply by the observance of strict Brahmacharya (continence) all learning can be mastered in a very short time. Now, the fact that this quote comes from a diary doesn’t make it false. But the text does not exactly say that Vivekananda recited anything verbatim. In fact, the diary recounts: Disciple: Whatever you may say, sir, the manifestation of such superhuman power cannot be the result of mere Brahmacharya, something else there must be. Swamiji did not say anything in reply. Then Swamiji began to explain lucidly to the disciple the arguments and conclusions about the difficult points in all philosophies. Notice that Vivekananda, referred to here as “Swamiji” declines to explain himself further, as if to let the disciple create an illusion in his own head. A More Likely Explanation As for recalling a few passages here and there, which is what the text says Vivekananda actually did, I regularly perform this skill myself and often cite the page numbers of various quotes during my live streams. Do I use “continence” to do it? Partly, yes, in the sense that brahmacharya means to control the senses and bring one’s conduct into accordance with basic ethics. But I also use a PAO System to help me recall page numbers. It’s based on an ancient memory technique called the katapayadi, which Vivekananda almost certainly knew. He also likely knew: Krama-pāṭha Jaṭā-pāṭha Ghana-pāṭha These techniques are similar to the Recall Rehearsal process I’ll talk about in a bit more detail below. They help install lots of information in long-term memory that can lead to extraordinary results. Above all, it’s important to understand how other people exaggerate things. But unlike Vivekananda, when one of my private coaching clients exclaimed that I had spoken in eight languages in just fifteen minutes, I corrected him immediately. I said, “I may well have quoted various lines in a handful of languages, and probably drew from four or five. But let’s not mistake knowing various quotes in various languages for speaking those languages.” In other words, I did not sit in silence to bask in his praise or allow myths to grow. I nipped the false impression in the bud. Probably due to one of my biggest influences when I was younger. Why We Must Debunk Extraordinary Claims About Memory James Randi was a magician and professional skeptic who spent decades challenging people to demonstrate and validate their claims to have super powers of concentration. He even offered a million-dollar prize if they could prove their claims true. That’s a lot of coin, so it’s hard to believe that more people didn’t rush to get tested. Their absence says everything, don’t you think? I’ve read that the Randi prize was eventually terminated following his death, but it’s still worth knowing about and considering for its decades-long promotion of critical thinking. If we don’t promote critical thought ourselves, we risk having more and more gullible people roaming the earth. And we wind up with people thinking that everything is about memory and not another very important ingredient. Recall Without Understanding Is Not Enough Being able to recall what you read is not just about retention. Parrots can retain and repeat, after all. The results most people want involve (and should involve) developing deep understandings of written material. And content in any medium, for that matter. This point is important because you want to turn raw information into knowledge that leads to wisdom. This was a point made by Thomas Aquinas that still holds true. But to weave data and information into wisdom is likely only possible if you stop chasing after useless fantasies and worrying about which memory method or style is better than the others. The only method that ultimately matters is the one that: You'll actually use Gets you results reliably But if concentration works on its own for some people without using any kind of mnemonic method, what can I say? Rock and roll. Good for them and hurray. Personally, I’ll stick with memory techniques that can be, have been and will continue to be tested by authentic memory champions and polymaths in the future. With their level of skill in mind, let me give you a brief overview of how I suggest you go about tackling books. A Practical Formula for Memorizing Key Content From Books The path I suggest you follow is simple. Build at least one Memory Palace based on a familiar location Encode information inside of it using strongly elaborated mnemonic images Practice with material you care about in addition to books, such as poems, speeches, names and anything else you want to remember Recall the information using Recall Rehearsal (the Magnetic Memory Method term for a simple spaced repetition procedure that harnesses the power of the primacy effect and recency effect using serial positioning) Work on improving your selective attention skills Keep studying accelerated learning techniques for life You might also find my walkthrough on memorizing Sanskrit phrases useful. Apart from the passages from Shakespeare I shared in my Anthony Hopkins case study, memorizing verbatim from ancient Sanskrit books comprise the longest passages I’ve committed to memory. I’ve worked up to over 2000 words. If you’d like similar results, the best place to start is with a proper understanding of Memory Palace development. That’s why I created this free memory improvement course: It walks you through the process step-by-step with tutorial videos and worksheets. That way, you can stop wondering about whether memory techniques will work for you and start proving it to yourself with information you actually want to remember. And real memory training will stop the temptations and seductions of myths. As interesting as these stories might be, if they can’t be reproduced, they don’t matter.

Numbers get their due credit in this podcast. Even if we're not aware of them, numbers are essential to how we experience the world. IDEAS explores the most bizarre, surprising, mind-blowing and fundamental numbers in the universe.This panel discussion was recorded live at The Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Ontario.Guests in this episode:Asimina Arvanitaki is a particle physicist and the aristarchus chair in theoretical physics at the Perimeter Institute.Ben Webster is an associate professor in the pure mathematics department at the University of Waterloo, and he's also an associate faculty member at the Perimeter Institute.Matthew Johnson is a professor of physics and astronomy at York University, and he's also an associate faculty member at the Perimeter Institute.

Self-driving cars are often presented as the future of transportation ; we're making them safer, smarter... and fully autonomous. But how close are we really to achieving a reality where we can turn our brains off and let our vehicles take us to everywhere we want to go? Is the artificial intelligence used in these vehicles truly advanced enough that they can replicate brain functions like perception, attention and adaptive decision-making, so we don't have to use our own cognition towards these tasks? In this episode, we explore the many challenges facing autonomous vehicles, from navigating unpredictable environments to imitating the human brain to make split-second decisions under uncertainty. This conversation dives into the intersection of neuroscience, engineering, and artificial intelligence to better understand what it will take for autonomous technology to become fully reliable. This episode is sponsored by the Connected Minds program. Connected Minds, funded by the Canadian First Research Excellence Fund, is a 7-year collaborative program between York University and Queen's University that focuses on interdisciplinary, ethical, and socially responsible research and technology development. The program offers funding for trainees, researchers, and artists. To learn more and get involved, visit the Connected Minds website. Website: https://www.yorku.ca/research/connected-minds/a Authors: Zara Sheikh, Eve Racette Email: thinktwicepodcast@outlook.com Instagram: @thinktwice_podcast LinkedIN: Think Twice Podcast Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ThinkTwicePodcast Disclaimer: Think Twice is a podcast for general information and entertainment purposes only. The content discussed in the episodes does not reflect the views of the podcast committee members or any institution they are affiliated with. The use of the information presented in this podcast is at the user's own risk and is not intended to replace professional healthcare services.

Researchers are beginning to investigate two frontiers that challenge long-held assumptions about the natural world: how animals communicate and whether forests function as complex, social systems. Advances in artificial intelligence are helping decode patterns in animal signals once thought to be beyond human understanding, raising difficult ethical and legal questions about what non-human species may be expressing. At the same time, new research on trees suggests forests may operate through interconnected networks that share resources and respond collectively to environmental stress. We examine what emerging science is revealing about animal minds and forest ecosystems, how these findings are being interpreted, and what they could mean for how humans define intelligence, responsibility, and the natural world itself. Kristin Andrews, philosophy professor at York University and York Research Chair in Animal Minds, and Suzanne Simard, forest ecologist and author of "When the Forest Breathes: Renewal and Resilience in the Natural World," discuss communication, connection, and the implications of treating animals and even forests as social beings.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the aftermath of October 7, 2023, Canada saw a rise in anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab and antisemitism that affects many areas of life and work for Canadians. So begins a report produced by the Islamophobia Research Hub at York University. The incidents documented in the report portray a climate of repression, violence and censorship across the country and throughout multiple aspects of life in Canada. We spoke with Nadia Hasan, author of the report, in early November last year.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has condemned what he described as the “abominable treatment” of flotilla activists detained by Israeli authorities. His statement came after the release of a video showing activists from around the world blindfolded, restrained, and forced face-down on the ground as Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir toured the detention site.Up to a dozen Canadians were among those detained, according to the group who organized the flotilla. All have since been deported. Today we're joined by Heidi Matthews, legal scholar and assistant professor at York University's Osgoode Law School, who traveled alongside an earlier flotilla as a part of a legal support vessel. She joins to discuss the politics and history of the Gaza flotillas, and the tradition of nonviolent direct action.For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts

Why have moral philosophers largely ignored colonialism? In Moral Philosophy and De-Colonialism: The Irrationality of Oppression (Bloomsbury Academic, 2026), Shyam Ranganathan tells the story of moral philosophy and colonialism and reveals the benefits of drawing from a colonized tradition to a create a rigorous logic-based ethics. This is a timely exploration of the the ways in which Western colonialism has structured moral theorizing to insulate itself from criticism. In his account of the domination of the European tradition and the suppression of questions of its colonialism, Ranganathan covers the evolution of metaethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics in ancient European, Chinese, and Indian traditions of philosophy. We see the presence of white supremacy in the writings of J.S. Mill, Marx and Engels, and the importance placed on autonomy and sovereignty in Hobbes and Kant. The European influence of interpretation on our peer review of historical philosophy is evident throughout. Using South Asia as an example Ranganathan examines how colonizers are able to erase moral philosophical history and redefine cultures as religions, judged in terms of their conformity to, or deviation from, the Western tradition, which is treated as secular. His acknowledgment of Yoga as a basic ethical theory introduces us to thinking that recognizes persons as a diverse group, traversing sex, gender, race, sexual orientation, and species. Through this analysis of colonized traditions and ethics, Ranganathan is able to de-colonize moral philosophy by looking outside the colonizing tradition. If we want sophisticated and inclusive ways of thinking about how to live we must turn towards indigenous thought. Shyam Ranganathan is a member of the Department of Philosophy and York Center for Asian Research at York University, Toronto, Canada, and founder of the Yoga Philosophy Institute. Dr. Raj Balkaran is a scholar of Indian mythology and seasoned online educator. He teaches at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and at his own virtual School of Indian Wisdom where he delivers original courses applying Indian wisdom teachings to modern life. 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

Why have moral philosophers largely ignored colonialism? In Moral Philosophy and De-Colonialism: The Irrationality of Oppression (Bloomsbury Academic, 2026), Shyam Ranganathan tells the story of moral philosophy and colonialism and reveals the benefits of drawing from a colonized tradition to a create a rigorous logic-based ethics. This is a timely exploration of the the ways in which Western colonialism has structured moral theorizing to insulate itself from criticism. In his account of the domination of the European tradition and the suppression of questions of its colonialism, Ranganathan covers the evolution of metaethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics in ancient European, Chinese, and Indian traditions of philosophy. We see the presence of white supremacy in the writings of J.S. Mill, Marx and Engels, and the importance placed on autonomy and sovereignty in Hobbes and Kant. The European influence of interpretation on our peer review of historical philosophy is evident throughout. Using South Asia as an example Ranganathan examines how colonizers are able to erase moral philosophical history and redefine cultures as religions, judged in terms of their conformity to, or deviation from, the Western tradition, which is treated as secular. His acknowledgment of Yoga as a basic ethical theory introduces us to thinking that recognizes persons as a diverse group, traversing sex, gender, race, sexual orientation, and species. Through this analysis of colonized traditions and ethics, Ranganathan is able to de-colonize moral philosophy by looking outside the colonizing tradition. If we want sophisticated and inclusive ways of thinking about how to live we must turn towards indigenous thought. Shyam Ranganathan is a member of the Department of Philosophy and York Center for Asian Research at York University, Toronto, Canada, and founder of the Yoga Philosophy Institute. Dr. Raj Balkaran is a scholar of Indian mythology and seasoned online educator. He teaches at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and at his own virtual School of Indian Wisdom where he delivers original courses applying Indian wisdom teachings to modern life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/native-american-studies

Why have moral philosophers largely ignored colonialism? In Moral Philosophy and De-Colonialism: The Irrationality of Oppression (Bloomsbury Academic, 2026), Shyam Ranganathan tells the story of moral philosophy and colonialism and reveals the benefits of drawing from a colonized tradition to a create a rigorous logic-based ethics. This is a timely exploration of the the ways in which Western colonialism has structured moral theorizing to insulate itself from criticism. In his account of the domination of the European tradition and the suppression of questions of its colonialism, Ranganathan covers the evolution of metaethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics in ancient European, Chinese, and Indian traditions of philosophy. We see the presence of white supremacy in the writings of J.S. Mill, Marx and Engels, and the importance placed on autonomy and sovereignty in Hobbes and Kant. The European influence of interpretation on our peer review of historical philosophy is evident throughout. Using South Asia as an example Ranganathan examines how colonizers are able to erase moral philosophical history and redefine cultures as religions, judged in terms of their conformity to, or deviation from, the Western tradition, which is treated as secular. His acknowledgment of Yoga as a basic ethical theory introduces us to thinking that recognizes persons as a diverse group, traversing sex, gender, race, sexual orientation, and species. Through this analysis of colonized traditions and ethics, Ranganathan is able to de-colonize moral philosophy by looking outside the colonizing tradition. If we want sophisticated and inclusive ways of thinking about how to live we must turn towards indigenous thought. Shyam Ranganathan is a member of the Department of Philosophy and York Center for Asian Research at York University, Toronto, Canada, and founder of the Yoga Philosophy Institute. Dr. Raj Balkaran is a scholar of Indian mythology and seasoned online educator. He teaches at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and at his own virtual School of Indian Wisdom where he delivers original courses applying Indian wisdom teachings to modern life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

Why have moral philosophers largely ignored colonialism? In Moral Philosophy and De-Colonialism: The Irrationality of Oppression (Bloomsbury Academic, 2026), Shyam Ranganathan tells the story of moral philosophy and colonialism and reveals the benefits of drawing from a colonized tradition to a create a rigorous logic-based ethics. This is a timely exploration of the the ways in which Western colonialism has structured moral theorizing to insulate itself from criticism. In his account of the domination of the European tradition and the suppression of questions of its colonialism, Ranganathan covers the evolution of metaethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics in ancient European, Chinese, and Indian traditions of philosophy. We see the presence of white supremacy in the writings of J.S. Mill, Marx and Engels, and the importance placed on autonomy and sovereignty in Hobbes and Kant. The European influence of interpretation on our peer review of historical philosophy is evident throughout. Using South Asia as an example Ranganathan examines how colonizers are able to erase moral philosophical history and redefine cultures as religions, judged in terms of their conformity to, or deviation from, the Western tradition, which is treated as secular. His acknowledgment of Yoga as a basic ethical theory introduces us to thinking that recognizes persons as a diverse group, traversing sex, gender, race, sexual orientation, and species. Through this analysis of colonized traditions and ethics, Ranganathan is able to de-colonize moral philosophy by looking outside the colonizing tradition. If we want sophisticated and inclusive ways of thinking about how to live we must turn towards indigenous thought. Shyam Ranganathan is a member of the Department of Philosophy and York Center for Asian Research at York University, Toronto, Canada, and founder of the Yoga Philosophy Institute. Dr. Raj Balkaran is a scholar of Indian mythology and seasoned online educator. He teaches at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and at his own virtual School of Indian Wisdom where he delivers original courses applying Indian wisdom teachings to modern life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/south-asian-studies

Can public spaces ever truly be safe for people living with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)?In this episode of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast, Aaron Goodman speaks with Aimi Hamraie, Associate Professor at York University whose work focuses on disability justice, accessibility, and inclusive design.They explore:• Why MCS is often overlooked in accessibility conversations • Remote access as a vital form of inclusion • How chemicals and fragrances can make public spaces inaccessible • Why some people with MCS leave cities • What truly MCS-inclusive public spaces could look like

What happens when someone who has spent decades teaching memory techniques enrols in law school to find out if everything he teaches actually holds up? That’s exactly what I’m doing. Mind you, I’m not the first person to try a learning feat like this. Nor am I the first to document the journey of applying mnemonic methods to the law. In 1491, Peter of Ravenna published The Phoenix, a manual designed to teach his approach to the “Art of Memory.” It’s a short, but detailed memory improvement book that explains Ravenna’s techniques and how they enabled him to possess a massive amount of civil law code in his mind. His legal knowledge isn’t the only thing that made Ravenna legendary. As I explain in my previous writing about him, he could also recite mountains of scripture and speak multiple languages. Myself, I’ve memorized more than enough scripture to demonstrate the teaching I’ve offered in my own memory improvement manuals. Likewise, I’ve absorbed enough skills with enough languages to prove the concept. I hold a PhD in Humanities from York University and two MAs. But what I haven’t done is attend law school. Now, later in life, I have finally enroled after decades of thinking about it. This isn’t a career pivot, mind you. Having co-authored a well-received book with a lawyer years ago on memorizing legal terminology, I am already more than personally interested in law. But since I never went to law school myself, I’ve always wanted to pressure-test every memory technique I teach against what has to be one of the most volume-intensive, high-stakes disciplines on the planet. This page is the hub for that experiment. Whether you are a law student drowning in “legalese” and tired of the “bad memory” excuse, or a memory enthusiast looking for a high-stakes demonstration of the ancient memory arts in action, you are in the right place. I’m going to share with you all the learning tools I’ll be using throughout the experience. And you can follow my real-time study log below to see exactly how the man Tony Buzan called a “Warrior of the Mind” intends to conquer the law, one Memory Palace at a time. Why Legal Material Presents Special Problems for Memorization In my version of Ravenna’s original book, called Phoenix Reborn, the famous jurist is far from modest. He writes: When I was young, I prepared 10,000 places because I wanted to surpass all the men of Italy with an abundance of remembered facts and holy scriptures, including both Canon law and Civil law. I also wanted to be an authority on many other things. By “places,” Ravenna is referring to the method of loci. It is the basis of the Memory Palace technique, something many law students have used across history. I’m only a week into my first trimester readings, and I have a feeling Ravenna might not be so boastful in our times. Medieval law was in no way simple. But it’s unlikely Ravenna dealt with nearly as much study material as contemporary law students. For one thing, nearly everyone knew Latin back then. This means he wouldn’t have needed to memorize the Latin needed when he studied to become a Doctor of canon and civil law. The topic of international law would have been much smaller during his time. And laws relating to media, Internet and Artificial Intelligence? All of these vast fields of legal material would not appear for hundreds of years. Nonetheless, many of his techniques still apply and will help contemporary law students avoid cramming. Here’s how I’ll be using them based on my own version of the techniques Ravenna describes. What Happens When a Memory Expert Enrols in Law School: The Magnetic Memory Method for Law A lot of study advice treats complicated topics like the law like any other memorization task. Gareth Evans says in a YouTube video called How I Memorised Everything in Law School that he essentially used a combination of spaced repetition and the Leitner box technique. There is nothing wrong with these approaches. I’ll be incorporating them too. However, not everyone is going to get the same results from just those two fundamentals from the world of accelerated learning techniques. The Memory Palace Technique for Law Since you don’t get partial credit for vaguely remembering that a case exists and need the name, the year, the principle, and how it applies, I’m pulling out the same technique Ravenna describes in depth as my core learning strategy: the Memory Palace. In case you’re new to it, the Memory Palace technique for studying uses familiar locations subdivided into various sub-locations. It’s almost like a living, breathing mental filing system. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4J5ZUzCxZY By placing information on those sub-locations, or what I prefer to call “Magnetic Stations,” you provide yourself with a canvas for layering vivid mental associations. For example, I’ve already memorized the name and date of Derry v Peek (1889) and the basic three-part test it established for fraudulent misrepresentation. If you’d like more information on this technique, check out my full guide to the Memory Palace technique. The PAO System For Law When it comes to section numbers and dates like 1889 in Derry v Peek, I’ll be using a 00-99 PAO System. Now, this kind of mnemonic system is something I’ve developed over many years. And for most of us, it’s not something you can develop overnight. Indeed, most of us base our PAO System on the Major System. Or, more rarely these days, some people still use the Dominic System. The key is that when you have to memorize a section number, you can instantly place an association in a Memory Palace. PAO System Example Applied to Law For example, last week I memorized the name of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 and a chapter and section I’m interested in (Chapter Two, Section 18). I used a combination of my aunt Cassie’s computer station in a former home with associations drawn from my PAO System to rapidly commit this information to memory. Later, I can add more relevant details. But for the time being, I have what I call a “Magnetic Bookmark” that helps me cite the act and find the relevant section quickly. Think about what that means if you’re in an exam or a tutorial and someone references the Competition and Consumer Act. Or even just working as a lawyer who cares about your clients. Instead of that sinking feeling where you know you’ve read it but can’t place where, the section number leaps to mind. You cite exactly what the situation requires and move on while everyone else is still flipping through their notes. Active Recall Combined with Physical Notebooks I have been teaching active recall principles since long before I knew there was a scientific name for them. In brief, the core process involves calling information to mind and then writing it down, ideally in a notebook reserved for testing. You do not use rote repetition or cheat by looking at the answers during the process. You only make corrections later and use the data produced by your mistakes to work out how to fix issues in your recall. Training yourself to write down answers from memory is mission critical for passing exams, as is analyzing your answers so you can make any corrections before handing your work in. I’ll be doubling down on this practice substantially. Optimized Flashcards and Zettelkasten Whether it’s for language learning, philosophy or general learning, I’ve used a particular process for taking notes that I’m already employing as I read as much as I can before my first class starts. These processes have been covered before in detail in my posts and podcasts on: Flashcards The Zettelkasten technique I don’t know what, if anything, will change about my approach as I enter law school at my age. But I will keep you posted if anything does. Mind Mapping Essay Assignments Although I sometimes do use mind mapping as a memory technique, I anticipate that I’ll be reserving it in law school for planning any essay assignments I have to submit. That’s because mind mapping is a far greater tool for brainstorming in my practice than it is a memory aid. But you never know. I might find ways to deepen the ways that I’ve combined mind maps with Memory Palaces for language learning that apply to the law. For my existing teaching on mind mapping, check out this playlist of videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkZ2FGJhR5R8eS3kyuOwCTb47O72iyc-j Keeping a Study Log Although creating to-do lists has its place, I’ve found throughout my BA, two MAs and PhD that using course syllabi and a simple calendar is more than enough to keep various deadlines sharp in memory. What’s more useful for me is to diligently track what I’ve read and when. I use a simple spreadsheet for this purpose, along with tabs for keeping various links. Since I’ll need to read a lot of online resources for my first trimester, this habit is especially key and will keep all the links in one central location for easy access. Other Law Memorization Tactics & Strategies Beyond these learning tactics for law memorization, I’m not yet sure what else I’ll need apart from solid places to study and a decent group of fellow students. So far, I’ve been studying at home and am already signed up for a group dedicated to discussing one of the first courses I’ve enroled in. It’s called “LA1101 – Legal Institutions and Processes.” I’ve also signed up as a student member of the Queensland Law Society to receive regular updates. The Benefits of Context & Immersion Although this membership might seem like a distraction, I’m actually tapping into what scientists call context-dependent memory. Although far from bulletproof, this principle shows that we tend to remember more when we regularly dive deep into related topic areas. In other words, if you study history regularly without interrupting yourself with biology, you’ll tend to remember more history with greater ease. As my research on polymathy and autodidacticism shows, some people think that masters of multiple fields are scattered. In fact, most polymaths go deep into just a limited set of fields at a time. And because they spend a lot of time in each lane, they benefit from more context as they learn. More on Why This Mnemonist is Studying Law At Nearly 50 Years Old I mentioned above that I co-authored How to Learn and Memorize Legal Terminology years ago. One reason that happened is simple: Following the success of my first book on memorizing German vocabulary, tons of people reached out to me. Many of them were either law students or had used memory techniques during law school. One of them asked if he could help me produce a book and so I took some of his examples and credited his contributions even though they weren’t that intense. A Very Personal Background Interest But the real reason I was interested in the law actually started many years prior. My nose had been broken and I was required to provide a victim impact statement when the case went to court. Long story short, the defendant’s lawyer told her client that he should plead guilty right away rather than have me testify on the stand. Her client took the advice and after the Crown lawyer representing the Canadian government asked me if I’d ever considered going to law school. When I asked him why, he said that my victim impact statement showed promise in how I’d written it. “Clinical,” was the word he used to describe it. And he said he thought the field could use more people with that kind of descriptive skill. But as someone who prefers to finish what I start, I kept going with my MA in English. And although law school regularly came to mind, I also finished the PhD in Humanities I had my eyes on, along with a second MA in Media & Communications. The Real Estate Detour A few years ago, I decided I was going to develop a physical Memory Palace. Part of this project relates to my ongoing research into Simonides of Ceos. Another part relates to my polymathy research. But above all, I realized that I needed to not only learn a lot about real estate to pull off the project. I also needed to learn about how real estate agents use and abuse the law to avoid traps. So, I completed a real estate license course and encountered a lot of law during that course. It has helped me proceed in many ways, and that’s part of what has kept my mind on the law leading up to starting this new study venture. Enter Peter of Ravenna I’d first heard of Peter of Ravenna when concentration and focus issues from depression drove me towards memory techniques during my PhD. After I started the Magnetic Memory Method project, I would consult his memory training book, The Phoenix from time to time, always thinking that I should do my own edition. But it was only when AI and various internet disruptions started challenging the idea that I’d be able to easily access Ravenna’s book that my “Reborn” series came to mind. I finally did produce my own edition of his book, and it’s been one of my most popular memory training offerings. Undoubtedly, that’s because we have independent confirmation of Ravenna’s memory skill. And although he was famed for his language learning prowess and ability to memorize scripture, it’s his command of the law upon which most of his legend rests. As I continue my studies of ancient memory techniques, I expect I’ll keep revisiting and expanding based on how I’m applying some of Ravenna’s law-specific mnemonics. In fact, there’s one part of his book that I think will apply to remembering sections in law that I’m excited to try very soon. I’m not sure it will change the Magnetic Memory Method approach that I’ll be using, but that’s the most exciting part of being a memory expert who applies these techniques frequently to course work. I’m in the trenches and always taking you with me to learn more about memory techniques together. Frequently Asked Questions About Memorizing the Law I’ve received dozens of questions about memorizing law over the years. I believe all my answers still stand, but also expect I’ll be coming back to this page to update a few things as I get deeper into my own “legal immersion.” For now, here are some direct answers taken directly from my inbox as I’ve helped people over the years. What is the best way to memorize law? There is no one single best way. Rather, a combination of techniques is likely to work best. The reason the Memory Palace technique is universally admired has to do with the power of spatial memory. Locations have long been considered a powerful resource going back thousands of years. Combining the Memory Palace technique with spaced repetition and other active recall-based strategies leads to deeper encoding and recall than using any single technique on its own. How many Memory Palaces do you need for law school? The core Memory Palace system I’ve used involves 26 Memory Palaces, one for each letter of the alphabet. This choice is based around ideas in Aristotle’s On Memory, Ramon Llull’s Memory Wheels and innovations offered by the Renaissance memory master, Giordano Bruno. When you have one Memory Palace per letter of the alphabet, you can run the art of combination, or ars combinatoria. This means that if you have a Latin phrase like Res ipsa loquitur in tort law to memorize, you never have to wonder what Memory Palace to use. In my case, R is my friend Rick’s home because that’s the first letter of his name. I choose it and use him as a core mnemonic association due to the sound and spelling of the Latin term. Since the term means, “the thing speaks for itself,” I imagine Rick engaged in actions that remind me of the sound and meaning of the term. For memorizing section numbers, it’s possible to build a second Memory Palace Network based on a 00-99 PAO System. I’m not yet sure if I will do that, but they are relatively easy to develop if you have developed skills with this kind of mnemonic system. If you have both systems for law, you will have 126 Memory Palaces. That is almost certainly more than enough. Can you use mnemonics for the bar exam? Yes, but make sure you know how to spot issues and actually provide the answers your examiners are expecting. The BARBRI website talks about using memory techniques for the bar in this article. The only thing missing is that they don’t say nearly enough about Memory Palaces. They also focus a lot on visualization, which is not technically necessary when using mnemonics. How long does it take to memorize a legal rule using a Memory Palace? I consider this what I call a “magic number” question. In reality, it’s not possible to know how long absorbing any piece of information is going to take. That’s because information is not equal. However, if you get good at memory techniques, you’ll find that you can get quite fast. And all the faster when you combine the techniques of memory with regularly putting yourself in contexts where you use what you’ve learned. Are flashcards or Memory Palaces better for law school? This question creates a false dichotomy because the answer is both. Also, it’s helpful to understand that a well-created flashcard is not unlike a station in a Memory Palace. If you include a quick sketch that involves three or more colors and use active recall principles to test yourself, you’ll find that you can think back to that card with greater ease. Then, you can reproduce the target information, much like you would revisit a Memory Palace station and reconstruct knowledge through decoding during the learning process. This still doesn’t mean that using one is better than the other. That’s because you can have each flashcard refer to a station in a Memory Palace for even better results. So in summary, I suggest you use both and combine them. Join the Journey Peter of Ravenna documents his memory methods exactly as he used them. I’m excited to do the same. Except this time around, I’ve got more memory science on my side, a camera and a microphone. If you’d like to join this journey and get regular updates, start now by completing my free Memory Palace course: You’ll learn how to create well-formed Memory Palaces and apply them to anything you’re studying. And that includes complex, high-volume material like the law. Before we go, let me recap how years ago, a Crown lawyer told me my writing was “clinical” and suggested I consider law school. At the time, I had an MA to finish. Then a PhD. Then another MA, followed by many other courses, books and an edition of Ravenna’s The Phoenix (Phoenix Reborn). It took me decades to finally get enroled in law school. This page will grow along with my studies, so feel free to bookmark the page and check back in as things develop. The “Warrior of the Mind” as Tony Buzan once called me is finally going to law school. I hope you’ll follow along and apply how I’m using the Magnetic Memory Method to your own learning goals.

Declarative memory is used when consciously recalling information, big or small, usually in a sustained way. It’s also the type of memory you use every time you use memory techniques like the Memory Palace or basic mnemonics. That’s why these mental learning tools can sometimes feel effortful, especially when you’re new to using them. But that’s also why the effort fades with practice. So to give you a small sense of what declarative memory feels like, give this exercise a try: What’s the name of your first friend in school? Can you think about a specific event from the time you spent together? When I do this, my friend Ryan comes to mind. He was the first person to show me an American dollar, something that was unusual to see way up north where we lived in Canada. These facts about what took place, where we were and my personal familiarity with the memory: It all belongs to declarative memory. This is quite different from nondeclarative memory for reasons we’ll discuss on this page, updated for you on May 4, 2026 with more information and an audio podcast. So if you’re ready to take a deep dive into the nature of declarative memory, the role it plays in human experience and how you can enjoy greater success when using memory techniques, I consider knowing terms like this part of the “owner’s manual of the mind and memory.” Let’s get started! What Is Declarative Memory? Declarative memory is another term for explicit memory. It’s also sometimes called conscious memory. Knowing this definition matters a great deal for your memory training because this kind of memory is responsible for every act of encoding, from assigning Memory Palaces to placing vivid associations that make reviewing what you’ve studied using a Memory Palace much easier. William James first defined this type of memory back in 1890 when he wrote: The knowledge of a former state of mind after it has already once dropped from consciousness; or rather it is the knowledge of an event, or fact, of which we have not been thinking, with the additional consciousness that we have thought or experienced it before. Note the nuance here: Declarative memory isn’t necessarily true. Sometimes we confabulate certain facts, which means that memories can get distorted. Dr. Gary Small has discussed our memory as a kind of neighborhood in which parts of our memories travel from house to house, getting changed each and every time they travel. Nonetheless, declarative memory is the conscious awareness of knowledge that something in the past happened to you. And more often than not, our declarative memories are accurate enough. The Science of Declarative Memory Scientists use the term encoding to describe how memories form in the first place. A declarative memory is better when the encoding is elaborate and deep. But all too often, our encoding is limited and superficial, which is why I have shared these elaborative encoding exercises with you. In the absence of such exercises, a lot of the depth of encoding comes down to focused attention. If you’re not interested in something, you’re more likely to encode in a shallow way. But when we’re interested in topics and having fun, encoding at a deep level tends to happen very quickly. The Role of Declarative Memory Over Time Once encoding has been accomplished, declarative memories must be stored for future access in long-term memory. Once the encoding and storage stages are complete, scientists call the result an engram. This term literally refers to the sum total of all the changes in the brain from the moment of perception to the ushering of the information into storage. Engrams are distributed across the brain. Different brain regions seem to be specialized for particular kinds of storage to help with particular kinds of information retrieval. Take chess openings, for example. William Chase and Herbert Simon asked chess players of varying levels of skill to analyze a chessboard featuring between 26-32 chess pieces arranged in actual configurations you might see in a game. They found that Grandmasters vastly outperformed the analytical tasks they were given when looking at actual games. However, when the scientists repeated the experiment with the pieces distributed randomly on the board, Grandmasters did no better than anyone else at recalling details of the chessboard. This is because the trained regions of their brains could not help them in this new context. For this reason, when you wish to improve your working memory,  it’s important to note that playing games might build you skills within the game environments. But those skills might not transfer much, and possibly not at all. Declarative Memory Examples Remember how I gave a declarative memory definition above by saying that it’s the conscious recall of memories in a sustained way? This means that accessing the memory takes place over time, often substantial amounts of time. Here are some examples: One: Where You Were When Something Happened I was in a cafeteria at York University when a friend called. He said, “Find a TV!” “What’s going on?” I asked, but all he could do was repeat himself. That was the morning of September 11, 2001. And when I finally found a television, I was just in time to see the second tower struck during the September 11 attacks. In this sustained example of flashbulb memory, I’m drawing upon semantic facts and episodic memory. It’s an autobiographical memory too, and the common denominator amongst all of them is that I am consciously aware that all of the material is memory. This way of looking at declarative memory matters for your memory training because flashbulb memories show you what deep encoding looks like when you experience it naturally. That’s why mnemonist David Berglas refers to it in his excellent book, A Question of Memory, when he discusses “the Kennedy Effect.” His suggestion is that whenever you memorize something, you try to make the associations you use as striking as what happened to JFK. But you’re generating this kind of association between what you want to memorize and episodes of such historical impact not for entertainment. You’re doing it with a depth of purpose tailored towards creating recall. Using that level of emotional intensity is tremendously helpful for ensuring the precious information you want to remember sticks. Two: Trivia Who doesn’t love to play from home during an episode of Jeopardy? As the answers appear on the screen, you get a great brain workout trying to arrive at the answer in the form of question. This is all declarative memory due to your conscious engagement in the process. You’re not just passively trying to arrive at the answer. You’re actively searching your memory and trying to do so fast enough to beat the clock. Now, this is not necessarily the same thing as sharing details about your favorite author, composer or artist during a conversation. Usually, there’s no pressure in such contexts. How they do relate is that we usually don’t memorize such facts deliberately. Such facts enter your memory implicitly, a kind of memory we’ll talk about a little bit further on. If you do want to deliberately memorize information for trivia night at the pub, however, here’s a tutorial on how to do it. Three: Locations And Directions Locations are related to trivia in some contexts. But more broadly, if someone asks you for directions, you’ll be drawing on your declarative memory to explain how a person can find the desire target. This process will take place even if you have aphantasia, which is the lack of a mind’s eye. People with this condition can both give and follow directions. That said, as science journalist Christopher Kemp has shown in Dark & Magical Places, not everyone has the same navigation abilities. It’s not entirely clear if the issues he outlines come down to declarative memory, but something called place cells are involved in navigational accuracy. Assuming you don’t have navigation issues like Kemp has reported, locations you know give your declarative memory rich and reliable options to work with for memorizing information. Four: Critical Thinking Anytime you turn on your thinking engines, you’ll be drawing upon declarative memory. General reasoning draws upon facts, as does specific, objective reasoning. And whenever you’ve got your inner Sherlock running to deduce or induce conclusions, you’ll probably also be drawing upon facts you already know. This is why memory training does far more than help you pass exams or recall names. The quality of your thinking depends on the quality of what you can retrieve, how accurately and how quickly. In other words, you can only reason using accessible facts. If your encoding is shallow when trying to memorize information, those facts won’t be there when you need them. To help you better understand this, think about the last time you tried to form an opinion during a discussion about something complicated. Your brain needed to pull together things you’d read, heard and experienced, all while weighing one piece of evidence against the other. All of this activity drew upon your declarative memory and the quality of how it fed your reasoning was based on how much material your brain could access. This is why I often say, “the more you learn the more you can learn.” You’re able to use the element of thinking and reasoning while using memory techniques, as described by the great memory teachers Peter of Ravenna, Jacobus Publicius and Giordano Bruno. What's the Difference Between Declarative and Nondeclarative Memory? In brief, it comes down to your conscious intention to recall information. Whereas with implicit memory (also known as nondeclarative memory you’re not conscious of either learning or recalling, declarative memory involves awareness. Larry R. Squire highlights another key difference in the Journal of Neuroscience. Your declarative memory can dictate how you describe your behavior in response to stimuli. As he explains it: An aversive childhood event such as being knocked down by a large dog might lead to a stable declarative memory for the event itself as well as a long-lasting fear of dogs (a nondeclarative memory) that is experienced as a personality trait rather than as a memory. In other words, our self-perception of early experiences guides how we describe their influence on their lives. But the influence itself comes from an early, nondeclarative memory experience. Procedural memory can also play a role, such as constantly acting out a learned helplessness around dogs. Why This Distinction Matters for Your Memory Training Since most people read the Magnetic Memory Method blog or listen to my podcast to improve their memory, it will be helpful for you to understand how declarative memory is involved in using most of the techniques I share in my mnemonics dictionary and Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass. Think about the last time you used a Memory Palace. (Or if the technique is new to you, check out my complete guide to using the Memory Palace technique). When you select a station in a Memory Palace, you consciously choose it. Then, when placing a mnemonic association, you use mnemonic techniques to generate and elaborate it. Every step requires your complete attention. And that’s an example of declarative memory doing the heavy lifting. If it feels slow or awkward, that’s not because memory techniques don’t work. It’s just a lack of training and practice in using them. Why Practice Will Always Remain Essential When you use memory techniques frequently enough, you will eventually need to spend less conscious effort bringing Memory Palace stations to mind. And the more familiarity you have with mnemonic tools like Memory Wheels, the Major System and a PAO System, your use of the techniques will happen faster. Later, when you practice retrieval through spaced repetition, your memory will serve you the target information at a faster rate. It might never feel completely effortless. But as procedural memory grows, using memory techniques will feel like riding a bike. You do have to rotate the pedals, but you don’t have to think about all the various operations that go into operating the bike and navigating it to reach a destination. The more you use Memory Palaces while generating and placing associations, the more it will be just like riding a bike with a feeling of automaticity. Mnemonic Encoding is Always Declarative Every time I create a new association, whether for memorizing something in Latin, my new law school project, Sanskrit, Chinese or the poetry I memorize, I have to consciously draw upon parts of the mind that involve declarative memory. And if you’re a medical student memorizing the cranial nerves, you can certainly use rote repetition. But that requires a lot of effort compared to using a Memory Palace paired with vivid associations. That’s because when you revise the information you’ve placed, you’ll be drawing upon those associations, many of which will involve episodic and autobiographical memories. You’re exercising multiple levels, strengthening the memory from a number of angles. Then, when you sit for an exam and face a question about the facial nerve, retrieval will have become procedural. And that will free up your mind to think about clinical applications rather than burning up cognitive resources just trying to remember basic anatomical names and facts. So the next time your encoding feels clunky and taking too much deliberate effort, don’t worry. Part of what’s happening is just an effect of how memory works. You’re actually drawing upon your declarative memory and it is doing its job relative to your study and practice of memory techniques. Chances are, you’ve just come across information that you’ve never tried to encode before and need a bit more time to think it through. Keep studying memory techniques and you’ll get better and faster overall. And when the gears grind to a halt, you’ll know that you just have to keep moving. That’s what I’ve always done and it has helped me memorize far more than I ever thought possible. How To Avoid The Corruption Of Your Declarative Memory As you’ve discovered, this aspect of your memory is not bullet proof. You can consciously feel that a memory is 100% accurate, but wind up recalling things that are either exaggerated or simply not true. Fortunately, there are ways to fend this off from happening. For one thing, you can see a lot of improvement simply by focusing on improving your sleep. You can also use memory techniques. There are countless studies showing just how strong these methods are for improving your ability to recall information accurately. Mnemonology is one particularly good and scholarly book that makes these studies accessible to anyone. Other options involve studying music, learning languages or learning to give speeches. You can also focus on preserving your non-declarative memory as an indirect approach. If you’d like help in any of these areas, I suggest you start with my FREE Memory Improvement Kit: It will help you commit anything you wish to memory. And give your declarative memory a great workout too. So what do you say? Do you now understand this critical aspect of your memory? Get out there and “declare” that you are a master of memory and put it to good use. It’s a powerful asset!

At a time when the world is facing an energy crisis, solar power grew by 30 percent in 2025, with China leading the charge in harnessing the power of the sun. And yet, Canada has fallen behind other G7 nations when it comes to renewable energy from solar and wind. We speak with Nicolas Fulghum, senior data analyst with the international energy research agency, Ember, about that group's latest report, and Mark Winfield, professor of Environmental and Urban Change, and co-chair of the Sustainable Energy Initiative at York University, about what has held Canada back, and the potential of renewable energy.

Doug Beube is a mixed-media artist working across numerous disciplines, including bookwork, collage, installation, sculpture, and photography. He holds a BFA from York University in Toronto, ON, and an MFA from the Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester, NY. He lectures and exhibits internationally and is the subject of the monograph Doug Beube: Breaking the Codex (2011). Beube received a Pollock-Krasner Fellowship in 2016 and served as curator of the Allan Chasanoff Bookwork Collection from 1993 to 2014, culminating in an exhibition at the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, CT. His work has been exhibited internationally – in China, New Zealand, and across Europe – and he exhibits regularly throughout the United States. A solo retrospective of his artwork, curated by Buzz Spector, will open in April 2027 at Koffler Arts in Toronto. Doug has lived in Brooklyn, NY, since 1985.

Rhys and Jesse dig into the bizarre true story of Toronto's 2015 “mystery tunnel” near York University. What started as a three‑metre‑deep, hand‑dug hideout with plywood supports, a generator, rosary beads, and a poppy quickly spiraled into global speculation: terrorist bunker for the Pan Am Games? Gang weapons cache? Something far worse?For premium content, socials, merch, to leave a voicemail or message us go to canadaisboring.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’ve received tons of questions by email about how to memorize grammar, including: When to start studying grammar How to use Memory Palaces for grammar rules What about all the complexities of gender, tense and number? These are good questions and present one of the most challenging aspects of learning another language. That said… There’s a time and place for memorizing grammar amongst other activities that will provide many of us much faster gains along the road to fluency. On this page, I’ll share some of my best tips as someone who studied languages as part of earning my PhD at York University. Later, I gave lectures in German as part of my work at the University of Saarland. Sometimes I used memory techniques to help me understand various grammatical principles. Other times, I used different strategies. Sometimes I used no strategies at all. This statement might surprise you. So as we go through today’s tips, please keep this point in mind: When you can memorize individual words, you can memorize phrases. When you can memorize phrases, you can observe how grammar works within your mind. I mention this point because when you start memorizing how the language is used rather than what rules govern its use, grammar can stop being such a huge barrier. And language learning overall can become a lot more fun. So, if you’re ready to learn how to memorize grammar, let’s dive in! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPM-gNX4AAM How to Memorize Grammar: 7 Powerful Strategies The following strategies have no particular order of importance. Think of them as a grab-bag of possible approaches. It’s worth considering each and every one. But you don’t have to use them all. Frankly, I found some of them tedious when studying various languages. Nonetheless, I’ve included them because different people have different needs and learning styles. Not only that, but it’s hard to track certain outcomes. Sometimes you get more benefits out of techniques you don’t like than you might realize. That’s why it’s important to experiment widely and let variety expand your horizons, especially when tackling a tough learning goal like mastering grammar. One: Limit Yourself To Grammar Basics As Much As Possible Unless you want to become a grammarian, you don’t have to know much grammar at all to learn a new language. Prepare yourself, especially if you’re someone who is convinced that you have to master grammar rules to achieve fluency. In this study, scientists found that young children were better at learning nouns and verbs before they learned to read. As the researchers speculate, one reason for this effect is that children simply don’t overthink it. But thinking is precisely what looking at grammar in books causes us to do. This is the reason behind why so many polyglots recommend that you simply limit how much grammar you study. It’s largely a distraction from the activities much more likely to help you become bilingual. Now, of course, you came here to learn grammar better. And I won’t disappoint. I just want to make sure that you understand that in certain circumstances, it’s actually not all that recommendable. Two: Apply Mnemonic Devices To Grammar Rules When I started accelerating my path to learning Latin again after a long break, I was instantly reminded that you have to know grammar with this particular language if you’re going to learn it alone. That’s because there are a lot of cases, declensions and conjugations, amongst other features. Unless you are able to read, write, speak and listen to a language frequently, you will need to not only memorize the names of these rules. You’ll have to learn how to apply them. For this goal, I recommend learning to use a Memory Palace for language learning. Here’s an example of how I always start this process with a simple drawing: I know that it can be hard to make out what’s going on here, so let me explain. The square represents a Memory Palace based on my friend Mike’s home. Along the left side you have the cases nominative, genitive and dative. On the right wall, accusative, ablative and vocative. Each of the sketches helps me remember those rules. The man with the guitar for accusative is the guitarist in AC/DC, for example. That reminds me of the name of this case. Sega is shorthand for Sega Genesis to remind me of the genitive case. There’s a chess piece in the middle for the Latin word “magnus” (large). Using the walls of Mike’s house, I learned the declension for this word by following a journey using the method of loci. There are many other memory techniques you can learn about. The process you’ve just discovered is my favorite way to memorize grammar rules. Three: Use Spaced Repetition As much as I wish the Memory Palace technique was a one-time strategy, the real reason to use it involves optimizing spaced repetition. Basically, this term describes a finding from memory science that helps you determine how many repetitions you need to learn something. When combined with mnemonics, spaced repetition can help you skip rote learning. Other ways to use spaced repetition without Memory Palaces exist. These include: Flashcards Anki Zettelkasten Leitner Boxes I’ve used each of these approaches. They’re all powerful. Four: Diagram Sentences Although visualizing sentences using diagrams has fallen out of favor, and at least one dissertation failed to find that it helped seventh graders, some teachers are not happy that the technique has disappeared. Dawn Burnette acknowledges, for example, that diagramming sentences is not for every learner. But as the board-certified teacher behind English Writing Teacher has argued, its removal largely comes from the introduction of computers into the classroom. Personally, I learn a lot by drawing out things that I don’t understand. It’s one of my go-to reading comprehension strategies. To try it for yourself: Write out a sentence you’re learning. Identify each part of speech by labeling it using arrows or lines (kind of like mind mapping). Study the relationships between subjects, predicates and modifiers, etc. Practice recognizing patterns as you work with more sentences over time. Visualize your diagram later while you’re resting, literally reconstructing it in your mind. When it comes to prefixes and suffixes, you can also diagram these in a different sense by understanding their general meaning. This video gets deeper into how you can do that combined with the Memory Palace technique: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWz80vWvMU4 Five: Complete Grammar Games & Puzzles Here’s one of the activities that I don’t like very much. However, this study found that students who experienced games as part of language acquisition performed better. More generally, in this study puzzles were found to help dental students learn as well. I completed a lot of crossword puzzles when learning German in a Berlin school. Even though I didn’t enjoy this particular learning activity, I’m sure the research is right and that it helped me. If nothing else, the variety on its own helps expand exposure to the core information from a different angle. Six: Memorize Passages & Write Them From Memory In every language I’ve tackled, I have taken time to learn at least a few songs by heart. This simple activity teaches you a great deal about how sentences work, while giving you an opportunity to memorize new vocabulary. After memorizing the lyrics, I always combine writing them out with singing them from memory. This combination of engagement with the song gives me multiple levels of exercise by engaging the levels of processing effect. Want an example? Here’s me practicing the Mandarin song I performed at my wedding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCyPV6qfKkI Although memorizing passages may not give you the names of various grammar principles, you’ll start using them. And as you reflect on what you now know about the language, this meta-level thinking teaches you the grammar through observation. In the case of the song in the video above, I learned a lot about possession purely through the observation enabled by memorization. Seven: Immerse Yourself In The Language At the end of the day, there is no substitute for combining what I call “the Big Five of Language Learning.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR15aAXv-F0 As we know from studies in interleaving, simply by rotating through a small set of activities, you will remember more. In this case, the Big Five involves: Reading Writing Speaking Listening Memorizing All you need to do is get ample doses of each. And as many memory champs who learn languages have shared, it really helps to study in short blasts. I’ve done this personally to learn German phrases, master enough Mandarin to enjoy small talk at my wedding and gain skills in Sanskrit. You can too, and making strides in any language won’t take you nearly as long as you might think. You Can Memorize Grammar Rules Quickly As daunting as grammar can be, you now have options that will make learning it much easier. The best part is that every activity and approach we’ve discussed today is also fun. If you’d like more help with the Memory Palace part of the puzzle, feel free to get my free course: It gives you four video lessons and three worksheets. Complete them, apply the techniques to grammar and before you know it, you’ll know grammar better. And that way, you’ll avoid common grammar mistakes when writing and speaking. You might even be able to identify a few of them when reading and listening too. Native speakers make grammar mistakes too, after all. One more reason to go easy on yourself as you’re learning to master this area of human knowledge. In many cases, it’s much closer to art than science.

Dr. George Sawa is an internationally recognized musicologist, performer, and educator specializing in Arabic music history, theory, and performance. Born in Alexandria, Egypt, he brings over 50 years of experience, with training from the Higher Institute of Arabic Music and a PhD in historical Arabic musicology from the University of Toronto. He has taught at the University of Toronto and York University, and lectured and performed worldwide. A prolific author on medieval and modern Arabic music, his work bridges historical research with contemporary practice and has become an important resource for the dance community. He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture for his contributions to Arabic music research.In this episode you will learn about:- How translating 11th-century Arabic music dictionaries reveals detailed insights into dancers, musicians, and aesthetics of that time- Why even medieval musicians warned dancers about tricky drummers—and the importance of knowing the music- The reality of fusion in history—and why some combinations worked while others failed- How European influence shaped Egyptian music and led to the rise of large orchestras- Why modern dancers struggle to interpret older music—and what is required to truly dance to itShow Notes to this episode:Find Dr George Sawa on YouTube, FB, and website with the info about his publications.Previous interview with Dr George Sawa:Ep 75. George Sawa: Digging Deep Into the History of Egyptian MusicDetails the BDE shows and training programs are available at www.JoinBDE.comFollow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Fewer people are having sex, fewer are forming lasting relationships, and many feel more isolated than ever. Why? Michael Shermer sits down with neuroscientist and author Debra Soh to discuss her new book Sextinction: The Decline of Sex and the Future of Intimacy. They talk about the so-called sex recession, why modern dating feels so broken, and how social media, pornography, AI companions, and changing expectations between men and women are reshaping intimacy. The discussion also touches on Gen Z mental health, dating apps, the manosphere, marriage, and the broader social consequences of a culture that increasingly substitutes screens for real human connection. Debra Soh is a neuroscientist who specializes in human sexuality and biological explanations for behavior. She received her PhD from York University in Toronto and worked as a scientific researcher for eleven years. As a journalist, Soh writes about technology, health, and the politicization of science.

Wes Huff is a Canadian Christian apologist, theologian, and public speaker specializing in the reliability of ancient biblical manuscripts and the defense of the Christian worldview. Born in Multan, Pakistan, to missionary parents, he spent his early childhood in the Middle East before returning to Canada, growing up in a diverse environment exposed to various worldviews. At age 11, Huff was diagnosed with acute transverse myelitis, a rare neurological condition that paralyzed him from the waist down for about a month, followed by a full recovery that doctors described as medically inexplicable. An aspiring athlete and former student participant in track and field, he is married to Melissa and father to four children. Huff holds a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from York University, a Master of Theological Studies from Tyndale University, and is currently pursuing a PhD in New Testament studies at the University of Toronto's Wycliffe College, with a primary focus on the history of ancient biblical manuscripts, textual transmission, and the development of the biblical canon. As Vice President for Apologetics Canada, Huff speaks regularly at churches, universities, conferences, and interfaith events across North America, addressing topics such as the historical reliability of the New Testament, the formation of the biblical canon, and responses to skeptical objections. Huff also runs an active YouTube channel under his own name, producing debates, lectures, and short videos on apologetics and biblical history, which has grown rapidly to approach hundreds of thousands of subscribers. Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: If you're serious about selling to the Department of War, go to https://SBIRAdvisors.com and mention Shawn Ryan for your first month free. Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @shop.mando and get 20% off + free shipping with promo code SRS at shopmando.com! #mandopod Go to https://calderalab.com/SRS. Use code SRS for 20% off your first order. Ready to upgrade your eyewear? Check them out at https://roka.com and use code SRS for 20% off sitewide. Wes Huff Links: YT - https://www.youtube.com/@WesHuff IG - https://www.instagram.com/wesley_huff WEB - https://www.wesleyhuff.com APC - https://apologeticscanada.com In March Wes will be giving a Can I Trust The Bible tour at The Museum of the Bible, go to https://www.museumofthebible.org and use code SHAWN25 for a special discount. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices