Podcasts about York University

Senthu Velnayagam (@senthuvelnayagam) is a Canadian entrepreneur, investor and growth strategist who has built his career around scaling companies through execution, operational excellence and sustainable growth.Senthu is the co-founder and CEO of Kimp, one of the pioneers in the subscription-based creative services space. He is also the Managing Partner of Scale Shift Ventures, a venture studio focused on acquiring, building and scaling companies across proptech, AI, SaaS and automation.He joins Ara on this episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss leaving York University to pursue entrepreneurship, why he favours bootstrapping over outside funding, building Kimp's subscription-based business model, investing in founders through Scale Shift Ventures, deciding when to hold or exit a company, evolving from an operator to an architect and why he believes formal education may become less valuable in the future.If you have ever wondered what it takes to build profitable, durable businesses without following the traditional startup playbook, this episode is for you.Follow Senthu:- Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/senthuvelnayagam/)    Timestamps00:19 — Ara introduces this week's guest, Senthu Velnayagam01:40 — Senthu speaks on his early years; born in Jaffna and moved to Canada at 1603:15 — His first few years of entrepreneurship; dropping out of York and building at 1807:20 — Why does Senthu favour bootstrapping?10:44 — From graphic designing and marketing (2003-2017/2018) to co-founding Kimp12:00 — Starting Buy.ca in 2024 with a cashback model13:35 — How does the model work?16:10 — Kimp; the pros and cons of the subscription-based creative service19:10 — Navigating resistance with customers20:50 — Scale Shift Ventures; why he started it, how it operates, and what's worked best25:20 — Writing cheques for founders despite not knowing what they were building25:54 — How Senthu determines when to hold companies versus exit27:36 — From operator to architect; how he stays in touch while thinking high-level31:26 — How he sources business deals31:58 — Going against the grain of the traditional Tamil mindset33:29 — What Senthu would do in the first 90 days if he had to start over from scratch34:39 — Building, investing in, and acquiring; what creates the most wealth?35:29 — Advice he would give his 16-year-old self35:56 — How Senthu wants to be remembered by friends and family36:27 — Thoughts around AI; how he uses it and how it jobs/industries40:34 — Creator Confessions44:19 — The Wrap UpIntro MusicProduced And Mixed By:- The Tamil Creator- YanchanWritten By:- Aravinthan Ehamparam- Yanchan Rajmohan    Support the show

I'm looking at the current breakdown in the Canada–U.S. relationship — tariffs, trust, and everything in between — through the lens of my own career, and what it means for Canadian leadership at a moment of real convergence between politics, economics, and the future of work. For 16.5 years I worked for the American division of a Canadian company, hired under the premise that I could "pass" as American, complete with a Buffalo mailing address and rehearsed small talk about Buffalo traffic and snow. I unpack why I started trying to move out of that role in 2016, what the return of medical-bankruptcy calls after the rollback of Obamacare had to do with it, and why translating "American experience" back into the Canadian job market turned out to be far harder than I expected — even though I'd never actually left the country. From there, I widen the lens to what Canada's growing independence from the U.S. means for how we tell our own leadership stories, what a Canadian podcasting summit taught me about self-trust and sovereignty, and why I think the trending shift ahead calls for foresight and reinvention over stability — with or without AI's help. In This Episode: Why I was hired to help my employer's American clients believe I was American — and what 16.5 years of that actually required The three subjects I never discussed with American clients (gun control, healthcare, employment law/maternity leave) — and why What the return of "medical bankruptcy" calls after Obamacare's rollback in 2016 had to do with my decision to leave Why it took me three years to move internally from the U.S. division to the Canadian division of my own company — and why my American experience didn't translate the way I expected in the Canadian job market How I ended up in sales as the only story the Canadian market would accept, and what I learned instead Getting laid off, and starting my own company Attending a Canadian podcasting summit organized by Jan Ditchfield — and how one session on podcast SEO moved my show 85,000 spots in the global rankings Why "top 10% of global podcasts" sounds more impressive than it is (and what the real math looks like) Trust, self-trust, and sovereignty: how Canadians undervalue our own credentials on the world stage — the York University vs. NYU conversation, and what it says about institutional prestige What Canada's uneven track record on recognizing immigrant experience has in common with my own experience of "not having Canadian experience" despite never leaving Canada Why I think AI is fundamentally backward-looking and limited as a tool for foresight and futurism — and why I've pulled back from using it for writing My next project: a Living Lab series on what a less U.S.-dependent Canada means for the future of work, Canadian leadership, and the convergence of employees, freelancers, and consultants on the same teams Closing thought: Canadians think about the U.S. far more than the U.S. thinks about Canada — and what that means for where our trust and attention should go next Notable Quote: "I'm full of cake and hope." — Nigella Lawson (I'm borrowing this line from the Great British Bake Off as the spirit I want for this conversation — hopeful, positive, full of possibility.) Mentioned in This Episode: Jan Ditchfield's podcast, Small Town Stories — janditchfield.co/small-town-stories Jan Ditchfield — janditchfield.co | Podcast The Canadian podcast summit Jan organized — janditchfield.co/summit Amanda Cupido's podcast, launched in Keswick — Listen on Spotify My AI Living Lab series — Listen on Spotify Connect with Me:

In this episode of Scripture Untangled, Joanna la Fleur sits down with three Canadian young adults, Mikayla Nembhard, Quinten Shannon and Juanita Castro, for an honest conversation about faith, doubt and the questions young people are asking about the Bible. They also take us behind the scenes of creating God's Book: The Series by Andrew Ollerton. What if questioning the Bible isn't a sign that you're losing your faith, but an invitation to go deeper? In this episode, you'll hear from the three hosts of God's Book: The Series: Introduction to Mikayla Nembhard, Quinten Shannon and Juanita Castro and God's Book: The Series. Quinten shares how COVID, apologetics and studying the Bible turned inherited Christianity into a personal faith. Mikayla opens up about questioning her childhood faith and discovering that God wasn't afraid of her doubts. Juanita shares her journey from Colombia to Canada, wrestling with faith and discovering Christian community. Whether you're a lifelong Christian, a new believer, or simply curious about the Bible, this conversation is an invitation to bring your questions, wrestle honestly and discover that God is not afraid of your doubts. Read the transcript: biblesociety.ca/transcript-scripture-untangled-s14-ep4 =====Juanita Castro is a Colombian-born creative based in Toronto. With a background in advertising and photography, she works in social media content and strategy at Alpha Canada. Outside of work, she loves bringing ideas to life through visual storytelling, especially her camera.  Quinten Shannon is from Ancaster, Ontario, and has a background in biblical studies, theology, and nonprofit management. He works with Samaritan's Purse and Operation Christmas Child and serves as an editorial assistant with CBOQ. In his free time, he enjoys hiking with his fiancée and playing guitar.  Mikayla Nembhard is a television producer, speaker, and podcaster based in the Greater Toronto Area. A graduate of York University's Glendon Campus, she works across television, media, and digital storytelling. Outside of work, she loves filmmaking, science fiction, and all things Doctor Who. Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.caHelp people hear God speak: biblesociety.ca/donateConnect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesocietyThe Bible Course: biblecourse.ca

Larry Ostola speaks with William Jenkins about his book Canada and the Great Irish Famine. In the summer of 1847, over four hundred ships arrived in the Gulf of St Lawrence, carrying Irish men, women, and children who were fleeing the starvation and misery of the Great Potato Famine. Tens of thousands of famine refugees rebuilt their lives in different parts of Canada, in places urban and rural, Anglophone and Francophone. Though still a young province within the British Empire, Canada would be marked permanently and in significant ways by this mass migration. Canada and the Great Irish Famine examines how people confronted, experienced, and remembered the famine migration. Essays consider the transatlantic voyage; the collection of donations and organization of aid; the challenges encountered by the cities of Quebec, Saint John, Montreal, Toronto, Kingston, and Hamilton and their public debates over the impact of so many new arrivals; the accompanying problems of disease, destitution, mental illness, death and burial; the stories of orphaned children; and expressions of famine memory. The worst demographic catastrophe in nineteenth-century Europe inspired generations of political writings, artistic and literary endeavours, and commemorative practices, and it was woven into narratives of Irish nationalism and the founding of Canada. Canada and the Great Irish Famine provides a new perspective on the social outcomes of Ireland's famine migration as well as on the resilience and adaptability of the receiving communities and the migrants themselves. William Jenkins is associate professor of history at York University and the current president of the Canadian Association for Irish Studies. He is the author of Between Raid and Rebellion: The Irish in Buffalo and Toronto, 1867–1916. If you like our work, please consider supporting it: bit.ly/support_WTY. Your support contributes to the Champlain Society's mission of opening new windows to directly explore and experience Canada's past. Image Credit: McGill Queens University Press

Madi Miller, president of York University's Student Government Association, gives us an insight on how she balances her busy life.

Augusto Pinochet became Chile's leader after a bloody, U.S.-supported coup killed socialist president Salvador Allende in 1973. He defended the coup. But as he attempted to control the narrative, stories of violence were already casting a shadow over his new regime. We continue our series on authoritarianism exploring Pinochet's popularity with centre-right Western leaders, the referendum that removed him from power, and the story of his eventual arrest and trial.Listen to other episodes in this series:How to Defeat Authoritarianism | Benito Mussolini's ItalyHow to Defeat Authoritarianism | Idi Amin's UgandaHow to Defeat Authoritarianism | Bashar al-Assad's SyriaGuests on this podcast:Carolina Echeverría is a Chilean-Canadian artist, author and cultural mediator whose work explores memory, migration and belonging.Teresa Macías is a professor in the school of social work at York University. Her expertise is on the enduring legacies of human rights violations from the Pinochet dictatorship.Kevin Coleman is an associate professor of history at the University of Toronto.

Paul Delaney, physics and astronomy professor emeritus at York University

In this episode of Rising Voices of Fundraising: The AFP Emerging Leaders Podcast, we sit down with Amanda Fritz, CFRE, MPNL and Muneeb Syed, CFRE, the first-ever co-chairs of the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy – Canada. Amanda and Muneeb reflect on stepping into a role with no precedent, from building their own playbook to navigating moments of self-doubt along the way. They share candid lessons on collaboration — knowing when to lead versus step back, communicating through disagreement, and what a true peer partnership can teach that traditional mentorship can't.   Guests: Muneeb Syed, CFRE: Muneeb has been serving on the board of AFP Foundation for Philanthropy – Canada since 2021 and currently he Co-Chairs the board with Amanda Fritz. His educational background is in Marketing, Public Policy, and Management, and he attained his CFRE designation in 2015. Muneeb was also among the inaugural cohort of AFP Foundation for Philanthropy – Canada's Inclusion and Philanthropy Fellowship program. Muneeb has over seventeen years of progressive experience in front-line and leadership positions. After starting his career in fundraising for the international development sector with UNICEF Canada, Muneeb transitioned into advancement for the post-secondary education sector with Toronto Metropolitan University and, his alma mater, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies at York University. He joined the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies as their Advancement lead in 2022 to provide leadership and advice on adapting advancement best practices for open-enrollment, lifelong learning, and workforce development-related upskilling programs. Under his leadership, the division recently secured their largest gift of $1.88M, which is also the second-largest gift ever received by a Canadian university for an upskilling program. As a part of University of Toronto's Defy Gravity campaign, Muneeb is currently leading one of the largest fundraising and community engagement efforts for continuing education programs on behalf of his division and the University of Toronto in Canadian history.   Amanda Fritz, CFRE, MPNL: Amanda Fritz is a fundraising matchmaker! Her passion is to connect philanthropically-minded people with the high-impact projects and ideas that will truly make a difference in the world. Amanda was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec and completed degrees in Psychology and Public Relations at McGill University. In 2013 she earned her Certified Fund Raising Executive accreditation (CFRE), becoming one of the youngest CFRE professionals in Quebec. In 2020, Amanda obtained her Masters in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership from Carleton University.  Amanda's 17-year career in the non-profit sector spans education, health, and community. She is passionate about leveraging data and modernizing the way our field's professionals approach major giving, capital campaigns, and volunteer management. In her current role as Director of Major Giving and Campaign Tracking for CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation, Amanda works with organizational leadership and top volunteers to put in place the strategies and tools needed to secure $500M in new philanthropic investments for the institution – the most ambitious campaign ever undertaken by a healthcare institution in Quebec. In addition to her role as Co-Chair of the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy - Canada, Amanda proudly serves on the Board of Directors of Champions for Life and Como Golf Club. In 2018, the Governor General awarded Amanda the Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers for her service to youth education.  Hosts:  Jarrod Williams, MBLI, CFRE, is a courageous, strategic, and results-oriented fundraising leader with over a decade of experience driving revenue growth, donor engagement, and organizational visibility. He is committed to building cultures of philanthropy within mission-driven organizations and brings a proven track record across major gifts, annual giving, corporate sponsorships, event strategy, and data-informed decision-making within both arts and social justice and organizations. He serves as a Client Experience Leader for Veritus Group, where he educates and coaches fundraisers across the country on innovative mid-level and major gift strategies. In this role, he partners with organizations nationwide to strengthen donor pipelines, elevate fundraising performance, and build sustainable revenue models. Jarrod has been recognized for his leadership and influence and remains actively engaged in advancing the fundraising profession. He serves on the AFP Global Emerging Leaders Committee and the AFP LEAD Education Committee, supporting the development of the next generation of fundraising professionals. In 2020, he was named a Top 30 Under 30 Young Professional by 101.1 The Wiz in Cincinnati. He is also a graduate of the Urban Leaders Institute through the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio, where he earned the Best-in-Class Award for Best Connector—recognizing his ability to build meaningful relationships and mobilize others around a shared vision. He is a proud Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) and a graduate of the AFP Global Faculty Training Academy. Jarrod holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from Wright State University and a master's degree in Business Leadership and Innovation from Northern Kentucky University. Dr. Allison Quintanilla Plattsmier, CFRE, ACNP, GPC, CAP, Founder & CEO, AQP Consulting & Executive Director, ENP: Dr. Allison Quintanilla Plattsmier has fourteen years of experience in the nonprofit sector and has collectively raised approximately $5 million for over 75 organizations. She serves as Executive Director of ENP and runs her own nonprofit consulting firm, AQP Consulting, where she helps grassroots nonprofits with fundraising strategy, strategic planning, board development, and grant writing.  Allison is a vocal advocate for gender parity, closing the wage gap, and ending the motherhood penalty. With accolades such as AFP's Outstanding Young Fundraising Professional, NBJ's 40 Under 40, NBJ's Women of Influence, a National Latino Leader, and the Women Who Rock Nashville Social Justice Award, Dr. Quintanilla Plattsmier strives to serve and better her community every day. A dedicated AFP member for the last seven years, Allison currently chairs the Women's Impact Initiative (WII) Mentorship Program and serves on the LEAD Education Advisory Committee. When she is not out serving her community, she is spending time with her three kids, Quintan, Karina, and Kamren.

In the season 11 premiere of the Courage My Friends podcast series, we are pleased to welcome environmentalist, feminist, peace activist and Senior Researcher with Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, Tamara Lorincz and climate policy researcher and advocate with Greenpeace Canada, Keith Stewart.  As we head into the Global Week of Action for Peace and Climate Justice, we discuss Canada's accelerating shift toward a militarized economy, what this looks like and how this is not only failing to address our true security needs, but is coming at considerable cost to our sovereignty, people and planet On claims that militarization is about protecting our sovereignty, Lorincz says: "Since Canada became a member of NATO in 1949, our military has become deeply integrated into the US military. We actually have no sovereignty over our military policy because .. it's dominated and influenced by Washington. And we also really have no sovereignty over our budget because of this demand that we reach a 5% target… already 70% of our military procurement dollars are buying American weapons systems. So Americans control our weapons. Americans really control our military. Canadians should really see ourselves as basically a troop of the US military… It's really Washington, DC that is influencing this massive militarization, increase of military spending in Canada. ..And so this is what our women's groups have been calling for.. for Canada to withdraw from NATO and to instead really work with the UN community on the greatest security challenges that we're facing: poverty, inequality, and the climate crisis." According to Stewart: "One of the new things that's surprising to me, was the way in which the tech military alliance is really worsening this problem. ..Amazon Web Services ..work very closely with companies like Palantir and Anduril, which are heavily involved in military tech and surveillance technologies. .. Amazon itself is also very involved in autonomous weapons systems, which is basically allowing AI to sort of pick targets without human input… So Amazon lobbied the federal government 65 times in the last year on military spending. ..They met with the head of the Canadian Armed Forces... with the Minister of Defense, the Minister of AI, the Minister of Finance. This isn't business as normal. You don't get these types of meetings at this high level, this many of them, unless the government is interested in what you're selling and it costs a hell of a lot ..[And] it's all happening behind closed doors without anybody noticing." About today's guests:  Tamara Lorincz is recently graduated with her PhD in Global Governance at the Balsillie School for International Affairs at Wilfrid Laurier University. She has a Masters in International Politics & Security Studies from the University of Bradford and a Law degree and MBA specializing in environmental law and management from Dalhousie University. She's a senior researcher with the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace and a member of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom-Canada. Her research focuses on the climate and environmental impacts of the military. She's a long-time environmentalist, feminist and peace activist and a mother with two teenage boys.  Keith Stewart has been a climate policy researcher and advocate for over 30 years, including the last 16 years with Greenpeace Canada. He has a Ph.D. from York University and teaches a course on energy and environmental policy at the University of Toronto.    Also check out:  CVOW - 1000 Women+ Call for Care Not Warfare Seniors' Climate Witness Global Week of Action for Peace and Climate Justice Transcript of this episode can be accessed at georgebrown.ca/TommyDouglasInstitute or here.  Image: Tamara Lorincz, Keith Stewart  / Used with permission. Music: Ang Kahora. Lynne, Bjorn. Rights Purchased.  Intro Voices: Ashley Booth (Podcast Announcer); Bob Luker (Tommy)  Courage My Friends Podcast Organizing Committee: Chandra Budhu, Ashley Booth, Resh Budhu.  Produced by: Resh Budhu, The Tommy Douglas Institute of Labour and Social Justice and Nick Seebruch, rabble.ca.  Host: Resh Budhu. 

What if understanding your patterns isn't the same thing as changing them?You may know why you overgive. You may recognize the moment you're abandoning yourself. You may understand where the fear, guilt, or relationship pattern began and still find yourself responding the same way when it matters most.In this episode of Rewiring Health, I sit down with modern philosopher and entrepreneur Misha Saidov to explore the gap between insight and actual transformation.We talk about why awareness is only the beginning, how old patterns continue to shape what you perceive and how you respond, and what happens when the identity you've learned to live from begins to collide with who you actually are.We also explore the roles we learn to play in relationships, why leaving those roles can feel so destabilizing, and the deeper question underneath personal growth: Are you living from your true self or from an image of who you learned you needed to be?If you've done a tremendous amount of inner work and ever wondered, “Why do I understand all of this and still react the same way?” this conversation will give you a very different way of looking at change.Connect with Misha:Misha Saidov is a modern philosopher, entrepreneur, and founder of the Institute of Metacognitive Programming, a global platform helping people understand and transform the patterns shaping their lives.Based in Toronto, his work has reached over 150,000 people across 93 countries, focusing on trauma, identity, relationships, and personal growth. With a background in business leadership and an MBA from York University's Schulich School of Business, Misha combines deep insight with practical frameworks for real change.https://imcp.org/https://www.linkedin.com/in/mishasaidov/https://x.com/MikhailSaidovhttps://www.instagram.com/mishasaidov_official/https://www.amazon.com/Conversations-That-Change-Lives-Transformational/dp/B0GQLVSLNS/Connect with Kelly:Dr. Kelly Kessler is a physical therapist, nervous system educator, and host of Rewiring Health. She helps women break patterns of self-abandonment and build the inner safety and self-trust to stay loyal to themselves even when it means disappointing others.Learn more about Kelly's 12-week private Self-Loyalty Mentorship here:https://drkellykessler.com/selfloyaltymentorshipSelf-Abandonment AuditA free resource to help you recognize where you may be overriding your own needs, emotions, boundaries, or inner knowing and begin identifying the patterns keeping you stuck.https://drkellykessler.com/selfaudit

Zahra Nader joins Dr. Sandie Morgan to discuss why, for nearly every five women killed in Afghanistan by their own families, only one man is ever arrested, and how a newsroom of journalists writing under pseudonyms is building the record no one else is keeping.Chapters(00:00) - Why Afghanistan Is the Battleground for Women's Rights (02:07) - Founding a Newsroom in Exile (08:23) - How Zan Times Protects Its Journalists (11:59) - Child Marriage and the Laws That Enable It (19:22) - The Collapse of Maternity Care (24:53) - Afghanistan as a Global Bellwether (29:20) - Femicide, Impunity, and the Zan Times Fellowship (31:35) - What Listeners Can Do About Zahra NaderZahra Nader is the founder and editor-in-chief of Zan Times, a women-led newsroom in exile reporting on human rights violations in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. She began her journalism career in Kabul in 2011, and in 2016 joined the New York Times bureau there, becoming the first Afghan woman to work with mainstream Western media inside the country. She moved to Canada in 2017 for graduate study and was still a doctoral student in gender and women's studies at York University when the Taliban retook Afghanistan in August 2021. She founded Zan Times in August 2022 with $30,000 she had saved to build a home in Kabul, and now runs it from Edmonton alongside a network of journalists who report from inside Afghanistan under pseudonyms. She briefed the UN Security Council in October 2022, and was a 2024–2025 Knight-Wallace Fellow at the University of Michigan, where she studied sustainable funding models for exiled newsrooms.Key Points• Five years of Afghan women losing basic rights with no international consequence lowers the floor for what can be denied to women anywhere. International law has not prevented it, and that is the precedent that travels.• A newsroom reporting under an authoritarian regime protects people by compartmenting them. Zan Times journalists inside Afghanistan publish under pseudonyms, connect only to an editor, and do not know each other, so one arrest cannot expose the rest.• The Taliban's Code on Judicial Separation of Spouses removes any minimum marriage age. A father or grandfather can give a child into marriage without her consent, at any age.• School was the brake on early marriage, and it is gone. Parents used to defer marriage until a daughter finished school; with girls out of classrooms, Zan Times found families selling one-year-olds and two-year-olds for future marriage to settle debts.• The penalties encode the asymmetry. A man who beats his wife to visible injury, a broken bone, serves 15 days if she can prove it in court. A woman who goes to her parents and refuses to return, along with her parents, serves 3 months. Sandie converts it on air: 90 days against 15.• The 2025 US funding cut closed 445 clinics and hospitals and cut more than 3 million people off from healthcare. Rural women lost the mobile teams that were their only access to a midwife or a blood pressure check.• Restrictions push women out of healthcare even where they are still permitted to work. A Kandahar midwife supporting three children and a paralyzed father paid half her salary to a distant relative to pose as her brother, then stopped going in when the Taliban started asking for ID.• The countermeasure is documentation. Zan Times' femicide investigation across 10 provinces found roughly one arrest for every five women killed by a family member, with deaths certified as suicide despite visible signs of abuse. Subscribing to the newsletter at zantimes.com is the step the episode asks for.Resources• Zan Times• 'When she turns eight they will take her': rising number of Afghan girls being sold into child marriage• 'I don't know how to save my daughter from her husband': the brutal reality of the Taliban's new marriage law• Inside the deadly collapse of maternity care in Afghanistan• 'Her face was beaten in': how Taliban rule ushered in a new era of women being killed• Statement by Zahra Nader at the UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security (NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security)

Invasive species play the long game. They travel well, dig in to survive wherever they're dropped off and then start multiplying, making it nearly impossible to root them out.Scientists looking now at the current state of the Strait of Hormuz see a recipe for invasive species spread. Giant ships are stuck in the warm waters there amid the Iran War and they're collecting critters in the ballast water and on their hulls.Those invasive creatures will end up in ports around the world once the ships start moving again, likely creating a global superspreader event, Mario Tamburri, a marine ecologist with the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, told MPR News.“What makes a good invasive species is one that's sort of very tolerant to extremes and robust, and that's why the the organisms we have in the Persian, Arabian Gulf are particularly concerning because they they live in really hot water, really salty conditions,” he said. “That might make them more invasive, more able to to withstand new conditions,” he added, “but what it also means is that they can bring those traits of being tolerant to higher temperature to the new environments.”In the case of freshwater Lake Superior, it would take a longer time to see impacts from the Strait of Hormuz. Many of the big boats on Superior travel domestically, but don't head out into saltwater. Plus, the Strait of Hormuz is much warmer than the Duluth harbor. Lake Superior has seen invasives take hold, including lampreys and zebra mussels.The bloody red shrimp is the latest local example. Twenty years after reaching the Great Lakes in the ballast water of cargo ships, the crustacean native to Europe and Asia has now colonized Lake Superior, despite years of effort by ecologists to keep it away from Duluth. That pattern is unlikely to change anytime soon. New research from scientists at Toronto's York University found Lake Superior is one of the fastest-warming big lakes in the world. Research led by a biologist at the State University of New York-New Paltz found Lake Superior has lost more than two months of ice coverage per year since 1857.And when there's less ice coverage in winter, we also see faster winter warming on land, perpetuating the cycle a University of Minnesota research team found.Creatures living in the saline waters off the coast of Iran are incredibly resilient to climate change and able to survive in extremely tough conditions, and that could keep them alive in places like the Great Lakes one day, Tamburri said.Click play on the audio player above to listen to this episode or subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery speaks with award-winning author Rod Carley about The Great Catsby by Hilton, published by Canadian publisher Smart House (September 1, 2026). The Great Catsby by Hilton is the unforgettable and wildly entertaining new YA book by Rod Carley and his cat, Hilton. Yes, you read that right! The Great Catsby by Hilton adds some much-needed whimsy to the world. In these uncertain times, we could all use a few more cats and a little more catnip in our nine lives. The copyright on F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby expired on the first stroke of 2021 and the literary classic entered the public domain. Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby as an indictment of the reckless wealth of post-World War I America. The selfish and careless “fat cats” of The Great Catsby by Hilton similarly ring true. Part of the charm of the novella is that Hilton, a seven-year-old rescue tabby adopted by Rod, “writes” it. He is the first-person voice of Nick Cattaway who serves as narrator. Reimagining the story through the eyes of a domestic housecat has allowed Hilton to breathe mew life into the story. Hilton also writes the Preface.  The Great Catsby by Hilton also features twenty full-page colour illustrations in addition to an assortment of black and white drawings by Quebec-based writer-illustrator Juliette Miron (who loves both cats and dogs). Hilton was abandoned as a kitten. All-Heart Pet Rescue in Powassan, ON, found him in a ditch and nursed him back to health. At the age of six months, he was adopted into a loving home filled with books, pillows and cat-sized windowsills. In addition to writing, Hilton enjoys chicken paté, bird watching, and long afternoon naps. The Great Catsby is his first Catification.  Rod Carley is the award-winning author of RUFF (2024 national bestseller), GRIN REAPING (2022), KINMOUNT (2020), and A Matter of Will (2017). He's been long listed for the Leacock Medal for Humour three times and has twice received the Silver Medal from the Independent Publisher Book Awards in addition to the Bronze Medal for Humour from Foreword Review INDIES. He was a Finalist for 2023 Next Generation Indie Book Award for Humor, the 2021 Carter V. Cooper Short Fiction Prize, the 2023 ReLit Award for Best Short Fiction, and the Northern Lit Award for Fiction.  His short stories and creative non-fiction have appeared in numerous Canadian literary magazines. He was the Toronto Reference Library's Spring 2025 Writer in Residence and is a co-founder and curator for the St. Lawrence Writers Festival. He learned to speak Tabby while minoring in Creative Writing at York University. Rod is a proud alumnus of the Humber School for Writers. www.rodcarley.ca  Hollay Ghadery is an award-winning Iranian-Canadian multi-genre writer living in Ontario on Anishinaabe land. She has her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph. Fuse, her memoir of mixed-race identity and mental health, was released by Guernica Editions in 2021 and won the 2023 Canadian Bookclub Award for Nonfiction/Memoir. Her collection of poetry, Rebellion Box was released by Radiant Press in 2023, and her collection of short fiction, Widow Fantasies, was released with Gordon Hill Press in fall 2024 and was longlisted for the Toronto Book Award. Her debut novel, The Unraveling of Ou, was released with Palimpsest Press in 2026, and her children's book, Being with the Birds, with Guernica Editions in 2027. Hollay is a host on The New Books Network, as well as a co-host on HOWL on CIUT 89.5 FM. She is also a book publicist, the Founder of River Street, and the co-chair of the League of Canadian Poets BIPOC committee, as well as the Poet Laureate of Scugog Township. She is also a member of The National Book Critics Circle, The Creative Nonfiction Collective, and The Writers Union of Canada. Hollay was also featured on the cover of issue 10 of The Ampersand Review. Learn more about Hollay here.   Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In this NBN episode, host Hollay Ghadery speaks with award-winning author Rod Carley about The Great Catsby by Hilton, published by Canadian publisher Smart House (September 1, 2026). The Great Catsby by Hilton (Smart House Books, 2026) is the unforgettable and wildly entertaining new YA book by Rod Carley and his cat, Hilton. Yes, you read that right! The Great Catsby by Hilton adds some much-needed whimsy to the world. In these uncertain times, we could all use a few more cats and a little more catnip in our nine lives.The copyright on F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby expired on the first stroke of 2021 and the literary classic entered the public domain.Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby as an indictment of the reckless wealth of post-World War I America. The selfish and careless “fat cats” of The Great Catsby by Hilton similarly ring true.Part of the charm of the novella is that Hilton, a seven-year-old rescue tabby adopted by Rod, “writes” it. He is the first-person voice of Nick Cattaway who serves as narrator. Reimagining the story through the eyes of a domestic housecat has allowed Hilton to breathe mew life into the story. Hilton also writes the Preface. The Great Catsby by Hilton also features twenty full-page colour illustrations in addition to an assortment of black and white drawings by Quebec-based writer-illustrator Juliette Miron (who loves both cats and dogs).Hilton was abandoned as a kitten. All-Heart Pet Rescue in Powassan, ON, found him in a ditch and nursed him back to health. At the age of six months, he was adopted into a loving home filled with books, pillows and cat-sized windowsills. In addition to writing, Hilton enjoys chicken paté, bird watching, and long afternoon naps. The Great Catsby is his first Catification. Rod Carley is the award-winning author of RUFF (2024 national bestseller), GRIN REAPING (2022), KINMOUNT (2020), and A Matter of Will (2017). He's been long listed for the Leacock Medal for Humour three times and has twice received the Silver Medal from the Independent Publisher Book Awards in addition to the Bronze Medal for Humour from Foreword Review INDIES. He was a Finalist for 2023 Next Generation Indie Book Award for Humor, the 2021 Carter V. Cooper Short Fiction Prize, the 2023 ReLit Award for Best Short Fiction, and the Northern Lit Award for Fiction. His short stories and creative non-fiction have appeared in numerous Canadian literary magazines. He was the Toronto Reference Library's Spring 2025 Writer in Residence and is a co-founder and curator for the St. Lawrence Writers Festival. He learned to speak Tabby while minoring in Creative Writing at York University. Rod is a proud alumnus of the Humber School for Writers. www.rodcarley.ca Hollay Ghadery is an award-winning Iranian-Canadian multi-genre writer living in Ontario on Anishinaabe land. She has her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Guelph. Fuse, her memoir of mixed-race identity and mental health, was released by Guernica Editions in 2021 and won the 2023 Canadian Bookclub Award for Nonfiction/Memoir. Her collection of poetry, Rebellion Box was released by Radiant Press in 2023, and her collection of short fiction, Widow Fantasies, was released with Gordon Hill Press in fall 2024 and was longlisted for the Toronto Book Award. Her debut novel, The Unraveling of Ou, was released with Palimpsest Press in 2026, and her children's book, Being with the Birds, with Guernica Editions in 2027. Hollay is a host on The New Books Network, as well as a co-host on HOWL on CIUT 89.5 FM. She is also a book publicist, the Founder of River Street, and the co-chair of the League of Canadian Poets BIPOC committee, as well as the Poet Laureate of Scugog Township. She is also a member of The National Book Critics Circle, The Creative Nonfiction Collective, and The Writers Union of Canada. Hollay was also featured on the cover of issue 10 of The Ampersand Review. Learn more about Hollay here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. We're talking with Jason Hildebrand, founder of Presence Creative Arts. For nearly 30 years, Jason has used acting, storytelling, film, and coaching to help people encounter scripture in fresh ways while creating space to listen for the voice of God. How can churches use art and storytelling to help people slow down and engage with God more deeply? What happens when creativity becomes less about delivering a message and more about creating space for transformation? Tune in as Jason shares the journey behind The Shepherd and the Sound, a contemplative film exploring the life of David, and the lessons he has learned about creativity, obedience, presence, and storytelling. Create space for people to slow down. // We are living in an age of distraction and disconnection. Rather than creating another piece of content people consume quickly, The Shepherd and the Sound intentionally slows viewers down. The pacing, landscape, music, and storytelling create space for people to become present to what is happening inside themselves and to listen for God. Jason has seen viewers reach instinctively for their phones before realizing they are being invited to remain present in the experience. Help people find themselves in the story. // One of Jason's biggest discoveries during the project was that powerful storytelling gives people room to recognize their own experiences within a biblical narrative. Instead of simply explaining David's life, the film invites viewers to encounter themes like failure, loss, lament, family, identity, and grace. As people see pieces of their own stories reflected in David's journey, the biblical story becomes personal rather than distant. Tell stories that reveal real people. // Jason's work has consistently focused on embodying scripture rather than simply presenting information about it. Whether performing the life of Jesus, Job, Abraham, or David, he wants audiences to experience biblical characters as real human beings with emotions, struggles, failures, and desires. For Jason, faithful storytelling does not require removing the humanity from scripture. Rather, bringing that humanity forward can actually help people encounter the truth of the story more deeply. Obedience often comes before clarity. // The journey to produce The Shepherd and the Sound required Jason to move forward without having every answer. After sensing that God was calling the team to film in Scotland, Jason received confirmation from trusted prayer partners and advisors and stepped out financially before the resources were available. Shortly afterward, donors began providing what the project needed. The process reinforced Jason's conviction that listening carefully and responding obediently sometimes means moving before the entire path is visible. Let God handle the transformation. // Early in his career, Jason wrestled with whether Christian art needed to be more overtly evangelistic. He eventually sensed God reminding him that transformation was God's responsibility, not his. Jason's role was to faithfully create excellent art while carrying the presence of Christ into the work. That realization released him from forcing a message into every project and allowed him to focus on creating truthful, beautiful stories that invite people into deeper questions. Gather people for shared experiences. // Rather than immediately releasing The Shepherd and the Sound onto a streaming platform, Jason and his team have prioritized live screenings. People gather in theaters or creative spaces, are invited to slow down before the film begins, experience the story together, and then participate in conversation afterward. Jason believes transformation often happens differently when people experience something in community rather than consuming it alone. Extend the experience beyond the film. // The Shepherd and the Sound has grown into more than a movie. Presence Creative Arts has developed an immersive gallery with eight stations exploring themes from the film along with a small group resource incorporating scripture, reflection, sensory experiences, and action. These tools help churches move people beyond simply watching a story and toward personally engaging with what God may be stirring in them. To learn more about Jason Hildebrand and Presence Creative Arts, visit presencecreativearts.com. You can also explore The Shepherd and the Sound and learn about screenings and resources at theshepherdandthesoundfilm.com. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Thank You to This Episode’s Sponsor: Intulse If you’re committed to the growth of your church, make sure your communication systems are set up so nobody feels left behind. When your church is smaller, that comes easy. You know people by name. A guest doesn’t get lost in the shuffle—someone follows up, every guest, every time. But growth can change that—unless your systems grow with you. Perhaps this church using Intulse says it best: “Intulse has revolutionized the way we communicate with people, giving us the ability to make a big church feel small because of that personal connection.” The Intulse app gives your team members a working church number, so anyone can call or text without ever handing out a personal number. Every conversation syncs straight into your ChMS, like Planning Center, so your whole staff stays on the same page—no matter who a person talks to. That’s how you keep every person feeling known, no matter how big your church gets. Want to know if your communication systems are ready for growth? Download Intulse's free guide, “10 Communication Blind Spots That Hinder Church Growth,” at Intulse.com/unseminary. And if any of those blind spots hit home for you, schedule a call with one of their church communication specialists to learn how Intulse can help. Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. I am so glad that you’ve decided to tune in today. Listen, friends, give us this next half an hour or so, and I think you’re going to be challenged and encouraged. I think it’s going great conversation. Rich Birch — This is a person that I have, you know, a friend of a friend we met, and I want you to meet them as well. But more than that, I think that this conversation could lead to something that could really help your church later this year, maybe into next year. I want to introduce you to Jason Hildebrand. He runs, leads an organization called Presence Creative Arts. Rich Birch — It was formed close to 25 years ago, or the deep desire to create and perform authentic, hope-filled, spirit-infused stories. Part storyteller, he’s part creative catalyst. This is going to be a fantastic conversation. He’s produced a bunch of different projects that we’re going to get a chance to kind of tiptoe into, learn a little bit more about. Jason, welcome to the podcast. So glad you’re here. Jason Hildebrand — Hey Rich, thanks so much. So great to be here. Rich Birch — Yeah, I’m pumped to to kind of have this conversation. Jason Hildebrand — Me as well. Rich Birch — So friends, to to pull back the veil a little bit, Jason’s a friend of a friend. Jason Hildebrand — Yeah. Rich Birch — And we were talking a little bit about what he does. And I started digging in and literally I thought, man, I’ve got to get Jason on the podcast. So for folks who maybe have not encountered Presence Creative Arts, take us back and kind of tell us the story. Jason Hildebrand — Sure. Rich Birch — How did this whole thing get started? Jason Hildebrand — Well, funny enough, my my wife was saying to me yesterday, in September, isn’t it 30 years, Jason? And I was like, oh my gosh, 30 years. Rich Birch — Oh, ah that’s funny. Jason Hildebrand — So we were like, whoa, it kind of snuck up on us. Rich Birch — Yes. Jason Hildebrand — But I mean, the whole genesis was, ah you know, I’m an actor by trade. I have a undergrad and a master’s in acting. And, you know, all those years ago, I graduated from York University in Toronto, Canada, and went out and I was like the fresh young wanted to be in, you know, Hollywood movies or to do Shakespeare or whatever. And, and in the midst of all that, God just like, halted the whole thing and had me completely move in an entirely different direction. And my first solo theater show was on the life of David. Jason Hildebrand — And I had a district superintendent in the denomination that I was a part of take me around to all the pastors conferences. And I he would speak and I would perform. And that was kind of like the beginning of what I never would have conceived would become a career. And now 30 years later, like a full company with employees and and you know projects and all those kind of things. And yeah I was an actor who just wanted to get on stage. And and really really, the thing is, and and I’ve learned this over the 30 years, is that my place of deepest listening for the voice of God is in front a whole bunch of people standing, which is really a weird thing to say. Jason Hildebrand — But, you know, I think it speaks to how we’re all wired differently and we need to find that thing that allows us to hear most clearly the voice of God. And that’s often the place for me. Jason Hildebrand — I think a lot of it has to do with that. I really feel responsible for bringing the the the show on David was, you know, it’s almost word for word scripture. So I feel responsible like any pastor or preacher would be like, I’m bringing this thing and I need to be aligned inside and out. Jason Hildebrand — But that that kind of grew. And so we did more. I did more. It was first just me. And I did that, toured all over the world, performing those things. Jason Hildebrand — Then I had I did a show on the Book of Job, which was very um gruesome in some ways, but quite intense. And and I’ve been revisiting that ah that in the last little while. Series of monologues in the prodigal son, I’ve done Abraham. Jason Hildebrand — And then I adapted Donald Miller’s book, Blue Like Jazz. That was kind of a kind of took us to the next level with what we were doing. It was a multimedia show and we kind of toured it all over Canada and the US before the film came out, like the film film that that that Steve Taylor and Donald Miller made. Jason Hildebrand — And we’ve just grown this over the over the course of, you know, 30 years. And right before the we right as the pandemic happened, you know, we had this great season coming up. We were touring and and I also do a lot of coaching with pastors, both on communication and listening to God, work with Arrow Leadership and a bunch of other organizations. I think one of the things they don’t teach you in seminary very well, in my opinion, that is just my opinion. Rich Birch — Yes. Jason Hildebrand — My experience was they teach you how to exegete text really well. Oftentimes, they don’t teach you how to communicate that to small rooms and large rooms very effectively. And so I’ve been working with pastors for years on you know voice burnout, communication, how do you hit the back of this how do you hit the back of the auditorium with your thoughts? All those kind of things. Jason Hildebrand — But COVID hits, and we have this great season, and everything falls apart. And God directs us and we’re just we had a donor come to us. We’re we sit under a not-for-profit umbrella as well. And donor came to us and said, well, what would you do if you had money? And at that time, you know we everything on social media was doom and gloom and everything was falling apart. Rich Birch — Right. Jason Hildebrand — And and I thought, could we craft something like short bursts of permission to be present in your life, short bursts of hope, and just release those for free into the world. Jason Hildebrand — And so this donor, I was telling him, you know, I think we could we could make short films on the Psalms. And those would be kind of like little, little breaths of fresh air. And so he gave us a, this couple gave us a, you know, a chunk of money. And we ended up making seven films that kind of blew up on Facebook and went all over the world. And, and we’ve since shot 11, but that kind of shift into media happened. Jason Hildebrand — And then out of that, ah the last basically five years of my life, which has been um crafting this new film rooted in that original story 30 years ago on the life of David… Rich Birch — That’s crazy. Jason Hildebrand — …but a contemplative film on the life of David called The Shepherd and the Sound, which we shot in Scotland. So that’s been kind of the like very Coles Notes version of of of what we’ve been doing. But you know I think the biggest, highest value is, as a company, we have ah a very high value on um listening for the voice of God, cultivating that. And, and if he all of a sudden tells us to go left instead of right, I want to be, I want to be, we want to be nimble enough to be able to shift like that. Jason Hildebrand — And oftentimes it’s not the most popular choice or even the most lucrative choice, but, but I’m more interested in the kingdom choice that I have in the other things. So, you know, that’s, that’s kind of our framework of of what we do and and kind of the, you know, the, but the timeline of things. Jason Hildebrand — And, uh, so, you know, it’s, it’s been, it’s been it’s been wild. It’s definitely 100% not where I thought I would be, you know, 30 years ago, but like I could not be more grateful that we get to kind of both care… Jason Hildebrand — The other values that we have are like carrying presence in story and this kind of thing. I know that we’ve had the the chat about this before, but it’s it’s I think I grew up in ah in a culture that was very high on the on on exegeting and the mind. And here’s how we pull apart one word and these kind of things. And here’s how we do things. And it’s very linear. And that’s great stuff. I think we need to be still doing that. Jason Hildebrand — But I had an the reason that I even did anything that I did is that i watched a guy. There’s an actor and named Bruce Kuhn. And he, my wife and I were dating at the time, she was going to McMaster University, and she invited me to this one man show on the book of Luke, King James Luke. Rich Birch — Wow. Jason Hildebrand — And I was dragged kicking and screaming as about Oh, my goodness, it’s gonna be some crappy Christian theater, and I don’t want to go see it. And that was the first time watching that guy was incredible. And that was the first time I actually encountered scripture. It came alive in me and I was like, oh, that’s what I’ve been reading for all these years. Oh, that that with real people, with real stories. Rich Birch — Yes. Jason Hildebrand — And I think that marked me in a way that has been significant and transformative. And and it’s it’s so much of what I my heart is to impart through Presence in what we’re doing. Rich Birch — Love it. And you know friends that are listening in like I’ve known of Jason for a while. Like you know we’re we’re in similar circles. Like you know, obviously… Jason Hildebrand — Yeah. Rich Birch — …church world in Canada is not the biggest thing. And but I had I had heard specifically about this project, The Shepherd and The Sound. And I was like, what on earth did he do that? And then saw trailer and was super intrigued and you know wanted to lean in. And and you put a word to this there that I’ve always appreciated about your work. I’ve actually years ago i remember seeing you um it might have even been like one of those youth things or something years ago. Rich Birch — And and the the part I’ve struck by your handling of scripture of these stories that we’ve been telling each other for thousands of years that are true is you, and this is my language, not your language, but you’re doing a better job here talking about Presence, but it’s like, you’ve humanized them in a similar way that, and I was thinking about this over the weekend before we called—you know, I, I was ah my wife dragged me to The Chosen. Jason Hildebrand — Oh, yeah. Right. Rich Birch — And was like, I was like, I do not want to see more crappy Christian media. Jason Hildebrand — Yes. Right. Rich Birch — And I have been struck by the very human moments in that art and actually have thought a lot about what you do and thought like, oh, there’s ah there’s a resonance there. It’s obviously different. It’s a different kind of thing. Rich Birch — But there’s a similar kind of piece there where it’s like, are we brave enough to kind of look at the human side of what’s happening? And so tell me about The Shepherd and The Sound. I think this is a crazy project. Jason Hildebrand — It’s been a crazy project. Rich Birch — When I saw this, I was like, tell me about it. Jason Hildebrand — Yeah, yeah, yeah. Rich Birch — Just kind of unpack it, what it is. Jason Hildebrand — Sure. Well, I mean, thank you for saying that. I mean, I’m very interested, I used to call it, you know, enfleshing, but that got a little bit weird. I think people thought it was a weird, but more more like embodying. Jason Hildebrand — I have this solo performance that I still do on the life on the life of Jesus called Jesus Stories. And the number one comment is, oh, he oh Jesus had emotions. Oh oh oh oh, wait a minute. He laughed. Oh, he was he was he was upset. Oh, wait, he’s passionate about loving people. Like just very human things. Rich Birch — Yes. Jason Hildebrand — And I think, like you said, The Chosen has done a brilliant job of you know um allowing Jesus to be both a human being and God at the same time. But The Shepherd and the Sound, yeah. Jason Hildebrand — So, I mean, I’ve been dreaming about doing a film version of um of of the David my David show for maybe a decade. And I didn’t know what it I didn’t know what I was supposed to be doing. I didn’t know what it looked like. And then again, during COVID, I’d written like a full cast treatment. Jason Hildebrand — What ended up, you know, what’s interesting now is that House of David came out on ah on Amazon and it’s it’s very amazing. Like it’s it’s quite it’s quite great, especially so season two is quite great. Jason Hildebrand — And I realized why that God was like, actually, you’re not supposed to do this. You’re supposed to do that because those people are going to do this. And I was like, oh, okay, I get it. And they’re way more qualified than than I was to attempt something like that. Jason Hildebrand — But all I kept hearing was go to Scotland. and ah and connect with a couple of people you know there. And and and so I went, my my film partner, Tad Munnings and I, he’s with StoryStream Creative, and we we we kind of location scouted to Scotland. Jason Hildebrand — And we have this friend, this incredible playwright, screenwriter named Murray Watts, who owns a castle in Northern Scotland called Fresic. As people do. Rich Birch — Yes, as one does. Jason Hildebrand — I know it’s it’s it’s actually a Christian retreat center. Rich Birch — Yes. Jason Hildebrand — So if you want to have the most extraordinary experience, go to this castle. It’s ah it’s ah really an Airbnb castle, which is wild, in the northern very northern tip of Scotland. Jason Hildebrand — But one of the one of the best things I ever did for my for my company was form an intercessory prayer board. And it’s just a small handful of people that kind of lift us up, which I just cannot be more grateful for those folks. Jason Hildebrand — So two of those people live in Wales. and And so I when we were hitting Glasgow, I picked Tad up in Glasgow, and we were about to head up north. And i was they said, can you hop on a Zoom call? There are folks that pray for Europe on a regular basis, this this these these two people and their group, part of the twenty four seven prayer movement. Jason Hildebrand — And so I said, sure. So I hopped on the call and my friend Charlotte from Wales, who’s on my board, says, hey, can you just tell everybody what you’re up to? And so I was like, OK. So I said, you know, I think we’re supposed to do a film on David. I think it’s supposed to be in the north. I think it’s supposed to be kind of like man wrestling with the with his the demons of his past. I mean, David’s life is mostly a disaster after he becomes king. Rich Birch — Right. Jason Hildebrand — And uh and and uh and we don’t have any money. And uh I thought it was supposed to be a full ensemble cast but now I’m kind of hearing no it’s supposed to be more contemplative and it’s supposed to be a guy wandering around the landscape. And I thought—this was my argument with God prior to the prior to that—it’s like who wants to watch a guy wandering around. And then he reminded me of Castaway and he said that’s a pretty good movie. And was like oh yeah I guess that’s true. Jason Hildebrand — But anyway, so I’m on this call with these folks, these lovely intercessors, and there’s 25 of them on the call. And I tell them all this, and they said, oh, you have to shoot next summer. And I said, what do what do you mean you have to shoot next summer? Jason Hildebrand — And they said, we are on the cusp of the 100th anniversary of a number of revivals that came out of northern Scotland that changed the world. Rich Birch — wow Jason Hildebrand — And God wants to pour out his spirit through Scotland to the nations, and you need to be part of that. And I was like, whoa. Rich Birch — Wow. Okay. Jason Hildebrand — Whoa, okay. Rich Birch — I thought I was just coming on a Zoom call. Jason Hildebrand — Well, I don’t even, quite I didn’t. Do you have money? Like, I don’t know. Rich Birch — Yes. Jason Hildebrand — Like, does anybody, you know? Rich Birch — Yes. Jason Hildebrand — And, you know, this is not how you plan how to do a project or a film shoot. Normally you have everything lined up. The money’s lined up. The script’s lined up. And and but God tends to throw me off a cliff, or asks me to jump off the cliff. And then as I’m plummeting to my doom, he shows up, you know, and rescues. Jason Hildebrand — So so I come back home and all I’m feeling, Rich, in my spirit is I want you to book all the flights and accommodation for your whole crew. Jason Hildebrand — And I’m like, I don’t I don’t have any of the money. Like I don’t even have enough. We were in a season just coming out of COVID. but I didn’t even and have enough money to pay my staff. We were just like scraping by. And so I’m like, I, so I’m wrestling with God over this. This is stupid. This is irresponsible. And I send a note to my intercessory prayer board and say, Hey guys, here’s what I’m hearing. Jason Hildebrand — And they all went back and came to, they said, yep, that’ that’s good. You’re on, you’re on track. And I was like, what? And then I sent a note to my board, like my board of advisors. And I, and I said, here’s what I’m, and I have people on my board on purpose that tell me no, cause I tend to be a bit of a dreamer. Rich Birch — Yes. Jason Hildebrand — But I have those kind of like check me people on my on my board. Rich Birch — Sure. Jason Hildebrand — And I said, here’s what I’m hearing. What do you think? And they all went, yep, you’re hearing right. And I was like, what are you talking about? When is it responsible to take out loans? Rich Birch — Wow. Wow. Jason Hildebrand — And like, when is that’s not responsible? But they were both affirming me. Rich Birch — Yes. Jason Hildebrand — So the next week I am in, I’m at a retreat center that’s just built this massive new building. Jason Hildebrand — It’s a 30 year vision and I’m performing as part of their thank you to all the people that helped build this building, a vision. Five million dollar building, incredible. It’s really extraordinary. And I’m sitting at the dinner before performing next to one of their board members. And she turns to me and she says, oh, Jason, so what do you do? And I said, well, and I’m an actor. I have a creative arts company. Well, what are you working on? Well, I’ve just been to Scotland and I’m thinking about doing this thing. She goes, oh, I see a picture. Jason Hildebrand — And I go, ah okay, what? She goes, yeah, there’s a ledger. And all the income and expenses add up to zero at the bottom. And the Lord says, just go do what I told you to do. Rich Birch — Wow. Wow. Jason Hildebrand — So, i mean I mean, I don’t roll in lots of like prophetic charis… Rich Birch — Yes, that’s not normative. Jason Hildebrand — Like this is not my, nor like I’m I have great value for the prophetic and for for words of knowledge… Rich Birch — Yes. Jason Hildebrand — …but I don’t roll in kind of a lot of those worlds. Rich Birch — Yeah. Jason Hildebrand — So I’m like, okay, cool. Like, okay. So I came home, Rich, and I was just like, okay, God, I hear you. And so I did it. I went to the bank. And as you know, as as as ah as ah as a small business owner, it’s like you got to go through all the rigmarole. I increased my line of credit. I increased my credit cards. And I put 50 grand on on on credit. Rich Birch — Wow. Jason Hildebrand — And I thought, well, after 25 years, Lord, you’re actually either we’re going down in a blaze of glory or you actually talked to me. Like, I don’t know what it is, but here it is, right? Rich Birch — Right. Jason Hildebrand — So, and then I left it. And then as soon as I did it, I felt complete peace about it, which was shocking to me. And I was kind of grumpy with God. Like, okay, like I should be very stressed out about this, for Lord. So anyway, I left it, man. and And then two weeks later, I’m at a completely separate event. Jason Hildebrand — It has nothing to do with my company. And but there’s a donor couple there that has given to our work before. And they say, yeah oh we hear you’re working on ah on a movie on David. And I said, yeah, yeah, working on David. Jason Hildebrand — Well, you know, tell us about it. So I’m doing all the good due diligence things, right? Here’s our outcomes. Here’s what we’re hoping to achieve. Here’s the blah, blah, blah. All of things, you know, in art, it’s almost impossible to measure, you know, the the art. Rich Birch — Right. Jason Hildebrand — Like, you know… Rich Birch — Yes. Jason Hildebrand — These are 18 people had their hearts changed by this piece of art. Right. Rich Birch — Right. Jason Hildebrand — But anyway, I’m doing all the things you’re supposed to do. And they said, well, how much money is it going to take to get to the other side of of filming this thing? And I said, well, probably about 200 grand. And I hadn’t done any fundraising yet… Rich Birch — Right. Right. Jason Hildebrand — …but I’m 50 grand in the hole. And they looked at each other and they looked back at me and they said, yeah, we can do that. Rich Birch — Wow. Jason Hildebrand — And, and they wrote me a check, Rich, for 200 grand the next week. Rich Birch — Wow. Wow. Jason Hildebrand — And that was the start of, we went back three times. God was as, even as we went and began to shoot, he was, we came back the first time and we’re like, that’s not it. We went back three times and he began to reveal that what he really wanted in the process and more and more money cut coming in another hundred thousand, another two, another 50,000. Rich Birch — Wow. Jason Hildebrand — Like, you know, we, the, the budget ended up being over 600 grand for this thing. And, um, Just extraordinary miracle after extraordinary miracle, both while we were filming and in providing for the filming. Rich Birch — That’s so good. Jason Hildebrand — It’s really incredible. And so in the process, what this is this is was the big learning for me. One is he wanted us to tell a tale to give space for people to slow down and to listen. Jason Hildebrand — I think we live in an age of distraction and disconnection. And what he was asking us to craft, and i’m not I wasn’t clever enough to figure this out. He revealed it and as we were as we were doing it. Jason Hildebrand — But what is the way we can help people slow down as they’re on their phones and they’re busy and they’ve got this thing and the other thing? To create space within the context of the film to literally almost in a way cause people to slow down and feel uncomfortable. Jason Hildebrand — We did a screening of the film and a lady said…And I tell people it’s going to cause you to feel uncomfortable. Rich Birch — Right. Jason Hildebrand — She says, I’m so glad you did that because halfway through it through the film, I reached for my phone and I went, oh, no, Jason asked me to to like be present in the in the film. And that present moment was a catalyst to massive transformation in her heart. Jason Hildebrand — But so the first thing was like help people to slow down and connect to what’s going on in the side themselves, in community with God. Rich Birch — Yep. Jason Hildebrand — And the second thing is, is, and I didn’t, need I would have never even thought this, is to invite people to find themselves in the story. So you’re both having a moment to be present and connect with who you are and who God made you to be and and God himself. Rich Birch — Love it. Jason Hildebrand — And also then go, oh, my story, there’s moments in this David story that actually resonate with my journey right now. And that was like a revelation to myself and our team. And then out of that, we you know also built an immersive gallery, like think Stations of the Cross meets Immersive Van Gogh and a small group resource to go with it. Rich Birch — Yep. Jason Hildebrand — That was very non-Bible study-y. Rich Birch — Sure. Jason Hildebrand — It’s kind of a small group resource for people who don’t like Bible study-y resources. You know what I mean? Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah, that’s good. Jason Hildebrand — Yeah. Rich Birch — Okay, there’s a lot I want to unpack there. So ah friends that are listening in, want, I want so um You listen to a lot of podcasts. You do a lot of things. Jason Hildebrand — Sure. Rich Birch — You’ve listened to us. That’s great. I want you to go and watch the trailer. We will link to the trailer in the show notes. Jason Hildebrand — Cool. Rich Birch — You can even stop now and go and do that. Or at the end, I want you to watch the trailer because I think obviously it’s hard to talk about this and without seeing it. Jason Hildebrand — True. Yeah. Rich Birch — So I would, I want people to, to do that. But come back to this idea. So put us, put us, one of the stories I want people to hear is your just obedience. Like, that’s incredible. Like, I think that’s amazing. Like, and want to honor you for that. It would have been easy to shut that down at multiple points in that story and just be like, no, I’m not hearing this. Like I move on. So just honor you for that. Jason Hildebrand — Thank you. Rich Birch — And the fact To me, that feels very Jesus-y. That feels that that feels like the Jesus I know where he’s like, hey, you got to take a step here and then I’m going to step in and help. That feels like, man, I’ve seen that time and time again. Jason Hildebrand — Yeah. Rich Birch — And so that’s that’s incredible. Rich Birch — Give us a sense of on the ground. So you’re shooting this thing. Jason Hildebrand — Yeah. Rich Birch — Again, it’s dramatic. It’s it’s contemplative. It’s um, what was that experience like? What did you take away from that as a performer, as a leader? You know talk us through that. Jason Hildebrand — Well, I would say first and foremost, one of my greatest one of my greatest joys is getting to getting to work with extraordinary people. I think that I’ve always thought I need to find the people that are better at me than doing the thing and invite them into my world so I can learn and grow and we can bring those people in. So we had an extraordinary cinematographer, or sound person, all these. Got to bring a couple of my kids with me over the course of the time too to do Begrips, which is really cool. Rich Birch — That’s cool. Jason Hildebrand — But I mean, we’re shooting in Northern Scotland. So, I mean, it’s, it’s, it’s magic. I mean, the, the place is, the place is wild. But we, we, we location scouted and showed up when we’re a little bit like, Lord, where’s the fertile ground? Jason Hildebrand — Like we’ve not, we’ve been here once. We don’t know where we, we actually don’t know how to frame this whole thing. You’ve got to direct us. And so we would, we, in the morning we would pray, like show us where we’re supposed to go. And we would, we would, I mean, of course we had, we had a plan. Rich Birch — Yes. Jason Hildebrand — You know we entered in with a plan, but oftentimes the plan would be like, I think we should go here. Rich Birch — Right. Jason Hildebrand — You know, I think we should go there. I mean, we went the first time we went, this is hilarious. Jason Hildebrand — I didn’t know much about sheep. And of course the whole film is about David. So there needs to be sheep around. And we actually, we actually hired a shepherd to bring sheep into, into a field that he owned. And the sheep would not come near me. Rich Birch — Right. Jason Hildebrand — Like just would not come anywhere. Like we tried to wrangle them. It was horrible, horrible, horrible. Rich Birch — Yeah. Jason Hildebrand — And then the second time we went, it was just myself and my director, film partner. And we ended up being on the Isle of Skye. And it was probably the most, one of the most extraordinary moments that we had in the film, which was, you know, I my my my Tad is, my film partner, is like very super uber in shape guy. And I’m in shape, but not to his his level. Jason Hildebrand — So we’re kind of hiking all over Scotland. He’s got most of the gear. He’s got the bag and the camera and the thing and the drone, and I’m carrying the tripod and all the different things. And so we go to this one place and it’s, it’s, it’s literally like ah like a sheer rock face that goes up and then like kind of a meadow on the top of it. Not very big, but it’s glorious and you’re right on the ocean. Jason Hildebrand —And um so we had already hiked in off the main road about two hours through bogs and different things. And it, know, it’s, it’s bonkers trying to hike in Scotland. We called it the the radical common sense country because there’s no warnings anywhere. Jason Hildebrand — Like if you fall off the cliff, you’re just stupid. You shouldn’t have fallen on off the cliff. There’s like in North America, we’d have like a thousand like signs saying you’re going to fall off the cliff, but not in Scotland. Rich Birch — Yes. Yes. No. Jason Hildebrand — They just look at you and go, that was stupid. Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah. Jason Hildebrand — But so we we we get to the bottom of this rock face after we’ve climbed up. And I’m just like, he says, I think we should climb up. It’s like a three-story rock face, right? Rich Birch — Oh, wow. Jason Hildebrand — And I’m thinking, there’s no way I’m climbing up that three-story rock face. And he’s like, I’ve got you. Like, I have got you. And I’m like, okay, you know, if I die, my wife is going to come kill you. And then she’s going to come to meet Jesus and she’s going to kill me again. Like, you know, this is not good. But he, so he helped me climb this rock face. And it was, it was, I was the most scared I’ve ever been in my life. Rich Birch — Amazing. Wow. Jason Hildebrand — And then as I’m going up, I’m thinking, I got to come down. Like, I gotta come down. So, but the the extraordinary part was, so we come up and he goes, okay, I’m just gonna scurry down and I’m gonna throw the drone up. Jason Hildebrand — And so sit in this one place and I’m gonna put the drone around. And this is this is the magic of the whole thing. And I’ve had so many people say, is this, did you guys do this with CGI? Rich Birch — Oh, nice. Jason Hildebrand — So the the the sun is setting in the background, on the ocean, on the top of a cliff, beautiful green meadow on the top. So Tad puts the drone up and the battery immediately dies. He’s like, ah crap. So it comes back to him, puts in a second battery. And as he’s coming up, the the drone goes up and starts to circle around me. And as he’s doing that, five sheep come out of nowhere up onto the platform one by one. Look at me. And I’m just like, we hadn’t seen any sheep. No sheep would come near me. Rich Birch — Yes. Yes. Jason Hildebrand — And all of a sudden they’re like right there. Rich Birch — Wow. Yeah. Jason Hildebrand — And one by one, they go over the other side of the cliff and down until one sheep and I are looking at each other. And I’m now it’s a wide shot. So you can’t see my expression really, but I’m just weeping. I’m like, Lord, like what on earth? Rich Birch — Wow. Wow. That’s amazing. Jason Hildebrand — And it goes down the other side and it finishes the drone finishes going around me and the the battery dies again, and it has to go back. Rich Birch — Wow. Jason Hildebrand — And I’m like, what just happened? And it’s the final shot in the whole film. Rich Birch — Wow. Jason Hildebrand — And it’s this encapsulation of the moment of like the faithfulness of God and David and the whole thing. And it and it was like that kind of the whole the whole time where we’d, we all of a sudden we’d be like, we were gonna go here, but I think it’s raining. So we’re gonna go to this other location. And then that was the magic of like what happened in this, in the scenery. Rich Birch — Interesting. Jason Hildebrand — it it was It was pretty special. Rich Birch — So maybe a dumb question. Why David? So why why this story? Jason Hildebrand — Yeah. Rich Birch — You know there’s obviously a lot of narratives you could have you know produced. Jason Hildebrand — Sure. Rich Birch — Why start here? Obviously, this has been a long journey for you. Like you said, 30 years ago, you started with David. Jason Hildebrand — Yeah. And I thought it was culturally relevant 30 years ago. And I feel like it’s even more culturally relevant now. Jason Hildebrand — I mean, one of the things that kind of haunts me in the, in, in a good way is I think I mentioned earlier that after he gets anointed as king, he’s mostly a disaster for the rest of his days. He makes horrible choices over and over and over again. And at the end of his days, he’s mostly screwed it up. Jason Hildebrand — Like, he you know, he kind of heard the voice of God early on. And in the in the film, we’ve actually maybe it’s something we could also chat about is I’ve been really interested in language and and using language in a way that um steps outside of the current cultural baggage that some of our evangelical language has. Jason Hildebrand — So we actually use the sound, the idea of sound as a as um as a you know a metaphor or or who the Holy Spirit is, which is kind of interesting. Jason Hildebrand — But but in the midst of this mess, I think it’s quite extraordinary that God says that David was a man after his own heart. And he literally builds the foundation of his kingdom who who moves through Jesus out of this horribly flawed man, who at the end of the day was like, you know, a murderer. Some would say a rapist. Some would say like, there’s lots of there’s lots of stuff. There’s lots a lot of mess in his life. Jason Hildebrand — And and and at the end of his days, God says, but he’s my child. He’s my boy. I love him. And and it’s it’s not because of what he’s done. It’s not his disaster. It’s his heart. Jason Hildebrand — And I think that is an incredible incredibly hopeful thought for me. Because I don’t know about you, but I feel like mostly a disaster most days. Like I’m deeply loved. I know that. But I’m like, yeah, I kind of screwed up all the time. And I mean, no not to that extent. Rich Birch — Right. Jason Hildebrand — I’m not living in that… you know. Rich Birch — Right. Jason Hildebrand — But if he, but if God can do it for that guy who is just messed up, he can certainly do it for me. And I think people, I am watching as we do these screenings that people receive that in such an incredible way. They’re like, wait, me? Jason Hildebrand — Like, wait, like I’m a…I’m loved. How really? I’m really loved. Jason Hildebrand — There’s so much hunger for that. Our culture does not provide for that. Our culture provides anxiety and are you good enough? Rich Birch — Right. Jason Hildebrand — And are you know, do you have the right things? Rich Birch — Yep. Jump higher. Jason Hildebrand — Do you have the amount amount of money? Rich Birch — Yep. Jason Hildebrand — Do you have the right clothes? Have you watched the right clips? Rich Birch — Yep. Jason Hildebrand — All those kind of things. And unconditionally in that story at the end, you know, I think he says, ah when you rule in righteousness, when you rule in fear of God, you are like the light of morning, like the brightness after the rain that brings the grass from the earth. And I just love that. Rich Birch — Love it. Jason Hildebrand — I love that. Rich Birch — Well, and speaking of the language thing and, you know, the propensity of, you know, the the evangelical world in in its kind of relationship to art… Jason Hildebrand — Sure. Rich Birch — …a lot of it can get stuck in this kind of like either preachy or like shallow or, you know, like the the it’s the quintessential, you know, evangelical film from the 80s where like the two kids, you know, one kid says like, what is it about you in your life… Jason Hildebrand — Oh, oh. Rich Birch — …that’s so different. Tell me about that. You know what i mean? Jason Hildebrand — Yes, yes. Rich Birch — Like, and that which isn’t what you’re doing. Jason Hildebrand — No. Rich Birch — How do you how do we make something that is both genuinely artful and genuinely faithful at the same time? How are you? How do you hold that to mention? I realize there’s like, there’s no formula for that. You can’t get that in a spreadsheet. But how do you think about that? Jason Hildebrand — First great story. And I think we’ve found you know in so in the scriptures, we have great story. Like, I mean, great human stories. Rich Birch — Yep. Jason Hildebrand — But I, oh man, it’s it’s, a number of years ago, I was, I don’t know if I was feeling guilty or struggling with something like what you’re suggesting. Like, I think somebody had suggested to me, like, why aren’t you more evangelical and or evangelistic in your approach to your work? Jason Hildebrand — And so I was like, oh do I have to be to like, to you know, and and I think there’s some people who are, a I have a friend who’s an evangelist and the guy, you know, gets on a plane and three people are saved before they even get off the plane. Like he’s that guy. Rich Birch — Right. Jason Hildebrand — And, I you know, you kind of like, should I be that guy? Jason Hildebrand — And and I really, i I was in prayer one day and or I don’t even remember the exact moment of it. I just, I remember having this encounter with God where I felt like he spoke into my spirit stop trying to do my job, Jason. You’re not very good at it. Rich Birch — Oh, that’s so good. Jason Hildebrand — Like, like, like your job is not to do my job. Jason Hildebrand — Yeah. Like I, I bring the transformation. All you have to do is show up and allow my presence to co-create through you. Rich Birch — Right. Jason Hildebrand — And I thought, oh, wait a minute. Like, I don’t have to have all the right words and do all… No, you carry me. You carry me into the room. You carry me when you get on a set. Rich Birch — That’s good. Jason Hildebrand — You carry me when you’re on a stage. Like Christ in me, the hope of glory is the thing that’s transformational. Not Jason saying the right words. And it took all the pressure off. Jason Hildebrand — I thought, oh, wait, I’m built to be an artist. I can just be an artist. That’s enough. And that was like, and so whether you are, whatever you are, if you’re a woodworker, if you’re a teacher, if you’re like a doctor, whatever. I mean, I think it’s the same. We carry God into the room. Rich Birch — That’s good. Jason Hildebrand — And by our, you know, people we’ve been, we’ve been I don’t know if you have this, we’ve been talking through how do we communicate that on social media? And I, you know, I have this extraordinary new social media person. And and I said, if you want to know who I am, just watch my work. Rich Birch — Right. Jason Hildebrand — It’s there. Rich Birch — Right. Jason Hildebrand — That’s what it is And I think it’s the same with you too. you know If you want to know who you are, just listen to a bunch of podcasts by Rich. Rich Birch — Right. Jason Hildebrand — It’s like I know who Rich is right away. Rich Birch — Sure. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Interesting. So good. Well, I want to talk about kind of dance around this a little bit. Tell me about the screenings that… Jason Hildebrand — Sure. Rich Birch — So how how is this actually, you know, how are you rolling this out? Where can I, you know, watch this, that kind of thing. Talk us through that part. Jason Hildebrand — Well, we had a good long debate at the beginning of what to do with this and had a a lot of meetings with various ah distribution folks. And I had been feeling a big check in my spirit about throwing it up on streaming. Like, you know, there’s a lot of stuff on streaming. Some good, some not, but so much of it, even on on the major platforms, it just gets lost. You know, great films that get lost in the middle of nowhere. Jason Hildebrand — And you know we come from a theater background. And so we’re really interested in getting people together in community. Like that’s a really big deal for us because I think that’s where the transformation happens – in-person. Jason Hildebrand — And so we’ve kind of balked at putting it up on on any kind of streaming service because I just feel like it’s just like, ah, I can do that at the end of my night. But how can I gather people to have an encounter? And so I think inadvertently we did it. we’veve We’ve done, we’ve done a, you know, it’s, this is classic. Jason Hildebrand — It’s just so how God works with us. He’s like, you know, we just try it. Or he gives a suggestion. We try We go, oh, oh, that’s why we were supposed to do it. Okay. It’s like the worst, the worst strategy ever is like, you know, but mostly… Rich Birch — Love it. Jason Hildebrand — …well, I don’t know if the worst strategy, I think I’m learning to be like getting up in the morning and say, Lord, what do you actually want me to do today? But in the same way with this stuff. So we, we did it. We did a handful of, we did a handful of screenings so far and we’re about to do a Canadian tour and a European tour. Jason Hildebrand — But what we have found, Rich, which was the which was the epiphany for us again, was we invite people to a theater space, so like a movie so movie theater space or or a really interesting cool art space, something that’s like, non-churchy. ah Although, you know, there’s a lot of great churches that have these kind of environments. But in Canada, we have like smaller, smaller church, you know, communities, but so places that have a great screen and great sound. Because we shot in Scotland, so the landscape is extraordinary. And, and the score by Mike Jansen, who’s this incredible Canadian composer is, is I think, like Academy Award winning. The score is like, wow. Jason Hildebrand — So we got people together and then we got a local host, somebody that’s trusted in the community to just kind of invite people to a place to slow down. And a lot of times, both in my coaching and in in the work that we do, we incorporate breath, this idea of Ruach, the breath of God into our stuff. So invite people to slow down to breathe, to like turn off their busyness of their day, like just actually turn it off and to get present. Jason Hildebrand — And, you know, maybe it’s a 10 minute or so thing, but it really, it really sets the tone. And we invite people to encounter the story, to find themselves in the story, like I mentioned earlier. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. Jason Hildebrand — And then people watch the film. It’s just over an hour. And then one of our team, usually me so far, sits and we unpack it in a Q&A after. Rich Birch — So cool. Jason Hildebrand — And the question and and the people that have come are both people of faith and people who are completely outside of faith. Jason Hildebrand — And and the response. I really feel like my mandate is to create work for human beings, not for any particular stripe of person, because we all have the same need. Rich Birch — Right. Yep. Jason Hildebrand — We all need Jesus, but when we all need who God, we all need the Holy Spirit. But whether a person been walking with God for a long time or not walked at all, the need is still the same. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. Jason Hildebrand — To encounter God. Jason Hildebrand — And so, man, I, so it’s wild. I had I invited my, I have a Mini car and my mechanic, this 60-ish year old Scottish mechanic. Jason Hildebrand — And I’ve been talking with him as I’ve been going back and forth from Scotland about Scotland and whatever. And I invited him to the screening in Toronto. And he came with his girlfriend. And so I texted him the next day. I said, hey man, like, what did you think? He goes, what you and your team have built is so extraordinary. He said, thank you for allowing me to slow down and listen. Rich Birch — So good. Jason Hildebrand — He said, and then I was lost in the wind and the waves and I was overcome by everything. And I was like, what? Like, this is a no, this man, there’s no faith going on. Rich Birch — Yes. Love it. Jason Hildebrand — And interestingly, another, another person was there that I invited that actually makes, makes my glasses, made in Toronto, and incredible artist and like a entrepreneur, really great guy. And I said to him after, I said, wow, what did you think? And he goes, the thing that I noticed, Jason, was that people were hungry for what you brought. Rich Birch — That’s cool. Jason Hildebrand — And this is a person completely outside of a faith context. We have lots of really interesting discussions about faith, him and I. Jason Hildebrand — But I was like, wow, okay. And then those who have a faith context, it’s like all a sudden God goes, all right, we’re here. We’re going to go deeper. And I had the questions that come out of those folks are like deep in the guts, like, oh, wow. Rich Birch — That’s cool. Jason Hildebrand — And it’s been extraordinary. I like… You know when you you do something that’s more that’s more than the sum of its parts? That’s how it feels for me. Rich Birch — Yes. Jason Hildebrand — I’m like, this shouldn’t work, but it totally works. Rich Birch — Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Like on a piece of paper that doesn’t make sense. Yeah. Yeah. For sure. Jason Hildebrand — Yeah, it doesn’t make sense. Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah. For sure. Jason Hildebrand — So, yeah, that’s been that’s been it’s been wild. It’s been wild to watch it. Rich Birch — That’s amazing. I love that. And when I heard this, was like, I think that is the best way to present this kind of content that you’re, you’ve chosen to say, no, we’re going to really do like, it’s like uncomfortable. You’re forcing, we’re going to have to get it into, you know, live room with real people. Jason Hildebrand — Yeah. Rich Birch — You’re going to have to slow down. There’s a cost to that in just you know it’s it does not. Jason Hildebrand — Yeah. Rich Birch — It’s an ornery decision, which I love. I think it’s fantastic. Jason Hildebrand — Oh, thank you. Rich Birch — I think is like i think that’s i think that so so makes so much sense. I was thinking again about this. You know, we went and saw the Odyssey this summer. My wife and I went and saw that. Jason Hildebrand — Oh, yeah. Rich Birch — And, um you know, it’s one of those movies that like, yeah, sure, we could wait and, you know, whatever, get it on our streaming device. I’m sure they’ll release on streaming device. But there’s something about being in the room with other people. And it’s it’s not just the big screen. Jason Hildebrand — Yes. Rich Birch — There’s that kind of community experience of it. And I know this has a similar kind of feel to it. I love that. Jason Hildebrand — Absolutely. Rich Birch — So if I’m a church leader listening in, are you are you like partnering with churches to do this? Are there ways we could plug in with this? How does how does that work? Jason Hildebrand — Sure. I mean, we’re doing a Canadian tour of movie theaters right now. So, you know, we’re we’re we’re in the process of building national and regional sponsorships across the country. But our long-term goal is really to, you know, we’ve got both a film. And then we’ve got this immersive gallery, which is eight stations based on themes from the film. Jason Hildebrand — So like failure and loss and lament and family and the elements like, you know, the the physical elements outside wind and water and and such. And so, you know, that gets set up. you know, we in a for about a week and people can kind of wander through that at their leisure. Rich Birch — Yep. Jason Hildebrand — And then there’s a small group resource. So our hope, I think long-term after we kind of do this screening tour is really to invite church communities to utilize the whole package in a way… Rich Birch — Right, right. Jason Hildebrand —…to, you know, invite people to encounter the screening in a, in a big screen with great sound. And then for them to unpack the whole thing over the course of a week, people could wander through it in a, know, in a, in kind of a hall or a space, an art gallery, something you know connected. And then they could even take it to the next level by doing the small group resource. Jason Hildebrand — And we’ve incorporated some of those Psalms micro-films that I had spoken about into the into the resource as well. Rich Birch — Right, right. Jason Hildebrand — So you’re you’re encountering scripture. And both in the in the gallery and in the small group resource, one of the things that I was big on incorporating was a lot a lot of the small group stuff is very kind of intellectual, sit on the couch and think about things. And same with the gallery type space. Jason Hildebrand — And we wanted people, we you know, people learn in different ways. We wanted people to both have a contemplative experience, but also there’s doing, you have to do something. And so each station, there’s a doing. And in in the room when you’re doing the small group reserve, every week is you’re doing something. Rich Birch — That’s cool. Jason Hildebrand — You’re getting up and standing outside and putting your feet in the grass or like different things like that, which is which is kind of a sensory thing alongside of a visual thing. Rich Birch — That’s so cool. I love that. Well, if people want to, well, first of all, this has been a fantastic conversation. I’m sure there’s a lot more we could cover. Jason Hildebrand — Thanks Rich. Yeah. We could go for days, you and I. Rich Birch — And I, yeah, so good. But if, where do we want to send people… Jason Hildebrand — Sure. Rich Birch — …to kind of learn more? I really do want people, again, I think you would be served well to just even watch the trailer today, friends. But if people want to explore this a little bit more, where do we want to send them online? Jason Hildebrand — Yeah, absolutely. Well, theshepherdandthesound.com. You can check it out there. Jason Hildebrand — All on our socials, @PresenceCreativeArts or mine, @JasonHildebrand. And our website is PresenceCreativeArts.com. They can you can kind of on that site, The Shepherd and The Sound or on Presence, you can see kind of like a breakdown of the three things we’re working on. Jason Hildebrand — We’re also in the process of taking the original soundtrack by Mike Jansen and building an app that ends up being a contemplative space act or app built out of scripture and the music as well. Rich Birch — That’s so cool. Jason Hildebrand — But that’s that’s coming in the future. Rich Birch — Love it. So great. Well, friends, again, that’s, we’ll put links to all that, theshepherdandthesoundfilm.com. Again, I want you to go over there, check that out. You’ve got a, it’s hard to describe art in audio format. Jason Hildebrand — It’s so true. Rich Birch — It’s like, how do we, how do we talk about this in a way that will give you the sense of what it is? But hopefully we’ve done a little bit for that. Jason, I appreciate you being here today. Just want to honor you for the good work you’re doing. Jason Hildebrand — Thanks, Rich. Rich Birch — And thanks for taking time to be with us today. Jason Hildebrand — Appreciate you a lot. Thanks so much.

The U.S. midterm elections are still a little ways off at the beginning of November, but the results could have a big impact beyond the American border. Rodney Loeppky, Associate Professor at York University, joins us to break down what's at stake for Canada.

What if aging wasn't something to fear—but an invitation to become more fully who you were always meant to be?In this deeply reflective episode of the Wise Divine Women Podcast, Dana Irvine welcomes Dr. Susanne Eden, educator, author, lifelong learner, and an inspiring 87-year-old woman who continues to write, explore, travel, learn, and challenge conventional ideas about aging.Susanne shares her remarkable journey from beginning her teaching career with 48 Grade One students in Richmond Hill, Ontario, to working in educational publishing, completing her doctorate, teaching at York University, and eventually becoming a full-time writer.But her greatest education may have come through her own health journey.After years of chronic illness, inflammatory challenges, diabetes, medications, specialists, and eventually being forced into early retirement, Susanne began questioning the idea that healing could come only from outside herself.That journey became the foundation of her book, Healing From the Inside: Living Fully as You Age.Together, Dana and Susanne explore what it means to take ownership of your health, reconnect mind, body and spirit, discover purpose later in life, remain curious, embrace new technology, journal for deeper understanding, and refuse to accept the message that you are ever “too old” to grow.Susanne reminds us that aging is not simply about maintaining the physical body. True wellness includes our mental, emotional and spiritual lives—and our purpose does not disappear simply because we get older.A Powerful Reminder From This ConversationYou do not lose your purpose because you reach a certain age.Your body may change. Your circumstances may change. Your career may change. But there are still things to discover, people to love, wisdom to share, experiences to embrace and ways to leave the world better because you were here.As Susanne beautifully reminds us:Trust the journey. Keep shoveling the coal—but remember, you may not be the one driving the train.Connect With Dr. Susanne EdenBook: Healing From the Inside: Living Fully as You AgeAvailable through Amazon.Website: https://susanneeden.com/booksVisit Susanne's website to explore her writing, blogs, newsletters, conversations, recipes and resources on healing and living fully as we age.Ready to Better Understand Your Own Body?For support with hormones, metabolism, breast health, digestion, and whole-body wellness, visit DanaIrvine.com and book a Health Clarity Call.Subscribe to the Wise Divine Women Podcast, leave a review, and share this episode with a woman who needs the reminder that her wisdom, purpose and potential do not expire with age.healthy aging, aging with purpose, Dr Susanne Eden, Healing From the Inside, living fully as you age, women and aging, lifelong learning, purposeful aging, healthy longevity, spiritual wellness, mind body spirit health, holistic aging, women over 50, women over 60, women over 70, women over 80, journaling for healing, self-discovery, finding purpose after retirement, aging gracefully,

Dr. Amy Muise, an Associate Professor of Psychology and York Research Chair in Relationships and Sexuality at York University, directs the Sexual Health and Relationships (SHaRe) Lab, where she studies how couples build and sustain desire over time. In this episode, Dr. Amy breaks down why sexual desire declines even in happy relationships, the data behind planned versus spontaneous sex, and what actually predicts romantic chemistry. She also covers the surprising link between household labor and desire, and how to think about first dates without over-relying on "the spark."References:Art Aron: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_AronDr. Amy Muise: https://discover.academics.yorku.ca/Amy.MuiseEric Tu: https://erictu.ca/Lorne Campbell: https://www.psychology.uwo.ca/people/faculty/Campbell.htmlSHaRe Lab: https://www.amymuise.comYork University: https://www.yorku.caTimestamps:00:00 Introduction01:40 How one undergrad thesis led to a career studying relationships02:46 Why sexual desire, specifically, became her research focus05:43 The myth that desire stays high in a "healthy" relationship08:00 Familiarity, novelty, and the self-expanding experiences that sustain desire10:00 Is there a normal amount of sex to have12:38 The gender gap in desire, and why it exists13:32 How an unequal household load quietly lowers desire20:58 The overwhelming, mostly false belief about spontaneous sex22:44 Rebranding planned sex like planning a vacation26:58 Should more couples be planning sex?28:57 The five ingredients of real romantic chemistry32:45 Why 40% of happy couples felt no spark at first34:44 What a first date can, and can't, predict36:52 Why relationship scientists struggle to predict compatibility39:00 Beyond small talk: the "fast friends" questions that build closeness46:50 Destiny vs. growth beliefs, and why growth wins49:34 The craft Amy is spending a lifetime honing

How do authoritarian leaders use threats, illusions and force to seize and maintain power? And what does it take for truth and justice to prevail? IDEAS explores the rise and fall of pivotal authoritarians and their regimes from recent world history, and asks what we can learn from their eventual downfall. We start our series with the legacy of Italian fascism and its relevance today.Listen to other episodes in this series:How to Defeat Authoritarianism | Augusto Pinochet's ChileHow to Defeat Authoritarianism | Idi Amin's UgandaHow to Defeat Authoritarianism | Bashar al-Assad's SyriaGuests in this podcast:Joshua Arthurs is an associate professor in the Faculty of Information and the Department of Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American Studies at the University of Toronto.Robert Ventresca is the president of King's University College at Western University and a historian of 20th century Europe.Aitana Guia is the Mackenzie Papineau Memorial Chair in Modern Spanish History at York University, Toronto, Canada.

In Episode 152 of the 17 County Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Tim Westbrook, President of York University, to learn more about the person behind the leadership and his vision for the university's future. Dr. Westbrook shares his personal and professional journey, what led him to York University, and how his experiences have shaped his approach to leadership. We discuss the university's mission, recent growth and development, and the important role York University plays in the York community and across the region. The conversation also explores the opportunities and challenges facing higher education, the importance of preparing students for meaningful careers and lives of service, and how strong partnerships between the university and the community can create long-term impact. If you're interested in leadership, education, community development, or the future of York University, this episode offers an inspiring look at the vision guiding one of York County's most important institutions.

He takes your calls after Jerry Agar's interview this morning. How do you fix the current CPC? GUESTS: Jesse Rogerson - Associate Science Professor at York University and author of the book Daydreaming in the Solar System Jason Kenney - former premier of Alberta

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

Tax planning isn't just something to think about when it's time to file your return. The decisions you make throughout the year can have a meaningful impact on how much of your money you ultimately keep.In this episode of CIBC Smart Advice, host Carissa Lucreziano sits down with CIBC tax expert Jamie Golombek to explore practical tax strategies Canadians can consider at different stages of their financial lives.Jamie shares how understanding your tax rate can help you make more informed decisions about your money, uncover opportunities you may be overlooking and plan more effectively for the future.About Jamie GolombekJamie Golombek is Managing Director, Tax and Estate Planning with CIBC in Toronto. As a member of the CIBC Private Wealth team, Jamie works closely with advisors from across CIBC to support their clients and deliver integrated financial planning and strong advisory solutions. He joined the firm in 2008 after 12 years with a global investment company, where he was involved in both internal and external consulting on all areas of taxation and estate planning.Jamie has also worked for Deloitte as a tax specialist in the Toronto office, where he specialized in both personal and corporate tax planning.Jamie is quoted frequently in the national media as an expert on taxation. He writes a weekly column called “Tax Expert,” in the National Post, has appeared as a guest on BNN, CTV News, and The National, and for several years was a regular personal finance guest on The Marilyn Denis Show.He received his B.Com. from McGill University, earned his CPA designation in Ontario and qualified as a US CPA in Illinois. He has also obtained his Certified Financial Planning (CFP) and Chartered Life Underwriting (CLU) designations.In 2023, Jamie was named a CPA Ontario Fellow. The FCPA is the highest distinction that can be bestowed upon a CPA who brings distinction to themselves and to their profession through leadership and achievement in their professional, community or personal lives.Jamie is a past chair of the Investment Funds Institute of Canada's Tax Working Group. He is also a member of CPA Ontario, the Illinois CPA Society, the Estate Planning Council of Toronto, the Canadian Tax Foundation and the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.For nearly two decades, Jamie taught an MBA course in Personal Finance at the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto.Visit Jamie Golombek's profile on CIBC here.Resources Mentioned / Links List ● CIBC's "Smart Advice" Podcast and Website - Website | Apple Podcasts | Spotify● Visit CIBC for more Smart Advice● Jamie Golombek | CIBC● CIBC | Tax Toolkit 2026● CIBC | Do You Know What Your Tax Rate Is?● CIBC | Give a Little Bit: Tax Planning & Gifting● CIBC | First Home Savings Account (FHSA) resources3 Reasons Why You Should Listen to This Episode Learn how understanding your marginal tax rate can help you make smarter decisions about where and how you save and invest.Discover tax planning opportunities around gifting, homeownership and strategies you may not have considered.Understand why proactive planning can be especially important for business owners, families and Canadians preparing for major financial milestones.Enjoyed this Episode?If you did, be sure to subscribe and share it with your friends!Tax rules can be complex, but understanding how they apply to your financial decisions can help you plan with greater confidence. CIBC's Smart Advice hub offers tax tips, expert insights, tools and resources to help you better understand your options and make informed decisions throughout the year.Have any questions? You can connect with me on LinkedIn or through CIBC's Facebook or Instagram.Thanks for tuning in! For more updates, visit our website. You can also listen to more amazing episodes on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.

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.

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 

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

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 England Producer: 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 EnglandProducer: 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.

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.

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.

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