Podcast for Inquiry S02E04: Allan Offenberger on Fusion Research: What We’ve Achieved, What Remains to be Solved

In December 2022, fusion research achieved a major accomplishment: more energy resulted from a controlled fusion reaction than was put into it. Allan explains why this is more a symbolic milestone than a sign that commercial fusion is imminent. Allan describes the current state of the art in fusion research, and the many ways fusion differs from fission, the existing nuclear energy technology. Fusion is moving from science to engineering, and many technical hurdles must be overcome before fusion, for all its promise, can make a significant practical difference in the world. 

For more information, visit the Fusion Energy Council of Canada, ITER, or the Fusion Industry Association. 

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Podcast for Inquiry S02B01: Leslie Rosenblood on Humanism in Children and Women's Rights

The Centre for Inquiry Canada was invited to give a presentation on Humanism in Children and Women's Rights at the third International Humanism Conference for Social Justice in September 2022. I spoke on Humanism in Children and Women's rights. This bonus episode of Podcast for Inquiry is my speech at the conference.

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Podcast for Inquiry S02E03: What does history say about the accuracy of Bible stories? With Dr. Joshua Bowen

Dr. Joshua Bowen (@DJHammurabi1) is an Assyriology scholar and author of "The Atheist Guide to the Old Testament". Josh describes his journey from fundamentalist evangelical Christianity to atheism, and what motivated him to write two volumes (so far!) of the Atheist Guide. We discuss the Old Testament book of Exodus, and its correspondence to what we know of the time from the fields of history and archaeology. You can learn much more about Josh’s work on his YouTube channel, Digital Hammurabi. 

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Podcast for Inquiry S02E02: Ashley Esakin explains how you - yes, you! - can be a gardener

Ashley Esakin is passionate about plants, and provides advice about how anyone - rural, urban, even those who live in apartments - can start their own garden. We talk about how seeds both sense and manipulate their environment, efficiency and environmental challenges in modern agriculture (and how they are being addressed), and some common myths and misperceptions about gardening. You can learn more from Ashley on her YouTube channel, Gardening in Canada. 

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Podcast for Inquiry S02E01: What It Means to be Moral with Phil Zuckerman

Phil Zuckerman is a professor of Secular Studies at Pitzer College. Phil describes what the Secular Studies program entails from philosophical, political, and sociological perspectives. Phil is the author of What It Means to be Moral, and we discuss how leading an ethical life does not require a religious foundation. Phil is the Executive Director of Humanist Global Charity, and you can read his most recent articles and essays on OnlySky.  

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Podcast for Inquiry S01E25: Bryan Van Norden on the importance of Chinese philosophy

Bryan Van Norden (@BryanVanNorden) is a professor of Chinese philosophy. We discuss the six titans of Chinese philosophical schools, along the parallels and differences with various Western philosophies. Bryan makes the case for studying Chinese philosophy in a world full of fascinating topics to learn about, and argues for incorporating a more diverse set of philosophical thought into the core canon. For those interested in a deeper understanding than was discussed in this episode, Bryan has compiled a bibliography of less commonly taught philosophies, written several books, and has a YouTube lecture series on Chinese Buddhism and Neo-Confucianism, from Confucius to Xi Jinping.  

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Podcast for Inquiry S01E24: David Robert Grimes on his book, Good Thinking

David Robert Grimes (@drg1985) is a scientist and author of Good Thinking (The Irrational Ape in Europe and UK). We talk about the centrality of critical thinking to human flourishing, and the many, many ways intuitive heuristics can mislead us. And yet, with training and diligence, we can overcome our biases, motivated reasoning, and logical fallacies to create the technologies that are part of modern life. David describes how and when to apply one’s critical faculties, and why doing so can save the world.  

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Podcast for Inquiry S01E23: Futures studies with Joseph Voros

Dr. Joseph Voros has been a professional futurist for over two decades. We discuss what futures studies is, and the challenges in recognizing successful efforts that prevent catastrophes. Dr. Voros describes the difference between probable, plausible, and possible futures, how to classify them and what we can do to increase the probability of bringing about a future that we (and our descendants) will want to live in. This episode is audio-only to respect Dr. Voros’ privacy.

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Podcast for Inquiry S01E22: How youth can take climate action with Jasveen Brar

Jasveen Brar is the Executive Director of Youth Climate Lab, a “non-profit organization of youth mobilizing youth to create just, climate-resilient futures.” Jasveen explains why her organization focuses on people under 30, their accomplishments to date, and what they are planning for the future. We talk about the role of the individual, municipalities, and governments around the world in mitigating the effects of the climate emergency.

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Podcast for Inquiry S01E21: Thomas Westbrook on becoming Holy Koolaid

Thomas Westbrook (@holykoolaid) was brought up as an evangelical Christian. Upon learning that truth should be able to withstand scrutiny, he eagerly looked at the tenets of his faith with a critical lens… and found it wanting. After realizing that science explained the world in a much more coherent manner than religion, he started his enormously popular Holy Koolaid YouTube channel and website. His favourite video series are Nothing Fails Like Bible History and Exposing Psychics. 

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