Life is full of decisions, big and small. What to eat for breakfast, what to wear to work, who to ask for advice, where to send your kids to school. But are any of these decisions truly our own? A growing movement of psychologists, philosophers, and neuroscientists believe that these decisions may feel like a tossup, but in reality are predetermined, merely the firing of neural pathways forged over time that lead to predictable conclusions. Despite how we feel, free will is an illusi...
Jan 04, 2022•49 min•Season 2Ep. 59
This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast . The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein , the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths , Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. The last Munk Member’s podcast for 2022 pulls out the crystal ball, polishes it to a fine gloss and...
Dec 31, 2021•11 min
Has #MeToo gone too far? On this episode of the Munk Debates Podcast recorded in June 2020, Harvey Weinstein’s attorney, Donna Rotunno, and Jane Manning, a former sex crimes prosecutor, argue the motion Be it resolved the #MeToo movement has gone too far. SOURCES: MSNBC, Global News, thedailybeast, ABC News, CBSN
Dec 28, 2021•44 min•Season 2Ep. 58
This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast . The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein , the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths , Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. The penultimate Munk Member’s podcast for 2021 looks back at the year that was to reflect on what w...
Dec 24, 2021•13 min
Russia has moved more than 100,000 troops close to disputed areas in Ukraine, setting up fears of a new Russian military intervention following their invasion of Crimea in 2014. US officials have responded by threatening Putin both with economic sanctions and the cancellation of a planned gas pipeline to Europe. Some security experts believe that the west must do more to defend Ukraine; standing by and allowing Russia to invade the country sends a message to other aggressive powers like China th...
Dec 22, 2021•46 min•Season 2Ep. 57
This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast . The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein , the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths , Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast explores two issues in the news. First, its official…the wo...
Dec 17, 2021•17 min
Gone are the days of the post-war baby boom and nation-wide one-child policies. Fertility rates around the world – From the US to China to South Korea to Japan - are on the decline, and 23 nations are expected to see their populations halve by 2100. Some demographers are sounding the alarm. They argue that low birth rates combined with an aging population will lead to wage inflation, soaring healthcare costs for the elderly and shrinking workforces to pay for public services and already ma...
Dec 14, 2021•45 min•Season 2Ep. 56
This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast . The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein , the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths , Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast explores three important topics in the news. First, a boycott of t...
Dec 10, 2021•18 min
Trillions of dollars each year are poured into developing new technologies that redefine the art of war. And the next frontier of military technology will bring the world of science fiction into reality: fully autonomous weapons. Supporters of autonomous weapons argue that it is imperative that we develop artificial intelligence capable of making tough decisions at an extraordinary speed. They argue that this new technology will limit civilian casualties and avoid human error t...
Dec 07, 2021•51 min•Season 2Ep. 55
This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast . The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein , the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths , Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members’ only podcast explores three issues in the news. First, while no pro...
Dec 03, 2021•11 min
We’ve come a long way since DNA was first discovered in the mid 19th century. Today’s scientists are using powerful engineering techniques to edit genes in human eggs and sperm, curing diseases and repairing defective genes before a child is even born. Some scientists are excited about these therapies, championing them as an exciting opportunity to create immunity to viruses, eliminate serious illnesses like AIDS, Alzheimer’s, and cancer, and possibly reverse aging. Like p...
Nov 30, 2021•44 min•Season 2Ep. 54
This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast . The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein , the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths , Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. On this week’s Munk Members’ podcast explores three stories in the news. First, a “Nu&r...
Nov 26, 2021•15 min
Everyone who enters the medical field does so altruistically, standing steadfast against the ever present threat of death and disease. But as any doctor knows, there are limits to what they can do. At a certain point, the goal shifts from curative to palliative care. At this stage, the goal is no longer to save a life, but to relieve suffering as best as possible. How to do so, and the point at which suffering becomes worse than death, is highly contested. A growing movem...
Nov 23, 2021•46 min•Season 2Ep. 53
This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast . The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein , the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths , Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast catches up with Janice Stein at the Halifax Security Forum in Nova...
Nov 19, 2021•26 min
Recent gubernatorial losses have left the Democratic Party shaken, concerned about how these disappointing election results will predict how the country votes in the 2022 midterms. Moderate strategists are pointing the finger at their progressive party members. By promoting unpopular policies on police, immigration, education, and gender politics, the progressive wing of the party is alienating its moderate base and pushing them towards the GOP. They argue that the left’s tactics in govern...
Nov 16, 2021•51 min•Season 2Ep. 52
This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast . The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein , the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths , Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast focuses on three stories in the news. First, Europe is facing a ne...
Nov 12, 2021•24 min
“All roads lead to Rome,” goes the saying, and many historians agree. They argue that ancient Roman civilization, which grew into a colossal super state lasting two thousand years, is the historical period that has the greatest influence on modern day society. Roman civilization’s impact is vast: a sophisticated approach to law that informs our modern legal system, the Western alphabet, the Romance languages spoken by 800 million people, Christianity as the spiritual home to ov...
Nov 10, 2021•50 min•Season 2Ep. 51
This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast . The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein , the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths , Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast digs into three stories in the news. First, what does Republican w...
Nov 05, 2021•14 min
COVID-19 presented a monumental shift in the way people work. Home offices replaced commutes and cubicles, ZOOM calls took over from conference rooms, and communication went from in person to over Slack. Some people believe now is the time to re-think other conventional work practises as well, specifically the five-day work week. Companies that have experimented with fewer workday hours showed an increase in productivity, better employee retention, higher recruitment of skilled workers, and over...
Nov 02, 2021•45 min•Season 2Ep. 50
This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast . The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein , the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths , Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast explores three topics in the news. First, Joe Biden lays his presi...
Oct 29, 2021•11 min
Traditional religious holidays are losing ground in a rapidly secularizing world. Halloween, on the other hand, keeps gaining steam. Decorative pumpkins, elaborate costumes, and a cornucopia of sweet confections all signal that Halloween is upon us. But for the hardcore Halloween reveler, Halloween means one thing: horror movies. Horror films allow us to experience our fears from the comfort of our couch, confront them, and work through them. But all horror movies are not...
Oct 28, 2021•43 min•Season 2Ep. 49
This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast . The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein , the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths , Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast explores two topics in the news. First, why are the major advanced...
Oct 22, 2021•18 min
Falling wages. Failing infrastructure. Soaring public debts. Many believe that America’s future looks anything but bright. Stark ideological and partisan divisions have fractured the country at home while a string of failed foreign military interventions have soured Americans on the country’s role as defender of the liberal international order. Add in exploding disparities between rich and poor, a bungled pandemic response, and lacklustre economic growth and you have all the markers ...
Oct 19, 2021•52 min•Season 2Ep. 48
This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast . The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein , the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths , Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast explores three stories in the news. Talk of rising inflation was e...
Oct 15, 2021•15 min
While the conversation around a universal basic income - a government program which provides every adult with regular cash payments - has gained traction in recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic turned the fringe experimental program into a reality for millions of people around the globe. Facing skyrocketing unemployment and an impending economic crisis, some governments decided to act swiftly and without conditions: they transferred cash directly into the hands of all their citizens - regardless ...
Oct 13, 2021•48 min•Season 2Ep. 47
This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast . The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein , the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths , Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members Podcast explores two events in the news. First up, what is driving surging...
Oct 08, 2021•21 min
This past year has seen an onslaught of disruptions that call into question our ability to coexist with our environment. The devastating effects of climate change have arrived, and show no signs of abating. Flash flooding has swept across China and Northern Europe. The Eastern United States has been inundated by hurricanes of historic size. Record breaking heat waves and wildfires have decimated large swaths of Western North America. And a global pandemic continues to rage on. All of this begs t...
Oct 05, 2021•45 min•Season 2Ep. 46
This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast . The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein , the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths , Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast focus on two important stories in the news. First up, the return o...
Oct 01, 2021•22 min
It has become one of the more divisive topics in today’s culture wars: what to do with the statues of historical figures with controversial pasts. And while many can agree that the monuments of Robert E Lee and Edward Colston should not stand in city centres, the debate becomes murkier when the likes of Winston Churchill, John A MacDonald, Queen Victoria, and Abraham Lincoln enter the fray. Those calling for statues to come down and streets to be renamed argue that this is not a case of &l...
Sep 28, 2021•52 min•Season 2Ep. 45
This is a sample of the Munk Members-Only Podcast . The program provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein , the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths , Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. This week’s Munk Members podcast focuses on three stories in the news: Europe is in the news with h...
Sep 24, 2021•14 min
