Preconceived

"Diamonds are Forever" was a slogan used by De Beers to help turn the diamond into a symbol of everlasting love. It is now estimated that up to 80% of diamond rings have a diamond in them. In the first part of this episode, Zale tries to break down the very expensive custom of the "diamond ring proposal" and evaluate the logic behind it. In the second part of the episode, Professor Roy Maconachie...

Walking through the meat aisle of a grocery store, do you ever wonder whether it is normal to eat animals? Even if you do think it is normal to eat animals, what about well-documented abuse of animals in the food industry? The veganism movement is associated with many preconceptions, both regarding the types of people who become vegans and the ideology itself. Dr. Corey Wrenn is a sociologist, soc...

The stripper industry is full of judgments and preconceptions. Strippers are often seen as taking an easy way out to make money, and the men who attend strip clubs are often considered shallow. But has society become overly judgmental of strippers and those who partake? Are people too quick to impose their version of morality on others? And do the positive contributions of the stripping world get...

Fictional characters from books, movies and television shows have some of the most resonating impacts on our lives. Yet is it not ironic that many of the characters we love so much, would likely be scorned by us if they existed in real life? This episode of A Preconceived Moment attempts to untangle some of that irony. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ferkat Jawdat has been one of the world's most vocal advocates against the genocide of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang, China. His advocacy stems from the harrowing story of his own family being torn apart by the conflict. His mother has been trapped in China, unable to emigrate and join her family in the United States. She has been detained in concentration camps and prison alongside other persecuted...

Do you remember life before social media? Sometimes it is tough to recall such a time when iPhones, Facebook and Instagram weren't a normal part of our daily lives. But as these platforms and media have become entrenched as staples in our everyday lives, it is increasingly important to pause and reflect on the impact they have on us. The recent Netflix docudrama, The Social Dilemma, explores our c...

Tipping is so engrained in our cultural framework that we rarely take a step back to question how this custom developed and why we continue to practice it. Dr. William Michael Lynn is a professor in Hospitality department at Cornell University and is a world-renowned expert for his research on tipping. How did tipping come to be? Does better service actually lead to better tips? What are tipping p...

Does age really matter ? Is life so simple that it can be broken down into milestones typically associated with specific ages ? Zale breaks down the preconceptions of aging with his mother Robin Mednick, who has taken many twists and turns in her life, starting with an extensive education in law, economics and politics, but ultimately veering in completely different career paths. Robin challenges...

Amit Gupta was a successful entrepreneur by all accounts, having started several very innovative and successful companies. But when he was suddenly diagnosed with leukemia at a young age, his whole life changed immediately. At one point being given less than 25% chance of surviving, Amit's story is a phenomenal recount of resilience, friendship and reflection. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac...

One of the most unthinkable nightmares for a parent is that their child encounters danger, whether a serious injury, abducted by a stranger, or god forbid, dies. But does the incidence of these events warrant the degree of caution that many parents exercise when raising their kids? How common is it for tragedy to strike a child? And perhaps just as important, what detriment is being done to kids w...

Substance abuse and addiction are common yet often misunderstood. Many of us have an image in our heads when we think about about an alcoholic, yet that image often reflects only a narrow group of those who are suffering. So how do we reshape our view of addiction? What drives someone towards substance abuse? What are the fundamental principles of treatment recovery? is it possible for someone suf...

Mike Holding is a wildlife cinematographer who makes wildlife films in the heart of Africa’s wilderness.  Based out of Botswana, he has collaborated on many wildlife documentaries including the critically acclaimed series Planet Earth.  Mike joins the podcast to discuss common preconceptions regarding the wildlife filmmaking process, what he has learned from his time living amongst animals and how...

It is not hard to put a case together that Jesus Christ has been the most influential figure over the past two thousand years. And as the holiday season approaches, we are frequently reminded of the ever-present impact he has had on the world. But what do we actually know about the life of Jesus Christ? Why is he, and how did he become, such an influential figure? What was at the core of Jesus's m...

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The "pro-life" vs. "pro-choice" dilemma regarding abortion is the centre of much heated debate in the United States. On a previous episode of the podcast, we spoke with an obstetrician regarding abortion in Canada and the United States and examined the concept of reproductive justice and why it is important for a woman to have the right to choose. On this episode, we are joined by Annette Lancaste...

The universe is so vast that it is quite literally impossible to comprehend. Yet with so much unknown, there is also so much room for hypothesizing and pontificating. What is the likelihood that other earth-like planets exist? What are the chances of extraterrestrial life? What is the practical purpose of studying the universe? Dr. John Johnson, a Harvard Professor of Astrophysics, has discovered...

In "A Preconceived Moment", Zale shares some brief reflections on the preconceptions that shape our every day thoughts. In the first episode of this mini-series, Zale reflects on the idealization of "moments" and how our romanticization over the past can be both beautiful and dangerous. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the COVID pandemic, it has become even more imperative to examine how we treat our elder generations. In this episode, Zale is joined by geriatrician Dr. Samir Sinha, who sheds light on Western society's general treatment of our elderly and how our system has perhaps failed in many regards. What is the ideal living situation for people as they age? Retirement homes? Independent living with...

One of the most basic frameworks of society includes the traditionally binary approach to gender - male and female. But as more people have opened up about their transgender experiences, many of our preconceptions have come into question and greater consideration. Jeremy Wallace is an author and speaker who joins the podcast to discuss his transgender experience and to dissect some of the broader...

The conversation surrounding infertility is often shrouded in secrecy. Many prefer to keep their personal struggles quiet, to the point that they may not even share with family and close friends. Dr. Kimberly Liu is an Infertility Physician who joins the podcast to answer some of the questions that many might be too uncomfortable to ask. She explains recent trends in infertility and reviews the la...

This episode from mid 2019 was a listener favourite. Have you ever sat down at a restaurant and felt out of sorts pretending to know which wine to order? What stories and backgrounds can be told in one bottle of wine? Sommelier Svetlana Atcheva of Pearl Morissette winery breaks down wine in a way that can help the novice appreciate it without feeling intimidated, while discussing new trends and pe...

After one of the most controversial murder trials in Canadian history, Rick Sauve was ultimately convicted of first degree murder. What followed for him was over seventeen years spent in prison, including one of Canada's most notorious prisons, Millhaven. In this second of two episodes with Rick, he opens up about his time in prison, the harsh realities of violence in the prison system, and how he...

A person's life can change in the blink of a eye. And for Rick Sauve, that life changing moment came on October 18, 1978, when a member of another bike club was shot and killed right in front of him. Rick, along with seven other members of the Satan's Choice biker club, was charged and put on trial for first degree murder. Now widely believed to have been innocent, Rick was nonetheless convicted o...

As election season in the United States is upon us, I am reposting this episode with the wise Mayor Crombie which sheds an honest and candid look on what it is like to be a politician. Former Toronto Mayor David Crombie was known as "The Tiny Perfect Mayor", and as the name reflects, he is one of Toronto's most beloved political figures from the last many decades. Mayor Crombie joins the podcast t...

The personalization of medical treatments and preventions based on one's unique DNA will likely emerge as a mainstay in the field of medicine. In this episode, geneticist Dr. Mansoor Mohammed reveals Zale's DNA results. As a follow-up to a prior episode on functional genomics, Dr. Mohammed uses Zale's DNA results to exemplify what types of practical information can be derived from understanding on...