Today I Learned

Breakups. Not only do they hurt so bad, they’re not easy to overcome. But why? Why is it so difficult to get over breakups and move on, and what can we do about it – How do we get over a breakup? Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Consent means actively agreeing to be sexual with someone. Sexual activity without consent is rape or sexual assault. But what exactly constitutes consent and can it be withdrawn?  Jernell Tan of AWAM joins us to give us the 101 on consent. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’re Malaysian, you’ve probably heard things like “Indians are all gangsters and criminals," or "Indians are alcoholics, drug addicts and wife beaters." But is the concept of the “rowdy Indian criminal” based on facts or are there systemic issues that need addressing? Is it a myth consciously or subconsciously perpetuated to protect the status quo? Image credit: Jagat (2015) & Kabali (201...

Breakups are not easy. They can be unpleasant, uncomfortable and even scary. We all know this. Many of us have experienced it. The question is, why is breaking up so hard, even if we know the person is not right for us? Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wrestling is scripted. The winners and losers are pre-determined and so is the over the top drama, tension and animosity. We all know this – wrestling fans, especially. So, why are millions of people crazy about this crazy, erm, sport? Artform? Entertainment? Image credit: Dashran Yohan Instagram Page See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the end of the year, so let’s relive some of the best moments from the show in 2021. On this week’s best of, we revisit some of the conversations we had on political economy, media and the likes in the US and Malaysia. Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the end of the year, so we take a look at some of the fun things we’ve learned this year, from ‘why we swear’ to if ‘introverts are antisocial or misunderstood.’ Relive some of the best moments from Today I Learned in 2021. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last month, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and women’s rights activist, Malala Yousafzai’s marriage sparked debate. While many were happy for Malala, many others argued that Malala’s decision to marry is an antithesis to feminism and goes against what she stands for. The question is, is marriage anti-feminist? Image credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Xenophobia is dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries. We’ve seen this a lot but over the past couple of years during the COVID-19 pandemic, bigotry and prejudice against foreign nationals have only risen. But why are people xenophobic? What role do politicians and capitalism play in it? Image credit: The New Humanitarian Drop here! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

When it comes to the US media, we often bash Fox news for spewing fake news. But what if it isn’t just Fox? What if the entire US media system is broken? And if so, how did it become this way? Asst Prof Peter Beattie, Lecturer in Global Political Economy, joins us to discuss. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons & toppng See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All around the world, people are talking more and more about socialism or left-wing politics, particularly on social media. It is becoming more popular. However, this doesn’t seem to translate into election results. But why, exactly? And what can socialists do about it?   Image credit: flickr.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everyone has a fundamental human right to adequate housing. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of themself and of their family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services.” Yet, Malaysians by and large simply cannot afford to buy a house anymor...

It’s an unfortunate reality that even today, society places so much emphasis on the colour of your skin. People may perceive you as intelligent or stupid based on the colour of your skin, beauty is often tied to a particular colour, and people may even see you as a threat, because of the colour of your skin. And we’re not necessarily talking about race here, or racism, but rather racis...

There has been an increase in chatter about cannabis in recent years, particularly when it comes to legalising medical cannabis? It was recently brought up by Muar MP Syed Saddiq. But should Malaysia legalise medical benefits? And what would be its benefits? Image credit: shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Young people are suffering. Youth unemployment rate has been on the rise, salaries have stagnated for close to 20 years, despite the massive increase in cost of living. Cost of education is at an all time high and upon graduating, most people find themselves in massive debts. The average millennials and Gen Z cannot even afford adequate housing on a single paycheck, despite it being a basic necess...

Young people are suffering. Youth unemployment rate has been on the rise, salaries have stagnated for close to 20 years, despite the massive increase in cost of living. Cost of education is at an all time high and upon graduating, most people find themselves in massive debts. The average millennials and Gen Z cannot even afford adequate housing on a single paycheck, despite it being a basic necess...

The 2020 US Presidential elections was billed by many as the battle for the soul of America. The progressive left-wing, democratic party slugging out to defeat the right-wing, racist, xenophobic, conservative Republican party, led by the all-evil Donald Trump. Joe Biden’s win was celebrated as a victory for the progressives. But what if it’s all just a performance? What if I told you t...

Recently, YADIM Muslim Women's Council (MAYA) called out Feminine hygiene brand, Libresse, for misusing an image of a woman's “private part” on an ad design for its sanitary products. She said that the advertisement -- which has flowers shaped like vulvas -- "clearly undermines the dignity of women and violates the norms of decency in Malaysian society". But does it really, though? Or...

Political parties in Malaysia can be very confusing. Last week, we took a look at the parties in the Peninsula and unpacked their history and ideology. But what about our neighbours in the East? What are the likes of Warisan & GPS all about? And why do independent candidates stand a higher chance of winning in the East than the West? Political commentator Oh Ei Sun helps us unpack. Image credi...

Political parties in Malaysia can be very confusing. We have a lot of them, from UMNO to PAS to PKR to DAP to newer ones like AMANAH and Bersatu and newborns like MUDA and Pejuang. But what do we know about these parties besides the famous names at the helm? What do we know about their ideologies, particularly economically? Political Commentator Oh Ei Sun joins us to unpack the various mainstream...

We often hear things like “our economy is really bad” or “our economy is improving” but what even is Malaysia’s economy? How does it work? Do we lean to the left or right? How did we go from being the Asian Tiger once upon a time to where we are today? Image source: Shutterstock  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We often hear things like “our economy is really bad” or “our economy is improving” but what even is Malaysia’s economy? How does it work? Do we lean to the left or right? How did we go from being the Asian Tiger once upon a time to where we are today? Image source: Shutterstock  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a saying that goes “absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Which means having power corrupts people, or lessens their morality, and the more power someone has, the more corrupted they will become. But how true is this? Dr Karim Bettache joins us to discuss. Image source: Shutterstock  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf once hypothesized that language influences thought rather than the reverse. The Sapir–Whorf hypothesis claims that people from different cultures think differently because of differences in their languages. But does that theory still hold weight? Dr Sharifah Ayeshah joins us to discuss how language shapes thought. Image source: Shutterstock  See omnys...

We’re all familiar with the Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter. The books, films and world that author J.K. Rowling built became a global phenomenon. So in light of the 10th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, we explore how exactly this franchise shaped culture for an entire generation. Image source: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.