Preconceived

The Oscars is considered the most prestigious awards ceremony in the entertainment industry. There is a certain magic about the Academy Awards, where some of the greatest films and performances of all time have been recognized. Ben Zauzmer is the author of Oscarmetrics, a book that shares an in depth look at the predictive analytics of The Oscars over its 93 year history. What makes a movie most l...

Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) includes physician-assisted death and euthanasia. On a previous episode of Preconceived, link below, we reviewed what exactly MAID entails and how it applies to a variety of diseases. On this episode, we shift the focus to medical conditions that have traditionally been excluded from MAID, including psychiatric illnesses and dementia. Psychiatrist Derryck Smith j...

Gangs have a negative connotation associated with them. And given their association with violence and drugs, this is understandable and on many levels warranted. But is the primary problem really gangs? Or are gangs, violence and drugs just a symptom of the larger issues at play, such as poverty, underfunded and neglected communities and racial discrimination? Vidal Guzman is a former gang member...

For this 100th episode of Preconceived, Zale is joined by his first ever guest from episode one, his mother Robin. On the first episode of this series, Robin discussed the idea of jumping into the unknown and embracing the twists and turns that life has to offer. In this episode, she shares one of her biggest "jump in" experiences, when she founded the charitable organization Pencils for Kids. Pen...

When one used to think about psychedelics, the image that most likely came to mind was of someone tripping out during the height of 1960s counterculture. Yet what is less known is that prior to psychedelics’ association with counterculture, there was significant medical research being done regarding the clinical applications of many psychedelic substances. Most of this research, however, was disco...

One of humans' most basic instincts is sexual desire. It is natural for humans to have sex, and most people do engage in sexual activity of some kind. Yet as commonplace as sex is, we often don’t talk about it openly. Even more, we tend to not talk about sex and how it often changes during the course of a relationship. It’s not uncommon for sex to be a primary focus of a romantic relationship in t...

On the last episode of Preconceived, we explored the history of the British Monarchy, the legacy of Queen Elizabeth II and analyzed how the Royal Family has adapted in modern times. On this sequel episode, royal commentator Ed Wang joins once more to weight in on the recent interview with Prince Harry and Princess Meghan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There is something about royalty and the idea of “the crown” that captures the public’s attention and imagination. Yet while historically, monarchies used to run many countries and empires around the world, only several remain today, the most public of which, is the British royal monarchy. Yet while for some it ignites reverie and imagination, it is reasonable to ask what purpose the monarchy actu...

Eric Silverberg and Eli Gladstone, founders of Speaker Labs, shed light on why it is ingrained into our DNA to fear public speaking and how we can look at public speaking "failures" in a more favourable light. Why is public speaking so important, and how do we decipher an authentic public speaker from a charismatic phoney? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Humans are conditioned to be attracted to beautiful things and to beautiful people. We use phrases such as “don’t judge a book by its cover” and “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. But are these adages really true? How real and significant is the effect of beauty on our perceptions of other people? Is beauty as subjective and malleable as we like to believe? How do our perceptions then influen...

When you meet someone, you probably take stock of their name, gender, age and occupation. These are some of the basic "get-to-know" questions. But how does knowledge of these demographics perhaps impact our perceptions of the people we meet? What types of stereotypes and assumptions do we subconsciously make about people before we have really even gotten to know them? Zale explores the "get-to-kno...

When our history books speak of North American history, it can almost read as if Canada and the United States did not exist until the Europeans settled the lands, while in reality, these lands were populated by indigenous peoples for centuries prior. With the arrival of the Europeans, there were tragic economic implications, massive losses of land and rapid spread of disease that had devastating e...

One of the society’s most basic fabrics has been the traditional family unit – that is, a mother, a father, and their biological children. But as society becomes more progressive and accepting of alternative family types, we have begun to see the emergence of a new type of family, the “modern family”. So as we embrace the range of newer and less traditional family units, it’s important for us to u...

The first fraternity in the United States was established in the 1700s. And while much has changed since then in regards to what a fraternity is and how it operates, tradition and reverence for past customs is also an important cornerstone of frat culture. But as our culture, social norms and perspectives regarding inclusivity continue to change rapidly, how have fraternities adjusted? What is the...

What is it like to live with an intellectual disability? Jeffery Masci was deprived of oxygen during his birth, which led to lifelong challenges with intellectual disability. This manifested as slower information processing, as well as language and speech difficulties. While his condition has led to significant social and professional challenges, Jeffery has persevered to accomplish much during hi...

The decision to die by suicide is perhaps one of the most tragic possible outcomes of a person’s life. And while society at large has expanded its understanding and open mindedness regarding mental illness, stigma is certainly still quite high. Many still refer dismissively to suicide attempts as mere cries for help, and when someone does kill themselves, they are then often labelled as selfish an...

"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...