The CRAM Podcast ~ Extraordinary Ideas Unleashed

They say space is the final frontier. No way. The final frontier is right there within you – your brain! The brain is still a big mystery – even to scientists who are trying to figure out its puzzle.   But they’re learning more and more about the brain and dispelling old beliefs about it.  Are there left brain, right brain people?  Are we born with a finite set of brain cells?  Is it normal to los...

Did you know almost every person on this planet will suffer from back pain at some point in their lives?   And here’s another other unsettling fact:  there’s NO good evidence for many common treatments that millions of people undergo.    And yet a huge amount of research has been done in this field and billions of dollars spent on therapies.  What are these treatments?  Why do people get them?  Wh...

Trigger Warning: This episode discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to the Suicide Crisis Hotline at 988 in Canada or go to headsupguys.org . Help is available. The facts are shocking. Suicide is the SECOND leading cause of death for men under the age of 50. Men die by suicide at 3X the rate that women do in North America and elsewhere.  Why?  What’s going o...

Have you heard of the series Adolescence? It’s one of THE most watched streaming shows and has sparked a lot of conversation around incel culture.   A boy living in the UK is accused of murdering one of his female classmates.   He’s 13 years old.  The details about his life make the situation even more disturbing.  He does well in school, he’s never been in serious trouble, and he comes from a lov...

If I said people are upset, fearful and angry,  you might assume I’m talking about U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.    And that’s because a day doesn’t go by when those tariffs and our reaction to them… make headlines.   And there’s been intense scrutiny on the way Trump has approached tariffs – his negotiation strategy - which seems unpredictable.  But is it?   What’s behind Trump’s tactics...

A day doesn’t go by when you’ll hear about a new survey or poll.  And you might even be asked to participate.   But just how credible are they? It’s one thing if we’re talking about “are we a dog or cat person” but quite another if we’re asked “ who will we vote for in the next election ” or “ should we stop the flow of immigration?”   These are weighty issues. Like it or not, polls and surveys ar...

Think about ads. We love to hate them.  And we hate to love them. We try and avoid them but they’re everywhere.   And when they’re good they can stir up all kinds of emotions in seconds.   On this podcast I interview a guru of the advertising and marketing world – Terry O’Reilly. Terry’s the host of “Under the Influence” on CBC Radio.  He’s won hundreds of awards and is one of the best storyteller...

We’ve never had so much information.   But we don’t know what’s true. Billions of google searches occur daily, thousands of news items are published, hundreds of hours of content are uploaded on youtube, every minute.  Radio, television, news articles, podcasts.  We’re adrift in a storm of information chaos according to researcher Tim Caulfield who’s an expert on evaluating information and evidenc...

In the words of Dr. Seuss… “oh the places you’ll go!!”  Think about it.  The act of moving from one place to another.  I’m talking about migration.   How you and I move over our lifetime is not only life-changing .  It’s world-changing .   Think for example about the waves of migration after the two world wars.   They dramatically changed the composition and character of countries.  And migration...

There’s nothing like it in our universe. Black holes. They’re enormous (understatement), mysterious (understatement) and they’re positioned at the centre of many galaxies – including our own. Sagittarius A, the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy, the Milky Way, is over 4 million times the mass of the sun. And there are even bigger black holes. Stuff goes into a black hole. NOTHING...

Don’t take your gut for granted. Researchers are discovering more and more astonishing things about our gut. Its connection to allergies, auto-immune diseases like lupus and inflammatory bowel disease.  Its relationship to heart disease, cancers – and even mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. Did you know how you were born – whether a vaginal birth or a C-section – affects gut dev...

Do you work remotely or at the office?  Which is better in terms of productivity and mental health?   You may not like the answer. Or maybe you will. And if you’re working a typical eight hour workday – that’s probably an inefficient way to work according to Dr. Brynn Winegard.  You could do so much better in terms of productivity and satisfaction.   Brynn is an applied neuroscientist who’s looked...

One of the most remarkable questionnaires I’ve ever come across was psychologists Arthur and Elaine Aron’s 36 questions.   Their aim was to bring two people in a lab – strangers in fact – closer together by having them answer a series of questions.   But the miraculous thing is that some couples who’ve tried the 36 questions have actually fallen in love! As in the case of Mandy Len Catron, a Canad...

What if your age has very little to do with your health and well being?  Whether you’re 20, 40..  or 80? And what if there was a “clock” that gave you a more accurate picture of how old, biologically,  you really are?   That’s what’s known as an epigenetic clock.   Even celeb Kim Kardashian is into it.  She’s 43 but her epigenetic clock says that biologically, she’s more like a 34 year old.  Lucky...

Trigger Warning: This episode discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to the Suicide Crisis Hotline at 988 in Canada or go to headsupguys.org . Help is available. The facts are shocking. Suicide is the SECOND leading cause of death for men under the age of 50. Men die by suicide at 3X the rate that women do in North America and elsewhere.  Why?  What’s going o...

It’s not new but more people are talking about it.  And doing it. According to anthropologist Treena Orchard, there’s been a rise in younger men dating older women. And it’s not just about sex.   Recent movies like Idea of You starring Ann Hathaway, Lonely Planet with Laura Dern and A Family Affair with Nicole Kidman are reflecting this trend.   So what’s going on?  What are young men looking for?...

This is a podcast for true crime lovers – and for those who are NOT!  You will definitely learn a thing or two about human behaviour that may even help you in your own life. We explore TRUE crime – not the Hollywood, sensationalized version of true crime  -  but the facts behind real cases with Michael Arntfield.  As a former police officer,  he’s had on-the-ground experience with crime and killer...

Look around you. War,  political upheaval, unstable economies, and increasing division and hate among people.  Democracy is in trouble according to a number of experts who say we’re heading towards a crisis – if we’re not in one already. Currently less than 8% of the world’s population live in a full democracy.  2024 is a pivotal year in elections with the majority of the world’s population going...

Sure you want to lead a long and healthy life. But what’s the secret? People are spending billions and billions of dollars on all kinds of diets, testing, tracking and health regimens that don’t do anything – or may be harmful.   If there’s anyone who’s got an informed answer, it’s Dr. Mike Evans. He’s the former Lead of Digital Healthcare for Apple. He ran health experiments and gathered data fro...

Do you think about every purchase you make?   I’m talking about the ethical and moral implications.  Do you know where and how your clothes were made?  Is your shampoo filled with toxic chemicals? What kind of additives are in your cereal?  Are the companies behind the brands you purchase good corporate citizens?  Life is already complicated and we’re confronted with millions of choices everyday....

Would you have sex with a robot?   It’s not an outlandish question – at least not to a growing number of people who are interested in high tech intimacy.    According to philosopher Neil McArthur, millions of people around the world are already having relationships – and not just with robots – but with chatbots and other forms of A.I.    And AI is rapidly evolving and becoming more and more sophis...

Here’s a question – and a really important one that you probably haven’t asked yourself: “When is the last time I felt a sense of WONDER?” That thrilling feeling that you’re witnessing something magical. Something surprising. Something phenomenal. Maybe it’s been awhile. Maybe you can’t even remember when you last felt that way. Why? Do you think you’ve figured things out? Do you cast a cynical ey...

Sure we love our animals.  Rover and Fluffy are like family to us. But we often make the mistake of assuming animal behaviour is human behaviour.   But it’s not – they are not us. Animals have their own language and their own behaviours which can confound us and leave us scratching our heads.   Psychologist Suzanne MacDonald has long been fascinated by animals and studies their behaviour to gain m...

Please listen to this podcast. This one really got to us.  It changed the way we look at the prospect of death.   Chris Kerr, a physician and palliative care researcher, with his team, interviewed over 1500 patients who were dying – and was amazed by what he heard.  You’ll hear from some of these patients who are dying.  With very little time left,  they describe with clarity and confidence, a tra...

Taylor vs. Beyonce.  Do you care?  Maybe not but a lot of people do.   And not just fans – those people who follow their every move and every word.  Politicians – presidents! - business leaders, economists,  stock market analysts, and yes even academics are interested in the Taylor Swift and Beyonce effects.      And that’s because their impact is huge.  In terms of the economy,  we’re talking bil...