Robert Adams on the novel No Great Mischief

Lectures on a variety of thought-provoking topics that range across politics, culture, economics, art history, science. The lecture format, pacing and inquisitive approach,provide the antithesis of the prevailing sound-bite television norm. Engaging, articulate speakers stand behind lecterns across Ontario addressing audiences - a stark, on-air aesthetic running counter to fast edits and whizzy sound effects. The simple, bold concept is a victory of substance over style.

Personal Voices

Part 1 - Lectures - Dr . Steven Pinker . Are we really born a blank slate? Dr. Pinker uses his book - "The Blank Slate" - to explore the idea of human nature and its moral, emotional, and political colorings Part 2 - lectures- Dr. Leon Kass, Chair of the President's Council on Bioethics, examines the distinct ethical dilemmas that surround stem cell research. Dr. Kass will address a fundamental philosophical question underlying these latest scientific advances: Why not immortality?

Show #53 & 91

John O'Leary is the president of Frontier College, an organization which historically took to the wilds of Canada in order to teach working men and women how to read. In this talk, O'Leary looks back at the history of the college as well as the current challenges it faces in bringing literacy to the new frontier -- Canada's inner cities. 

Robert Logan is a noted physicist ... which might make him seem an unlikely choice to address a conference on the future of literacy. But Logan is also author of The Alphabet Effect, an influential book which argues that one reason for the rise of `Western' science is our alphabet. That the ability to think symbolically arose from our language, and drove technological advance. Logan looks not only at the origins of technological innovation, but also how literacy alters the way we think.

Part 2: George Steiner

George Steiner is one of the world's leading literary theorists. In this talk, Steiner addresses the fundamental questions of literacy: what does it mean to be `literate'? Does literacy always correlate to intelligence? And are we really moving into a post-literate age, or will we always cling to literacy?

All three talks were delivered to the Living Literacies conference at York University.

Literacy in a Digital Age 3

Jordan Peterson, University of Toronto professor of psychology talks about fear of the unknown and fear of dealing with problems.

Slaying the Dragon within Us

In this exclusive presentation of Big Ideas, an international team of scholars looks at the persistent problem of anti-semitism. To what extent is the problem endemic? Does it still exist in Canada? And if so, what steps can be taken to deal with it?

This episode of Big Ideas was shot at the University of Toronto's Munk Centre for International Studies. Dozens of scholars from around the world gathered to discuss how prevalent anti-semitism is today, and how it has changed over time.

Steven Zipperstein is the Daniel E. Koshland Professor in Jewish Culture and History at Stanford University. He argues that antisemitism may in fact be an endemic problem with no sign of disappearing in the future. In this look at the historical origins of antisemitic thought, Zipperstein argues that while antisemitism has changed over the years, it hasn't disappeared. And with the emergence of the state of Israel, it's taken on an entirely new form.

Todd Endelman teaches at the University of Michigan, where he's the William Haber Professor of Modern Jewish History, and Director of the Frankel Center for Judaic Studies. In his talk, Endelman argues that while antisemitism may have largely disappeared (or at least gone underground) in North America, for Jews in Europe, it's still very much a part of life. But Endelman suggests that for a variety of reasons, today's anti-semitism is very different from that of the past, appealing to an entirely different type of person for entirely different reasons.

Finally, Michael Marrus looks at the reality of anti-semitism today. Looking specifically at France as a test case, Marrus argues it's very difficult to measure whether more people are committing anti-semitic acts, or whether it's due to a small number of increasingly-dedicated anti-semites. Marrus also suggests antisemitism is at least partly an expression of traditional European xenophobia, and that Europe's attempts to deal with its more visible Muslim minority may force it to deal with Jews differently. Michael Marrus is Dean of the University of Toronto's School of Graduate Studies, holds the Chancellor Rose and Ray Wolfe Chair in Holocaust Studies and has advised the Vatican on the responsibility of the Catholic church for the Holocaust.

Show #65

A showcase of ideas; engaging, articulate speakers stand behind lecterns across the province addressing audiences, exposing us to the differing ways of defining what matters and how that affects our understanding of the world.

Show #160

Yossi Klein Halevi lectures on "The View From Israel"

Show #161

John Ibbitson author of "The Polite Revolution"/Maude Barlow, author of "Too Close for Comfort" disagree about challenges facing Canada

Show #162

Jeffrey Friedman: Rockfeller University , MD, PHD, a moleculargenetist whose discovery of the hormone leptin and its role in regulating body weight has changed our understanding of the causes of human obesity, has recieved two prestigious awards for this work: the Gairdner Foundation International Award and the Passano Foundation Award.

Show #163

Through historical documents and experiments that demonstrate alchemical processes, Indiana University professor of History and Philosophy of Science William R. Newman explains why one of the most insightful scientists in history was convinced that alchemical transformations were scientifically plausible.

Why Did Isaac Newton Believe in Alchemy

Journalist, broadcaster and bestselling author Simon Winchester tells the remarkable story of Joseph Needham, an eccentric English chemist who wrote a vast book on Chinese science which remains the longest book about China ever written in the English language

Simon Winchester on The Man Who Loved China

Author, professor and clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson delivers the 2010 Hancock Lecture. He discusses virtue from a contemporary perspective that both encompasses and extends beyond moral and religious contexts.

Jordan Peterson on The Necessity of Virtue

Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author Chris Hedges delivers a lecture on his latest book The Death of the Liberal Class. He argues that American liberalism, a once proud political tradition, is dead, having sold out to corporate interests and abandoned its original principles. The result is a breakdown of the very fabric of democracy.

Chris Hedges on The Death of the Liberal Class

Noted atheist and secularist Daniel Dennett delivers his lecture "What Should Replace Religions?" Dennett is co-director of the Center for Cognitive Studies, the Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy, and a University Professor at Tufts University.

Daniel Dennett: What Should Replace Religions?

Biology professor and well-known blogger PZ Myers on Science and Atheism: Natural Allies.

PZ Myers: Science and Atheism: Natural Allies

University of Toronto professor Christian Campbell talks to Nobel laureate poet Derek Walcott about his remarkable life and work.

Derek Walcott

The Canadian Space Agency's Chief Astronaut, Julie Payette delivers a lecture entitled Canadian Space Agency Perspectives from Space: Research and Diplomacy.

Julie Payette, Canadian Space Agency Perspectives from Space

Psychiatrist and author, Allen J. Frances, believes that mental illnesses are being over-diagnosed. In his lecture, Diagnostic Inflation: Does Everyone Have a Mental Illness?, Dr. Frances will outline why he thinks the DSM-V will lead to millions of people being mislabeled with mental disorders. His lecture is part of Mental Health Matters, an initiative of TVO in association with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). The lecture is followed by a short Q & A.

Allen J. Frances on the Overdiagnosis of Mental Illness

Lisa Harvey-Smith of CSIRO discusses the mega-telescope known as the Square Kilometre Array. CSIRO, the Australian Commonwealth Science and Industrial Research Organization, is part of the continent-spanning next-generation radio telescope project which is due to be completed in 2019.

Lisa Harvey-Smith on the SKA Mega-Telescope

Dr. Marc D. Lewis discusses the story and the science behind his book Memoirs of an Addicted Brain. Lewis is a professor at the Behavioural Science Institute, part of Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Lewis's book documents the years he spent addicted to drugs including morphine and heroin, and links his first-hand drug experiences to his current behavioural science research into the interaction between drugs and brain chemistry.

Dr. Marc D. Lewis on Memoirs of an Addicted Brain

Chris Turner discusses his book The Leap: How to Survive and Thrive in the Sustainable Economy. Citing German energy policy and business examples such as Walmart, Turner explains how sustainability makes excellent business sense.

Chris Turner on How to Thrive in the Sustainable Economy

Neil Turok, Director of Perimeter Institute, delivered the 2012 CBC Massey Lectures to sold-out audiences across Canada. Turok’s lectures, The Universe Within: From Quantum to Cosmos, are a visionary look at the way the human mind can shape the future.

Neil Turok on The Universe Within From Quantum to Cosmos

Big Ideas is a Canadian television series produced and broadcast by TVOntario, on the air since 2001. The program showcases public intellectual culture. It was conceived by Wodek Szemberg who continues to serve as producer of the program. The show presents public lectures by acclaimed university educators and other distinguished guests. The show is intended for a general audience. The original host, Irshad Manji, was succeeded by Canadian actor/director/playwright Andrew Moodie on 2006-01-07. In September 2011 Piya Chattopadhyay took over as host.

Big Ideas airs on TVOntario on Saturday and Sunday at 5 PM, with repeat airings at 5:00 AM on Sunday and Monday morning.

In 2007, Big Ideas held its Best Lecturer competition for the second time. Dr. Michael Persinger, from Laurentian University, received the best-lecturer award.

Podcasts of the current lectures are available through the Big Ideas website as well as from iTunes.

All Episodes of Big Ideas

Season 1