Big Ideas (audio)

Internationally renowned author and philosopher, Umberto Eco, gives "An Illustrated Presentation on the History of Beauty and Ugliness", based on his two recent books "On Beauty" and "On Ugliness".

Author Margaret Atwood delivers the 2008 Massey Lecture, "Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth".

Dr. Kirk Schneider explores therapeutic approaches to the mystery of being in a lecture delivered at an International Conference on Personal Meaning.

Dr. Ernesto Spinelli delivers a lecture "Exploring Death Anxiety" at an International Conference on Personal Meaning

Author and scholar, Thomas Homer-Dixon, explores the convergence of natural, social, and economic stresses that could lead to the breakdown of world economies and political systems.

Political science professor Ron Deibert looks at the issue of internet censorship and surveillance around the world.

Best-selling author, Richard Florida, describes how the creative class is impacting cities, business and society at large.

University of Toronto philosophy professor and author, Mark Kingwell, and journalist Malcolm Gladwell square off in a lively debate about social change and how best to achieve it.

Psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and best-selling author, Dr. Norman Doidge, discusses the findings in his latest book, The Brain that Changes Itself, an examination of brain neuroplasticity.

Journalist Hamida Ghafour on her book "The Sleeping Buddha: Portraits of a Changing Afghanistan".

A lecture by Marina Nemat, author of "Prisoner of Tehran".

Architect and author, Charles Jencks, presents a lecture based on his recent book "Critical Modernism: Where is Post-Modernism Going?"

Paul Collier, Professor of Economics at Oxford University, delivers the 2008 Lionel Gelber Public Lecture on his award-winning book, ?The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done About It?.

Author and historian Margaret MacMillan delivers this year's Trinity College Larkin-Stuart Lecture. The topic of her 2-part lecture is "History: The Next Secular Religion?"

Author and historian Margaret MacMillan delivers this year's Trinity College Larkin-Stuart Lecture. The topic of her 2-part lecture is "History: The Next Secular Religion?"

In his lecture entitled "Trudeau's World: The Making of an Internationalist", historian and author John English, discusses Trudeau's path to political prominence and influence, particularly in the domain of international affairs.

Daniel Bell, Professor of Philosophy at Tsinghua University in Beijing presents a lecture on "China's New Confucianism".

World-famous neurologist and author, Oliver Sacks, discusses his latest book, Musicophilia, a look at how music can impact on the brain. Sacks' love of music is well known, and now he turns his attention to his patients for whom music can be both treatment and affliction. He describes the power of music to move us, to heal, and to haunt us.

Harvard psychology professor, Steven Pinker, presents a talk on his latest book, The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature.

Psychotherapist and artist, Ariel Garten, explores the neuroscience of conflict.