The Big Story
Frequency Podcast Network
1 Creator
3.6
(9)
1 Creator
16 Listeners
3.6
(9)
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Top 10 The Big Story Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Big Story episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Big Story for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Big Story episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
08/01/23 • 25 min
Recently a feature story in Maclean's magazine described parents who were "losing their kids to Fortnite." While some gamers may hear that and see the kind of rhetoric that has followed video games around since their inception, others heard recognition and acknowledgement.
Many behaviours, including video games, can be addicting, usually to a very small subset of people. But what makes video games different is that they are constantly evolving, and rapidly—usually with the goal of increasing the time spent playing them. As technology has improved, so has game design, and games with an online element have a social aspect that can also offer Fear Of Missing Out. So are modern games more addicting than ever? And if they are, how do we recognize and deal with that?
GUEST: Luc Rinaldi, writing in Maclean's
We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:
Through email at [email protected]
Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail
12 Listeners
Why are some orcas suddenly attacking boats?
The Big Story
06/08/23 • 18 min
For the past few years, orcas off the coast of Portugal and Spain have been attacking, and sinking, small boats. At least three boats have been completely sunk, and many more have needed urgent rescue. This behaviour doesn't occur in other orcas, and nobody can figure out exactly what's changed.
There are some theories regarding trauma, or differences in their habitat. There are very real things called "orca fads"—like that time they wore dead salmon on their heads. And there is, always, humanity's endless desire to use our own narratives to explain animal motives—which is why you see people asking if the orcas are fighting back. But what's really at the heart of this behaviour? And what happens if it spreads?
GUEST: Stephanie Pappas, science journalist, writing in Scientific American
We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:
Through email at [email protected]
Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail
1 Listener
The case for the four-day work week
The Big Story
03/31/23 • 22 min
The five-day work week has been the standard for decades. But not forever. Once upon a time, it was a six-day week. So why can't it go from five to four?
This isn't an idle question. Pilot projects and studies in countries around the world, including some in Canada, have proven that a four-day week can make employees more productive, as well as cause them to miss less time leaving work for appointments. Companies that have experimented with a four-day work have mostly decided to keep it. If at one time, it seems a crazy idea that just might work, by now there's enough data to show us that it does.
So ... why are you working today? Why am I?
GUEST: Jared Lindzon, writing in The Globe and Mail
We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:
Through email at [email protected]
Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail
1 Listener
Will Canadians really accept two drinks a week?!
The Big Story
01/31/23 • 31 min
When new drinking guidelines for Canadians were released, it was the headline takeaway that got the most attention, and scorn. And viral interview responses. In fact, many of the other recommendations were ignored. There is a lot of science behind limiting alcohol consumption, and there are many ways to do it.
But is setting a goal that is daunting for many Canadian drinkers the best way to do it? How important is the messaging to actually achieving results? Are there lessons we can learn, both from the pandemic and Canada's approach to tobacco, that could help us drink less, while also not sparking ridicule from those who enjoy a few beers?
GUEST: David Sweanor, chairman of the advisory committee for the University of Ottawa’s Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics.
We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:
Through email at [email protected]
Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail
1 Listener
The past, present and future of Canadian farming
The Big Story
05/22/23 • 26 min
Right now, while controlling our own food security becomes more important than ever, Canada's farming industry is in transition. An older generation of farmers are ready to retire—but many of them don't have anyone ready to take over the family business. Meanwhile, corporate megafarms are scooping up farmland where they can and a younger generation of farmers is desperately trying to get ahold of space to grow on.
Where is the next generation coming from and what are they doing differently? Why are so many older farmers having trouble keeping the business going? What does the future of Canadian farming look like and who owns (or rents) it?
GUESTS: Keith Currie, farmer and president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture; Aliyah Fraser, Owner and Operator at Lucky Bug Farm
We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:
Through email at [email protected]
Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail
1 Listener
The ignoble end of "the world's worst McDonald's"
The Big Story
05/23/23 • 23 min
It's not easy to make yourself notorious among the more than 40,000 McDonald's franchises in the world—but Ottawa's Rideau Street location accomplished it. From dangerous violence, to drug use, general chaos and viral incidents that became world famous (like the raccoon fight...) the recently closed restaurant earned the moniker given to it by a former police chief.
But the story of this McDonald's isn't just one of crime and online fame. It's a story about public space and who gets to use it, how a city changes at night, what resources we offer to people who need them and how every city's downtown is changing right now. Today, the rise and fall of the most famous McDonald's in Canada.
GUEST: Amy Dempsey, senior writer, Toronto Star
We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:
Through email at [email protected]
Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail
1 Listener
Will Canada place a cap on international students?
The Big Story
08/25/23 • 24 min
It's an issue that sits at the intersection of Canada's identity and reality. Our country is extremely diverse and pro-immigration, but a massive housing crisis means we simply don't have enough homes for everyone who needs one.
This week, Canada's housing minister said the government would consider a cap on the number of international students who can enter the country, in hopes this might ease the housing crunch. Would it? What are the trade-offs to such a move? And is there a risk that the housing crisis pushes more Canadians towards anti-immigration sentiment?
GUEST: Laura Dhillon Kane, Ottawa bureau chief, Bloomberg News
We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:
Through email at [email protected]
Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail
1 Listener
1 Comment
1
05/02/23 • 23 min
It's the biggest piece of broadcast or media legislation in this country in decades. You would think we'd have a clear picture of its implications. But despite receiving royal assent and becoming law, not even leading experts in the field can say what the bill's many changes will look like in practice.
There are basic parts of the law — What counts as a streaming service? what counts as digital Canadian content? Will user-created content be subject to the same regulations as corporate-made media? — that the government has left to the CRTC to define via a policy letter. This is a bill with profound implications both for creators and consumers of basically any kind of digital media. So why are we all so confused?
GUEST: Dr. Michael Geist, law professor, University of Ottawa; Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law
We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:
Through email at [email protected]
Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail
1 Listener
Inside the rise and fall of plant-based meat
The Big Story
01/27/23 • 23 min
It seems Impossible. Plant-based meat products were supposed to take us Beyond our love for beef, save the environment and maybe even make us healthier. For a while, it seemed the hype was real, and the growth was sustainable. Billions of dollars were spent backing that up. Three years later, it's pretty clear something went wrong.
Where did the hype come from? What was expected from these products and how did they fail to deliver? What happened to the plant-based meat revolution?
GUEST: Deena Shanker, Bloomberg food industry reporter
We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:
Through email at [email protected]
Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail
1 Listener
As school begins, where are Quebec's teachers?
The Big Story
09/01/23 • 16 min
Quebec isn't the only province facing a teacher shortage, but it may be the most severe, with more than 8,000 educators missing from classrooms. Where did they go, and where are their replacements?
In the meantime, the government has tried to get creative by lowering standards required to preside over a classroom. Sometimes to as low as "an adult." As shortages in general become more pronounced every year, what's happening to classrooms left without a teacher, or children learning from an under-qualified adult?
GUEST: Toula Drimonis, writing for CultMTL.com
We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:
Through email at [email protected]
Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail
1 Listener
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FAQ
How many episodes does The Big Story have?
The Big Story currently has 1241 episodes available.
What topics does The Big Story cover?
The podcast is about Podcasts, News Commentary, Daily News and News.
What is the most popular episode on The Big Story?
The episode title 'How modern video games hook us, and kids, so completely' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on The Big Story?
The average episode length on The Big Story is 24 minutes.
How often are episodes of The Big Story released?
Episodes of The Big Story are typically released every day.
When was the first episode of The Big Story?
The first episode of The Big Story was released on Mar 27, 2020.
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@signaljams
Aug 25
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