Episode 14: All I want for Christmas is a Tyrannosaurus

In October, Stan, one of the most famous T. rex fossils in the world, sold at private auction for a jaw-dropping $31.8 million dollars. We don't know who the buyer was, which would suggest that it's going into a private collection, which also means it'll most likely be lost to scientific research.

We talk with Dr. Darla Zelenitsky, a paleontologist and dinosaur researcher, about how the fossil trade is a growing problem for researchers and museums around the world, and how it's only getting worse as sales like Stan's drive prices up.

Have an idea for a future episode or questions you'd like answered? Email podcasts@ucalgary.ca.

"First, do no harm." Taking the Hippocratic Oath is a rite of passage for medical school graduates all over the world. The oath is a foundation of medical practice, forming the first code of ethics in Western medicine.

We talk with Dr. Abdullah Saleh, a paediatric surgeon and director of the University of Alberta's Office of Global Surgery, about how medical practitioners traveling to lower-income countries can end up doing more harm than good, even though they're trying to help.

Have an idea for a future episode or questions you'd like answered? Email podcasts@ucalgary.ca.

Allyship is the idea that people with privilege in the world, whether it's from race or socioeconomic status or simply being part of dominant or ingroups, can help promote and advance the interests of outgroups and marginalized people. But what does allyship really mean? Who is and who isn't an ally? Can calling yourself an ally end up doing more harm than good?

We speak with Dr. Adam Murry, an assistant professor of Indigenous psychology in our Faculty of Arts. We talk about his research project into quantifying the traits of allyship and how better understanding allyship can help both the groups who need it most and the people who want to be allies.  

Have an idea for a future episode or questions you'd like answered? Email podcasts@ucalgary.ca.

As jurisdictions around the world legalize or decriminalize recreational drugs, interest is growing in their therapeutic value. Magic mushrooms, for example, are gaining traction as a treatment for certain mental illnesses, like anxiety and depression.

We speak with Dr. Peter Facchini, a professor of biochemistry in our Faculty of Science and chief scientific officer of MagicMed, about studying the medicinal properties of psilocybin mushrooms and other drugs, and how synthesizing and improving them could lead to better mental health treatments.

Have an idea for a future episode or questions you'd like answered? Email podcasts@ucalgary.ca.

It's Innovation Week in Calgary, and all around the city, people are talking about finding new and better ways to do things, to look at things, to create things. But what about higher education? Universities have operated more or less the same way for centuries. Is it time for drastic change?

We talk to Dr. Stephen Larter, PhD, associate vice president of research and innovation at the University of Calgary, about how post-secondaries need to adapt to a changing world and how a university can help spark an economic recovery.

Have an idea for a future episode or questions you'd like answered? Email podcasts@ucalgary.ca.

In 2016, the federal government legalized medical assistance in dying. However, it remains a controversial and sensitive topic, with some care providers refusing to do it.

We talk to Dr. Beverly Adams, the senior associate dean of education at the Cumming School of Medicine, about how medical assistance in dying can offer choice and dignity to grievously sick patients and how medical schools are adapting to the practice.

Have an idea for a future episode? Email podcasts@ucalgary.ca.

We can't fight a deadly virus if we don't understand how it works. But studying infectious diseases is highly dangerous.

We talk to Dr. Paul Kubes, an infectious disease expert in the Cumming School of Medicine, about what goes into studying a deadly disease, how COVID-19 has changed scientific research, and UCalgary's newly reopened Biosafety Level Three lab.

Have an idea for a future episode? Email podcasts@ucalgary.ca.

Polls are often used to predict how elections will turn out. But are they accurate? In 2016, most polls predicted Hillary Clinton would become president of the U.S. In 2012, polls predicted the Wildrose Party winning the Alberta provincial election. In 2017, polls had Bill Smith becoming mayor of Calgary. Do a few high-profile misses mean that polls are unreliable?

In this episode, we talk to Corey Hogan, former chief communications officer for the government of Alberta, who now leads the communications team for UCalgary's Office of Advancement, about some of the factors that can skew polls, how to make sure they're as unbiased as possible, and how to look at them with a critical eye.

Have an idea for a future episode? Email podcasts@ucalgary.ca.

The things we love to do often become a core part of our identity, forming a foundation of who we are as people and how we see ourselves in the world. Most of us never have to choose between those things and our identity.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Ari Agha, a choral singer and researcher with the City of Calgary, about the dilemma they faced when they embarked on testosterone therapy as part of their gender transition. They knew they'd be risking their singing voice, yet there was next to no research on the subject to help make their decision. They share their experiences and what they found out over the course of taking T.   

Have an idea for a future episode? Email podcasts@ucalgary.ca.

Waiting is a major part of everyone's daily lives, whether we like it or not. It can be a time of intense anticipation, or it can be excruciating and tedious. But as the world gets faster and our lives get busier, we have less patience for waiting. That's not necessarily a good thing.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Peter Toohey, a professor of classics and author of the new book Hold On: The Life, Science, and Art of Waiting, about how we can better understand waiting, get better at doing it, and lead happier lives as a result.  

Have an idea for a future episode? Email podcasts@ucalgary.ca.