- What’s for dinner? Lab-grown meat and the ethics of food science
Monday, January 18th 2021
In late 2020, a scientific breakthrough happened that had nothing to do with COVID vaccines. Singapore became the first country in the world to authorize the sale of lab-grown meat. Matt Simon, science reporter for WIRED Magazine, talks to host Adrian Cheung about the mystery behind the meat, fact checks the claims made by cultured meat companies and discusses why the future of meat might (or might not) be found inside of a test tube. If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe here.
- Misinformed by disinformation and a lack of media literacy
Friday, January 15th 2021
Disinformation and misinformation can make us emotional and angry and can even lead to violence. So how do we learn to recognize that and better assess the information we are flooded with? On today’s episode, disinformation expert and critical thinking advocate Helen Lee Bouygues talks about the power and the dangers of dis- and misinformation in a hyperpolarized world and how we can improve our critical thinking skills in these uncertain times.
- On Trump and truth: Daniel Dale in conversation with Edward Keenan
Thursday, January 14th 2021
In the wake of the insurrection at the Capitol building, Donald Trump’s second impeachment and Joe Biden’s upcoming inauguration, eyes are on the U.S. capital.
As the end of Trump’s term comes a close, Toronto Star Washington Bureau Chief Edward Keenan sat down with his predecessor Daniel Dale, now a reporter at CNN, to discuss the current state of U.S. politics and just what it’s been like to cover Trump for the last six years.
In a wide-ranging interview, they discuss the storming of the Capitol, the second impeachment, how Dale began his fact checking journey, the parallels of covering Rob Ford in Toronto, the most dangerous lies Trump has told and what’s next for the incoming Biden administration.
If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.
- Lockdown confusion, compromises and contradictions
Wednesday, January 13th 2021
With warnings of “fall off [our] chair” coronavirus modelling data, Ontario Premier Doug Ford enacted what he calls a tougher lockdown, but critics are calling its guidelines confusing and contradictory and too little, too late. Rob Ferguson, a reporter in the Star’s Queen’s Park bureau, joins “This Matters” to explain the scary numbers, the new rules and the balance the government is trying to strike.
- How sportsmanship brought two nations and the lacrosse world closer
Tuesday, January 12th 2021
The Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse team are ranked as one of the top teams in the world, but were passed over for the upcoming World Games likely in part due to their fight for sovereignty. This slight inspired an act of sportsmanship that has helped bring two nations closer together. Rex Lyons is a former player and board member of the Iroquois Nationals, and he joins “This Matters” to explain this remarkable sports story.
