Poko Ponders

We all have a bucket list in some incarnation. While bucket lists are harmless in themselves, some say they encourage hustle culture as many try to beat the clock and tick off as many items as possible from their list.SaltWire Host Sarah Poko speaks to Dr. Derek Fisher, an associate professor at Mout Saint Vincent University, to discuss the role bucket lists play in having a fulfilling life.

The cards told me you would be back! In this episide, we continue the conversation with Beth Terry about tarot. This time we focus on the common misconceptions about tarot, its role in the Salem witch trials, and what to keep in mind when buying your own tarot deck.

What we find cute varies from person to person. The same applies to what we find gross.SaltWire Host Sarah Poko spoke to medical sociologist Dr. Michael Halpin about the science of gross and how it translates across cultures.

Where did tarot come from? Why are we all fascinated by fortune tellers and the future?In this episode, SaltWire host Sarah Poko speaks to tarot reader Beth Terry about the history of tarot and the impact of fortune telling.

People in many countries around the world perform cannibalism for ritualistic reasons, but where in history did it transition from cultural practice to criminal conduct?SaltWire host Sarah Poko speaks to Dr. Simon Sherry, a registered psychologist and professor at Dalhousie University, to discuss cannibalism and how it has evolved throughout history.

If you logged on to church, are you still in a sacred space? How do we determine what is sacred and what isn’t?SaltWire Host Sarah Poko spoke to Dr. Christopher Helland, an associate professor of sociology of religion at Dalhousie University to discuss the concept of sacredness.

Historically, slang was seen as vocabulary used by those of a lower class. Today, however, we see it in books, we hear it on television and we use it in our everyday communication with others.When did that change?SaltWire host Sarah Poko spoke to Dr. Eric Henry, a linguistic anthropologist at Saint Mary's University in Halifax about the evolution of slang through the ages.

What makes a phobia, a phobia? At what point do we cross the line from rational anxiety to irrational fear?SaltWire host Sarah Poko speaks with Dr. Stacy Bradley, a registered psychologist with the Nova Scotia Health Authority, to discuss how phobias are classified and how we can overcome them.

If you’re in your 20s, chances are you've heard someone in your age group (or younger) dreading the age of 30.But why is this? What is so terrifying about that age that makes 20-somethings uneasy?SaltWire host Sarah Poko talks to cultural studies instructor Michael McGuire about why we are obsessed with aging and the social fear of turning 30.

You’ve heard of snake charming, but what about worm charming?SaltWire host Sarah Poko speaks with worm advocate and 2011 Canadian worm charming champion, Cathy Nesbitt, about the history of worm charming and why it exists.

Our favourite Christmas tree is back in Halifax to spread some cheer this holiday season, but how much do you really know about the coniferous companion?SaltWire host Sarah Poko speaks to Lee Rodgers, the voice of Woody the Talking Christmas Tree, about how he became Woody, his reaction to going viral and why many think Woody is so creepy.

How does the society we live in determine the laws of the land, and what do those laws say about the priorities of a country?In this episode of Poko Ponders, SaltWire host Sarah Poko speaks with law expert Steve Coughlan of the Schulich School of Law about zombie laws and the importance of an updated criminal code.

When we think of witches, we think of an old, unattractive woman (sometimes green skinned) with a pointy hat, a cauldron and a broomstick. But their history is a bit sadder and more tragic, with some of the most famous stories stemming from the Salem witch trials in the 17th century.In this spooktober special of Poko Ponders, SaltWire host Sarah Poko invites Beth Terry back to talk about the history of witches in Canada and how they have evolved from devilish beings to Halloween must-haves.

What happens to an organ after it has been donated? Can you still donate if you have had COVID-19?SaltWire host Sarah Poko speaks to Dr. Stephen Beed, the medical director of the Nova Scotia Organ Donation Program, about the history of organ donation, the step-by-step process of what happens to a donated organ and the sale of organs on the black market.

What would you do if you caught yourself laughing at a funeral, or crying uncontrollably at a birthday party? Those suffering from pseudobulbar affect (PBA) face situations like this every day and have a hard time navigating daily activities that most of us do not struggle with.In today’s episode, SaltWire host Sarah Poko speaks to Melissa Bickford about her life with PBA and what changes she would like to see to help others like her.

Jesters have inspired comedians, writers and even stuntmen who copy their occasional acrobatics. But how exactly did jesters come to be, how did they transition to the royal court and what do they look like today? SaltWire host Sarah Poko spoke to Christine Hoffmann, an associate professor of English at West Virginia University, and author of the book Stupid Humanism: Folly as Competence in Early Modern and Twenty-First-Century Culture, to discuss the past and future of jesters.

SaltWire host Sarah Poko is back with Marjorie Taylor to discuss how we create imaginary friends. In this episode, they explore the impact of imaginary friends on adulthood, imaginary friends as hallucinations and what the future of imaginary friends could look like.

Chances are when you were little you had an imaginary friend or companion that you talked to. Perhaps they were a favorite toy or a planet full of soldier-cats.But why exactly do we create imaginary friends? And how would it go on to affect us in adulthood? SaltWire host Sarah Poko spoke to psychologist Marjorie Taylor to get her take on imaginary friends.

Lights, camera, scream! Haunted houses have been part of the Halloween season for a long time — including fake ones. For a small fee, you can experience the joys and horrors of a haunted house with ambient sounds, simulations and actors to get you into the Halloween spirit. But what is so appealing about being scared so senseless that we would pay for it? SaltWire host Sarah Poko speaks to Aaron Peerless, co-owner of Phantom's FreakShow Haunted House, to find out why.

For the final episode of the Spooktober special, join SaltWire host Sarah Poko as she hits the streets of Halifax to collect people's ghost stories.

We've seen exorcisms portrayed in mainstream media with chanting priests, violent contortions of the body and demonic screams from the victim. There have been debates about the validity of exorcisms as an archaic practice, but many people still turn to exorcism as a solution to their problems. There is even an International Association of Exorcists, founded by the Roman Catholic church in 2014, with over 200 members and a biannual meeting in Rome.Regardless of what you think about exorcisms, we are still fascinated by them, and they remain a popular horror theme in pop culture. SaltWire host Sarah Poko spoke with Neil MacCarthy, the director of communications for the Archdiocese of Toronto, about what is fact and what is fiction when it comes to exorcisms.

SaltWire host, Sarah Poko, continues her conversation with death doula Cindie Smith about what to expect when a person is dying, mental health as a death doula and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the practice.

Just like doulas who help with the birth of a baby, a death doula helps people process their grief and teaches them what to expect when a loved one dies.But how did this begin? What should we expect when a person is dying?SaltWire Host Sarah Poko spoke to Cindie Smith of Tidal End of Life Doula about the practice.

Climate change, COVID-19 and the crumbling economy — the events of the last few years have many of us thinking we've been cursed. This thought process would have been completely acceptable in the ancient world, as punishment for whatever misdeeds we may have done as a species.In this episode of Poko Ponders, SaltWire host Sarah Poko talks to Tony Burke of York University about the history of curses, why we fear them and if they really work.

Most of us are familiar with the stories of Cinderella, Snow White or Sleeping Beauty, but not many know these stories are heavily edited, their original plots lost to history.While we get lost in the "happily ever after," folklorists are hard at work studying these beloved stories and tracking their changes throughout history. That's where the ATU (Aarne-Thompson-Uther) Index comes in. On today's episode of Poko Ponders, SaltWire host Sarah Poko talks to Ian Brodie, a folklorist at Cape Breton University, about the importance of the index and how the idea of "happily ever after" is a matter of location.

You come across a bear or coyote while on a hike. What would you do?SaltWire host Sarah Poko doesn't know, so she decided to speak to Erich Muntz, a resource conservation manager at Cape Breton Highlands National Park, about animal safety and how to protect ourselves around wildlife.

Acupuncture has been around for more than 5,000 years with the promise of healing ailments and other health benefits attributed to the practice. But how did this ancient form of Chinese medicine migrate to Canada, and why is it so popular?SaltWire host Sarah Poko spoke to Dr. Diana Li of S-T Acupuncture and Natural Medicine Clinic in Bedford, N.S. to discuss the origins and art of acupuncture. Li is also president of the Canadian College of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine.

Feng shui is making a comeback like never before. This 5,000-year-old Chinese practice has travelled across the globe, and with more people staying home due to the pandemic, improving one’s personal space has taken priority. SaltWire host Sarah Poko spoke to Cliff Tan, an architect and founder of Dear Modern, about how we can make our quarantine space more peaceful and productive.