The Sunday Magazine

Her brother was the captain of Iran's national soccer team. But being a woman meant she wasn't allowed to watch him play in their home country. Maryam Shojaei spent years fighting to overturn Iran's ban on women in soccer stadiums – and faced arrest and intimidation along the way. The Iranian-Canadian activist joins Piya Chattopadhyay to share her journey, and what it’s like to see Iran scheduled to play in the FIFA World Cup while at war with one of the host countries.

Host Piya Chattopadhyay breaks down the politics and context of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's separation referendum question with The Economist's Rob Russo and CBC's Kathleen PettyActivist Maryam Shojaei shares her fight to overturn Iran's ban on women in Iran's soccer stadiumsThe Guardian's Ruaridh Nicoll and Canada's former ambassador to Cuba, Mark Entwistle, discuss rising U.S.-Cuba tensions and the stakes for people in the countryThe Logic's Murad Hemmadi and Sustainable AI Group's Boris Gamazaychikov explore sustainability concerns around AI data centres

After more than 50 years as a scholar of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, Mary Beard is looking back on her career and considering why studying the Classics is still worthwhile today. She says they may not give us answers to modern questions, but believes they can offer crucial ways of seeing ourselves differently. She joins Piya Chattopadhyay to explore why this history still has the power to shock.

Host Piya Chattopadhyay speaks with The Hub's Falice Chin, The Globe and Mail's Marieke Walsh and Max Fawcett from Canada's National Observer about the politics of Ottawa and Alberta's energy dealTravel journalist Will Ferguson shares his favourite Canadian hidden travel gemsFarmers Carl Stewart and Morgan Charlton, and agriculture economist Stuart Smyth, discuss how rising fuel and fertilizer costs are affecting the industryClassicist Mary Beard considers why studying the ancient Greek and Roman worlds is still worthwhile today

From grades and rankings to follower counts and performance metrics, our lives are constantly being measured, compared and optimized. But at what cost? Piya Chattopadhyay speaks with philosopher C. Thi Nguyen about how the systems we use to measure success can reshape our goals – and even change who we become.

Host Piya Chattopadhyay speaks with Yeganeh Torbati, The New York Times' Iran correspondent, about how sentiment in Iran has changed over the course of the war in the Middle East. Then, Iranian-Canadian author and activist Marina Nemat discusses how diaspora communities view the country's future.Biologist David George Haskell makes the case that flowering plants are critical architects of life on Earth.NPR's Emily Feng and The Economist's Simon Rabinovitch set up U.S. President Donald Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and explore how China is positioning itself on the world stage.Philosopher C. Thi Nguyen reflects on how the systems we use to measure success can reshape our goals – and even change who we become.

In our monthly challenge, That's Puzzling!, Piya Chattopadhyay competes against one familiar voice and one clever listener in a battle of brain games devised by puzzle master Peter Brown. Playing this week are retired Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Mark Tewksbury and Winnipeg listener Nancy Voth.

Host Piya Chattopadhyay speaks with political science professor Amy Verdun and The Economist's Canada correspondent Rob Russo about Prime Minister Mark Carney's courting of Europe, and how the federal government's spring economic update is landing at homePhilosopher Vincent Delecroix discusses his novel Small Boat, which fictionalizes a real-life migrant boat disaster in the English Channel to probe questions of apathy and complicity in tragedyThe Atlantic's David A. Graham surveys the state of American democracy and the fight over the integrity of the U.S. midterm electionsOur monthly challenge That’s Puzzling! returns with Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Mark Tewksbury and Winnipeg listener Nancy Voth

Winnie-the-Pooh first appeared in book form in 1926, and the fictional teddy bear has only grown more beloved in the century since. Author Gyles Brandreth joins Piya Chattopadhyay to explore how the "pure happiness" and childhood innocence that Pooh and his friends represent help explain the enduring appeal, and why creator A.A. Milne and his son – the real-life Christopher Robin – had a love-hate relationship with Winnie-the-Pooh.