Preconceived

Zale Mednick

Preconceived examines the preconceptions that shape how we view the world and challenges the paradigms by which we live our lives. The show is hosted by ophthalmologist Zale Mednick.

  • 56 minutes 27 seconds
    Leg Lengthening - Extreme Measures to Become Taller

    There are many people who exist on the shorter end of the height spectrum. For some people, it might be not the biggest deal – but for others, it might significantly impact their lives. But what if there were a way to change your height … to go from shorter to taller? Enter the surgery known as leg lengthening, a procedure designed to help people get taller. Actor Rich Rotella joins the podcast to share his recent experience undergoing leg lengthening surgery. 


    Learn more about Rich Rotella

    https://www.youtube.com/c/RichRotella

    https://www.instagram.com/richrotellaofficial/

    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22383626/


    Learn more about Leg Lengthening Surgery

    https://www.youtube.com/c/Cyborg4Life


    This episode is sponsored by the podcast, A Pastor and a Philosopher Walk Into a Bar. 

    https://pastorandphilosopher.buzzsprout.com

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    8 April 2025, 9:00 am
  • 46 minutes 53 seconds
    275. The pope
    The Pope is one of the most revered humans on the planet, garnering devotion from Catholics and Christians all over the world. But what is the Pope supposed to represent? Is the Pope just an ordinary person who was simple been chosen to represent Catholicisim? Or is the Pope rather considered to be a divine figure Himself, a prophet of some sort? Brownen McShea joins the podcast to discuss the role of the Pope, how the role has evolved, and why younger generations may be moving back towards the Church.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 April 2025, 10:00 am
  • 44 minutes 46 seconds
    274. The Verdict on Juries (The Juror Part 3)
    In this third and final episode of our mini-series on juries, we speak with a criminal lawyer about the ultimate question we've been leading to - Does the jury system make sense? While the idea of having one's peers decide their fate in the justice system sounds idealistic, does it actually work in practice? Should laypeople be called for jury duty to assess cases that are often very complex? Are personal biases too tough to overcome for the average juror? Is the potential group think of jurors a detriment to fair legal outcomes? Essentially, do we have the jury system right? Renowned criminal lawyer Brian Greenspan joins the podcast.

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    25 March 2025, 9:00 am
  • 58 minutes 2 seconds
    273. Forensic Fallacies (The Juror Part 2)

    In this second of three episodes regarding the jury system, we explore the science of forensics. Are fingerprint and DNA analyses less accurate and more susceptible to bias than we might be led to believe? Are there situations in which jurors are overly swayed by forensic evidence that may be less ironclad than we think? International forensics expert Dr. Itiel Dror joins the podcast.


    Dr. Dror's Website https://www.cci-hq.com/dr.-itiel-dror.html 


    Learn more about this topic at https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.analchem.0c00704 

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    18 March 2025, 9:00 am
  • 47 minutes 24 seconds
    272. Are Juries too Biased? (The Juror Part 1)
    In this first of three episodes on the jury system, we examine how biased jurors tend to be. What unexpected variables factor into jury decision making? Are jurors able to check their biases at the door, or do they tend to make their minds up before all the evidence has even be presented? Are there certain cases to which juries are particularly partial in delivering a verdict of guilty or not guilty? Lee Curley, an expert in jury biases, joins the podcast.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    11 March 2025, 9:00 am
  • 32 minutes 38 seconds
    The War Correspondent

    Most people veer away from dangerous places. Yet there are some people in this world, who not only don’t avoid such places, but rather seek them out; journalists who report on some of the most dangerous and devastating conflicts in the world. So why would somebody risk their life, in some cases, to report on deadly conflicts far away? Why would somebody become a war correspondent, and what does the job entail? War correspondent Sam Mednick joins the podcast. 


    Follow Sam on twitter at @sammednick


    Check out the podcast - Uncertain Things - at https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/uncertain-things/id1529979654

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    4 March 2025, 10:00 am
  • 38 minutes 7 seconds
    271. Tariffs and Trade Wars
    With Trump's proposed tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China, may are concerned that some form of a trade war might emerge in the coming months. Particularly in Canada, where 75% of its exports go to the United States, uncertainty and fear are developing amongst Canadians. So if these tariffs do end becoming imposed, how will it affect each of the Canadian and American economies? By virtue of its larger sized economy, is this a trade war the US would handily win? Or are widespread tariffs a recipe for economic disaster for both countries? Eric Kirzner, a Finance Professor at the University of Toronto, joins the podcast.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    25 February 2025, 10:00 am
  • 53 minutes 20 seconds
    270. Health Scare
    Nobody expects to get sick. Especially for someone in their 20s or 30s, being diagnosed with a significant medical condition is not something that's truly on one's radar. So how does one process a scary medical diagnosis? In whom does one confide? And how, if at all, just it change one's perspective on life? Adam Noyek was diagnosed with a serious spinal tumor when he was in his mid thirties. He joins the podcast to share his story.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    18 February 2025, 10:00 am
  • 41 minutes 49 seconds
    269. Selective Abortion - A Down Syndrome Dilemma

    With further scientific breakthroughs and more accurate and widespread genetic testing increasingly available, it is becoming much more common to detect genetic abnormalities in a fetus during the early stages of pregnancy. As a consequence, conditions such as Down Syndrome are diagnosed much more frequently prenatally than in past decades. In parts of the world where abortion is still legal, more people are likely choosing to abort such fetuses with genetic abnormalities. So what does this mean?  Are the rates of Down Syndrome already decreasing dramatically? Will the rates continue to plummet with more genetic screening and subsequent abortions? And if this is the case, how do people in the Down Syndrome community feel about this?  Even if you are pro-choice, it’s a bit of a harrowing thought to think that a certain demographic of the population could decline so dramatically. 

    Dr. Amy Redhead joins the podcast.

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    11 February 2025, 10:00 am
  • 46 minutes 2 seconds
    Changing Career Paths

    When we contemplate the word ‘career’, it’s natural to think of one singular profession that someone pursues via education and then remains in for a long period of time. When you think of a doctor or an accountant, you usually think of them practicing that profession for decades, the majority if not all of their work years. In the ‘corporate world’, job changes are perhaps more common, but it sometimes seems like people are becoming more inclined to pivot in their professional lives. Professor Serge da Motta Veiga joins the podcast to share insights and recent trends in the workplace. 


    Learn more about Serge Da Motta Veiga - https://www.edhec.edu/en/research-and-faculty/faculty/professors-and-researchers/serge-da-motta-veiga

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    4 February 2025, 10:00 am
  • 44 minutes 9 seconds
    268. How to Change Your Behaviour
    It’s one thing to acknowledge certain truths about ourselves and the world, and to have certain revelations ; but it’s another thing to actually make change based on those realizations. Why can we acknowledge and learn about our preconceptions, but still have such a hard time extrapolating those lessons to the way we live our lives? How do we break old patterns of behaving and make positive change to match our new ways of thinking? How do concepts such as status quo bias and habit formation prevent us from achieving our goals, and how can we break patterns that we deem detrimental? Yasmine Kalkstein, a Professor of Psychology at West Point, joins the podcast.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    28 January 2025, 10:00 am
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