What's Old is News

Common Sense

This week, Sean Graham talks with Michael North, author of Making Common Sense: On the Construction of the Obvious from Antiquity to AI. [https://www.sup.org/books/theory-and-philosophy/making-common-sense] They talk about what counts as 'common' sense, its relation to the 5 senses, and how that understanding shaped perceptions of common sense. They then get into a discussion about the modern understanding of common sense, the difference between that and reason, and how algorithms and AI are shaping our understanding of what counts as 'common' sense. Historical Headline of the Week Jo Marchant, "The American Revolution's Overlooked Influence? Physics. How 'Common Sense' Spelled Out Astronomical Expectations for a New Nation," [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/american-revolution-overlooked-influence-physics-thomas-paine-common-sense-spelled-out-astronomical-expectations-new-nation-180988795/] Smithsonian Magazine, Summer 2026.

The Governors General

This week Sean Graham talks with John Fraser, author of The Governors General: An Intimate History of Canada's Highest Office [https://sutherlandhousebooks.com/product/the-governors-general/]. They talk about John's experiences meeting all the Canadian-born Governors General, how personality shapes the office, and the role's political limits. They also discuss the people who held the office, how they managed the position's responsibilities, and what purpose the monarch's representative in Canada has in the 21st century. Historical Headline of the Week John Fraser, "Julie Payette's disastrous reign as Governor General: 'Act of perpetual petulance, [https://nationalpost.com/feature/astronaut-julie-payette-flamed-out-as-governor-general]'" National Post, April 2, 2026.

Commercial Tattooing

This week, Sean Graham is joined by Jamie Jelinski, author of Needle Work: A History of Commercial Tatooing in Canada [https://www.mqup.ca/Books/N/Needle-Work]. They talk about Jamie's interest in the history of tattoos, the connection to art history, and the beginnings of tattoos as an industry in Canada. They then discuss questions over regulation and the criminalization of tattooing before chatting about some of the unique case studies in the book. Historical Headline of the Week Steven Dyer, "Tattoos in the workplace, how has society's perception of ink changed? [https://www.ctvnews.ca/edmonton/article/tattoos-in-the-workplace-how-has-societys-perception-of-ink-changed/]" CTV News, September 21, 2024.

Writing Canada's Military History

In this episode, Sean Graham talks with Jean-Michel Turcotte, Acting Chief Historian of the Directorate of History and Heritage at the Department of National Defence and the convenor of the 2025 Shannon Lecture Series. They talk about Jean-Michel's background, how that influenced the series theme of 'Revisiting Canadian Armed Forces Experiences' and some of on-going projects at the Directorate. They also discuss the changing nature of military history, incorporating more voices into the stories of Canada's armed forces, and how those changes relate to broader historiographical trends. The final session of the Shannon Lecture Series, entitled The Transnational Making of United Nations Peacekeeping by Brian Drohan, will take place on May 6 at 4p ET on Zoom. You can find more information here [https://carleton.ca/history/shannon-lectures-fall-2025/]. Historical Headline of the Week Defence Stories, "Web portal to military historical documents open to the public." [https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/maple-leaf/defence/2024/06/web-portal-military-historical-documents-open-public.html] June 11, 2024.

Canada's National Debt

This week, Sean Graham talks with Angela Tozer, author of The Debt of a Nation: Land and the Financing of the Canadian Settler State, 1820-73 [https://www.ubcpress.ca/the-debt-of-a-nation]. They discuss how governments take on debt, the purpose of debt, and how colonialism fuelled land speculation. They also chat about how resource extraction was critical to servicing debt, the changes brought on by Confederation, and the on-going legacy of 19th century national debt. Historical Headline of the Week "Debt Management Strategy for 2020-21 [https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/services/publications/economic-fiscal-snapshot/debt-management-strategy-2020-21.html]," Department of Finance Canada.