by Ethan Ward, Natalie Meisner
Does the world around you have you scratching your head right now? Wanting to know more? Desiring to unlock the mysteries that surround us. Maybe you feel that traditional research journals are too dense, too full of jargon. Then this podcast is for you. Definitely Not The Ivory Tower highlights the emergent research of professors and students at Mount Royal University whose research is making real change in the world around us. And we’re going to have some fun while doing it!
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
2/10/2025
See how your podcast performs across key metrics
Recommendations available
Unlock the full report to see detailed tips
Recommendations available
Unlock the full report to see detailed tips
Unlock comprehensive insights including:
See how your show performs across every key metric
High authority scores make your podcast more attractive to industry leaders and influencers who want to appear on credible shows.
Sponsors look for podcasts with proven authority and engagement. Your score demonstrates your podcast's value to potential partners.
Understanding your strengths and weaknesses helps you make data-driven decisions to expand your listener base effectively.
Pitch yourself as a guest, propose sponsorships, or reach out directly to the host.
March 31, 2026
<p>Raising livestock and eating meat have been a crucial part of human society for thousands of years. Today, however, questions around the sustainability and ethics of livestock farming are being raised as highly industrialized processes contribute to climate change and animal welfare concerns. On this episode of Definitely Not the Ivory Tower, Natalie Meisner talks with Dr. Joe Anderson, a scholar of American agricultural history and practices, to think critically about the history of livestock (specifically pigs) and what it tells us about human society today. Natalie also sits down with MRU journalism student Gabriella Lindland to discuss cattle farming in the Alberta context. </p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Show notes: </strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/book/63812/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Capitalist Pigs: Pigs, Pork and Power in America</a>. By Joe Anderson.</li> <li><a href="https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/industrializing-the-corn-belt-agriculture-technology-and-environment-1945-1972/9780875807416.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">Industrializing the Corn Belt.</a>By Joe Anderson</li> <li><a href="https://calgaryjournal.ca/2025/04/29/opinion-the-downside-of-albertas-meat-industry/" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Downsides of Alberta’s Meat Industry</a>. By Gabriella Lindland</li> <li><a href="https://www.noble.org/regenerative-agriculture/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Regenerative Agriculture</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/quitting-cows-could-have-big-environmental-impacts-but-its-harder-than-it-sounds/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cattle’s impact on climate change </a></li> <li><a href="https://www.fao.org/family-farming/detail/en/c/1634679/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Livestock solutions for climate change</a></li> <li><a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5332933/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mutilating Procedures, Management Practices, and Housing Conditions That May Affect the Welfare of Farm Animals: Implications for Welfare Research</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.humaneworld.org/sites/default/files/docs/food-safety-concerns-slaughter-of-downed-cattle.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Food Safety Concerns with the Slaughter of Downed Cattle</a></li> <li><a href="https://spca.bc.ca/programs-services/farm-animal-programs/farm-animal-production/beef-cattle/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Beef farming in Canada</a></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><strong>Discussion segments: </strong></p> <p>Introducing Dr. Anderson – 3:45</p> <p>Real world impact of Anderson’s research – 5:20</p> <p>Pracademics – 7:10 </p> <p>Why is the pig such an important animal historically - 9:55 </p> <p>How humans changed the pig in the past several hundred years – 14:10 </p> <p>How did pigs change the landscape of North America – 19:15</p> <p>How do pigs showcase the ramifications of a highly industrialized world – 22:25</p> <p>How has livestock farming evolved – 25:55</p> <p>The future of livestock farming in North America – 29:45</p> <p>How could farming practices be improved – 34:50 </p> <p>Introducing Gabriella Lindland – 40:35 </p> <p>How Gabriella first got interested in researching meat consumption - - 42:00 </p> <p>How has cattle farming shaped the landscape of Alberta – 43:30 </p> <p>How has cattle farming evolved in the last century – 45:05 </p> <p>What does livestock farming tell us about our society – 46:20 </p> <p>Talking with others about the (un)sustainability of livestock farming – 50:00</p> <p>Regenerative Agriculture – 51:45 </p> <p>Conclusion – 55:40 </p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Joe Anderson selected publications: </strong></p> <p>Anderson, J. L. (2020). “You’re a Bigger Man”: Technology and Agrarian Masculinity in Postwar America. Agricultural History, 94(1), 1-23.</p> <p>Anderson, J.L. (2018). Of Conformity and Cosmopolitanism: Midwestern Identity since World War II. In <i>Finding a New Midwestern History</i>, edited by Jon K. Lauck, Gleaves Whitney, and Joe Hogan, University of Nebraska Press. </p> <p>Anderson, J. L. (2014). The Rural Midwest since World War II. Northern Illinois University Press. </p> <p>Anderson, J. L., Belasco, W., & Horowitz, R. (2009). Lard to lean: Making the meat-type hog in post-World War II America. Food chains: from farmyard to shopping cart, 29-46. </p> <p>Anderson, J. L. (2007). The Vacant Chair on the Farm: Soldier Husbands, Farm Wives, and the Iowa Home Front, 1861–1865. The Annals of Iowa, 66(3-4).</p>
December 4, 2025
<p><strong>Episode Summary: </strong></p><p>It’s no secret that industrialization has taken a heavy toll on the planet and our bodies. But just how extensive and pervasive is chemical exposure? On this episode of Definitely not the Ivory Tower, Natalie Meisner sits down with chemists Nausheen Sadiq and Catharina Venter to discuss how we are exposed to toxic chemicals and metals on a daily basis, through water, food and cosmetics. </p><p>This episode takes a look at the history of chemical contamination in everyday products, what the situation is like today, how our bodies and the environment are affected and how it can impact us over a lifetime. The two researchers also give advice on how we can deal with this reality and what to watch out for as consumers. </p><p> </p><p><strong>Show notes:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://pitwatch.org/">The Berkeley Pit</a>, Butte, Montana </li><li><a href="https://www.famsf.org/stories/poisons-part-i-the-mercurial-world-of-felt">Mercury in hats</a> – Mad Hatters</li><li><a href="https://www.britannica.com/story/radium-girls-the-women-who-fought-for-their-lives-in-a-killer-workplace">Radium girls</a></li><li><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/bioaccumulation">Bioaccumulation</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/chemicals-product-safety/per-polyfluoroalkyl-substances.html">Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)</a> – Forever Chemicals</li><li><a href="https://www.epa.gov/superfund/what-superfund">Superfund sites</a></li><li><a href="https://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/fcsi-rscf/location-emplacement-eng.aspx?clear=1">Contaminated Sites Map</a> – Canada</li><li>Canadian Indigenous Nations <a href="https://ucalgary.ca/news/tip-iceberg-true-state-drinking-water-advisories-first-nations">water quality crisis</a></li><li>Superfood qualities of <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7442370/">blueberries</a></li><li><a href="https://www.agilent.com/en/product/atomic-spectroscopy/inductively-coupled-plasma-mass-spectrometry-icp-ms/what-is-icp-ms-icp-ms-faqs?srsltid=AfmBOoqa_QRnAJ-uIikr7ekHNKNMCWGGLzej-XFp_HLa4yIl0KU2n8U8">Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry</a> (ICP-MS) </li><li><a href="https://www.mtroyal.ca/AboutMountRoyal/MediaRoom/Stories/2024/08/whats-going-into-the-bodys-largest-organ.htm">Chitosan</a></li><li>Sadiq’s <a href="https://www.mtroyal.ca/AboutMountRoyal/MediaRoom/Stories/2025/10/tri-agency-grant-recipients-mount-royal-university-2025.htm">NSERC Discovery Grant</a></li></ul><p> </p><p><strong>Discussion segment timestamps:</strong></p><p>1:44: Episode and guest intro</p><p>4:16: Real world applications of research </p><p>6:13: Being a changemaker </p><p>10:11: Lightbulb moments </p><p>12:57: History of toxic elements in food and cosmetics </p><p>17:02: How are food and cosmetics contaminated in the first place</p><p>19:57: What do toxic elements do to our bodies</p><p>22:37: How widespread is the issue of toxic elements in food and cosmetics </p><p>26:25: What elements are most concerning</p><p>28:14: Superfund sites </p><p>34:27: Testing food and cosmetics in the lab </p><p>42:20: Lab methods </p><p>46:15: Chitosan </p><p>51:48: Importance of student research</p><p>53:39: How being a chemist affects everyday life</p><p>59:55: Conclusion and episode outro</p><p> </p><p><strong>Nausheen Sadiq selected publications: </strong></p><p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308814625018886">Multi-elemental bio-accessibility from long-grain rice for realistic risk assessment using on-line continuous leaching coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry: The non‐arsenic side of the story</a></p><p>Sadiq, N. W., & Beauchemin, D. (2025). Multi-elemental bio-accessibility from long-grain rice for realistic risk assessment using on-line continuous leaching coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry: The non‑arsenic side of the story. <i>Food Chemistry</i>, 144637.</p><p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030881461830431X">Realistic risk assessment of arsenic in rice</a></p><p>Althobiti, R. A., Sadiq, N. W., & Beauchemin, D. (2018). Realistic risk assessment of arsenic in rice. <i>Food chemistry</i>, <i>257</i>, 230-236.</p><p><a href="https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/full/10.1139/cjc-2020-0518">Multi-elemental risk assessment of various baby rice cereals: some cause for concern?</a></p><p>Sadiq, N. W., & Beauchemin, D. (2021). Multi-elemental risk assessment of various baby rice cereals: some cause for concern?. <i>Canadian Journal of Chemistry</i>, <i>99</i>(999), 742-750.</p><p><a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4978097">Characterization of the Phenolic Content Across Commercial Food Extracts Using Liquid Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry</a></p><p>Sadiq, N. W., Karboune, S., & Bayen, S. Characterization of the Phenolic Content Across Commercial Food Extracts Using Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry. <i>Available at SSRN 4978097</i>.</p><p><a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsestair.3c00006">Dissolution of Selected Trace Elements from Simulated Atmospheric Aerosol Aging and Human Exposure of Mineral Dust and Coal Fly Ash</a></p><p>Sadiq, N. W., Venter, C., Mohammed, W., Khalaf, Y., & Al-Abadleh, H. A. (2023). Dissolution of selected trace elements from simulated atmospheric aerosol aging and human exposure of mineral dust and coal fly ash. <i>ACS ES&T Air</i>, <i>1</i>(1), 5-15.</p>
April 22, 2025
On this episode, host Natalie Meisner sits down with Mount Royal University researcher Crystal Chokshi and Mount Royal Information Design student Maren Walker. The use of AI technology has rapidly become a pervasive presence in people's lives today. Largely due to the huge push tech companies are making to market their AI products. AI is now being used for a range of applications, from mundane tasks like writing emails to being utilized in the crafting of government economic policy. It seems that AI is here to stay. But what does that mean for society? In this interview, Chokshi breaks down the strategies and language big tech companies use to market AI and what the hidden costs of these technologies are.
Have a different question and can't find the answer you're looking for? Reach out to our support team by sending us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
Does the world around you have you scratching your head right now? Wanting to know more? Desiring to unlock the mysteries that surround us. Maybe you feel that traditional research journals are too dense, too full of jargon. Then this podcast is for you.
Definitely Not The Ivory Tower highlights the emergent research of professors and students at Mount Royal University whose research is making real change in the world around us. And we’re going to have some fun while doing it!
This podcast updates daily.
This podcast is available on 6 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
Pod Engine is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected with any of the podcasts displayed on this platform. We operate independently as a podcast discovery and analytics service.
All podcast artwork, thumbnails, and content displayed on this page are the property of their respective owners and are protected by applicable copyright laws. This includes, but is not limited to, podcast cover art, episode artwork, show descriptions, episode titles, transcripts, audio snippets, and any other content originating from the podcast creators or their licensors.
We display this content under fair use principles and/or implied license for the purpose of podcast discovery, information, and commentary. We make no claim of ownership over any podcast content, artwork, or related materials shown on this platform. All trademarks, service marks, and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
While we strive to ensure all content usage is properly authorized, if you are a rights holder and believe your content is being used inappropriately or without proper authorization, please contact us immediately at hey@podengine.ai for prompt review and appropriate action, which may include content removal or proper attribution.
By accessing and using this platform, you acknowledge and agree to respect all applicable copyright laws and intellectual property rights of content owners. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or commercial use of the content displayed on this platform is strictly prohibited.