In 1876, the poet Stéphane Mallarmé published a poem entitled "The Afternoon of a Faun." He doubted anyone could set it to music successfully. But composer Claude Debussy did exactly that. The music runs only about nine minutes long, but it helped give birth to the modern era as we know it.

A group of women in St. John's, Newfoundland gather on a cold, autumn night for their regular book club. Over snacks, wine and tea, they discuss Alice Munro's work, and how her stories illuminate some of the deepest issues in their own lives. Munro's uncanny ability to shine light on darkened recesses of our inner lives earned her the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2013.

The Sermon on the Mount is one of the greatest gifts of scripture to humanity; just ask Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Leo Tolstoy. In a time when an eye for an eye still seems to hold sway, IDEAS producer Sean Foley explores the logic of Christian non-violence, beginning with Jesus' counsel to 'turn the other cheek.'

Celebrated Turkish writer Ahmet Altan was freed on April 14, 2021, after international pressure helped secure his release. He’d spent four years and seven months in prison. This episode by IDEAS producer Mary Lynk won an Amnesty International Canada Media Award for outstanding human rights reporting.

The way dogs are portrayed in literature reflects the problems in our real-world relationships to canines, says PhD student Molly Labenski, who says people want animals in their lives as “accessories” that can be easily discarded.

Unlike humans, cats aren't burdened with questions about love, death and the meaning of life. They have no need for philosophy at all. So what's to be learned from this "unexamined" way of being? English philosopher John Gray explains.

It's been 60 years since French thinker Gaston Bachelard’s The Poetics of Space made its English-language debut. It’s a hard-to-define book — part architecture, philosophy, psychoanalysis, memoir. And it continues to feed our ongoing need for purposeful solitude and wide-open fields for our imagination.

In 2015, the poet-musician Grzegorz Kwiatkowski made a strange discovery at the site of the former Stutthof concentration camp in Poland — something he calls 'a carpet of abandoned shoes.' But these were more than shoes: they're both artifacts and symbols of the Holocaust — as well as a flashpoint of nationalist denialism and historical amnesia.

Dinner on Mars? Two food security experts imagine what it would take to feed a human colony on Mars in the year 2080 if we colonized the red planet. Their research offers lessons on how to improve our battered food systems here on Earth.

The dominant story in archaeology has long been that humans came to North America around 12,000 years ago. But Indigenous archaeologist Paulette Steeves points to mounting evidence suggesting human migration may have occurred closer to 130,000 ago.

Animals — what on earth are they thinking? A panel of scientists explore the notion of animal cognition from what your dog means when it wags its tail, to the incredible problem-solving skills of crows, as part of the Aspen Ideas Festival.

In 1919, Canadian artist Mary Riter Hamilton embarked on a solo mission to paint the World War One battlefields of France and Belgium. A century later, documentary maker Alisa Siegel speaks to the artist's biographer, historians, and art historians to resuscitate Mary Riter Hamilton's art, life, and legacy.

Changes to user comments on CBCNews.CA

In response to your feedback, we have made changes to make commenting on our news stories a better experience.

1. Approving and recommending comments

It can be a challenge to provide an open space for Canadians to debate and share their opinions on the news, and maintain that space as one where people feel safe and comfortable. As a result of your feedback, we have tightened up our submission guidelines. More borderline comments are now not published.

As always, if you see a comment that you feel contravenes our guidelines, click on the “report abuse” link below the comment. Our moderators will give the flagged comment a second review. We have recently added a link to our submissions policy beside the “report abuse” link.

If you simply disagree with the viewpoint expressed, you can now give it a “thumbs down.” We have reworked the existing “recommend a comment” functionality in response to user requests for the ability to “un-recommend” a comment.

2. When guidelines aren’t followed

We have always banned the most problematic users who fail to follow our guidelines, but we have also started to use a temporary suspension, or “time out.” For users that fail to follow the guidelines, we block their input to the site for 3 business days by rendering it invisible to other users. We'll still see any new posts, and can decide to lift the suspension after the “time out” period, or to ban the user.

3. When comments are disabled on news articles

Lastly, we do want to acknowledge that not all types of articles will include comments.

When we do an article on a death of an individual, we have seen comments submitted that are needlessly hurtful to the family of the deceased. To respect their loss, we disable commenting on these articles. We also disable commenting on court proceedings that involve a publication ban, and articles related to abductions, as we don't want to inadvertently publish any input that would be helpful for the abductors.

The CBC.ca moderators are working on more improvements to our commenting section that we hope to launch over the coming year. For more details, see Your Best Stuff.

Having problems commenting on stories?

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To help us investigate the problems you are having making comments about our news stories, please include the following information in your email to “contact us”:

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In some situations, we disable commenting on stories. We do so by following certain criteria, such as if the comments may cause harm, or if there is a risk that they may break the law.

For example, we don't enable comments on stories about kidnapping, as we wouldn't want to inadvertently publish something that would assist the abductors.

We disable comments on stories concerning court cases that involve a publication ban, and on stories related to sexual assault, in order to protect the identity of the victim.

And often we don't allow comments on stories related to the death of individuals as we don't want to publish anything that may be hurtful for the family.

The decision to disable comments on a story is made after discussion among the news editorial team at CBC.ca.

Chances are you are hearing Voiceprint, an independent audio service for blind and vision-impaired Canadians that includes entertainment, news, and information, often read by volunteer presenters. Voiceprint is available on Secondary Audio Program or SAP which is an audio setting on your Television. To hear the CBC Newsworld audio, you need to have your television audio set with the SAP feature off and stereo sound on.

Turning SAP on and off is done on most television sets through a menu using the remote control. Every television set is different, so the best way to do that is to follow the instructions in your owner's manual.

What you are hearing is a Described Video soundtrack on CBC Television. DV allows vision-impaired Canadians greater access to CBC Television programming by describing the scene and action during pauses in dialogue. The DV soundtrack is delivered on Secondary Audio Program or SAP which is an audio setting on your Television. To turn off the narration, you need to have your television audio set with the SAP feature off and stereo sound on.

Turning SAP on and off is done on most television sets through a menu using the remote control. Every television set is different, so the best way to do that is to follow the instructions in your owner's manual.

bold, which replaces CBC Country Canada, is a digital channel home to the world’s best performing arts, intelligent drama and daring comedy.

bold is available on Shaw channel 96, Shaw Direct channel 512 and Bell TV channel 641. If you have digital cable or satellite TV, simply call your television service provider to subscribe.

Not a digital television subscriber yet but want to subscribe to bold? Visit your local cable or electronic retail outlet and purchase a digital box or satellite system. Or contact your preferred television service provider to schedule an installation. Then simply subscribe to bold as part of your programming selection.

Check out bold for more details.

CBC.ca has launched our new iPhone App for radio. We were so excited about this app that we decided to put it out before all the individual stations were ready to go. Although right now we already have 9 Radio One stations, 4 Radio 2 stations and Radio 3 on board.

We are trying to get all the other stations up within the next couple of weeks so please check back.

Go to our site iPhone for all our services.

Click the links below for information about getting tickets to our live CBC TV shows.

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CBC.ca presents the world of Politics .
Listen to Question Period. Participate in discussions about people, places and major decisions. Watch episodes of Power& Politics with Evan Solomon and read blogs by the CBC bloggers including Don Newman and Kady O’Malley.

Peter Puck is back on TV and on CBC.ca. Go to our Peter Puck page to watch Peter’s videos.

If you haven’t seen or uploaded our new iPhone Hockey app, please check it out.

CBC Sports today announced the launch of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa , website, which will become home to Canadian soccer fans across the country as the World Cup nears and the excitement for the world’s largest sporting event grows!

The comprehensive site offers viewers video highlights, feature stories and blogs from expert journalists stationed across each continent, a detailed history of all the players and teams participating in the tournament, classic FIFA moments and front line reports from South Africa.

On Dec. 4, at 12 p.m. ET, 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa site, will feature live coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Draw, where 32 participating nations will learn their first round pools. CBC Television will also have live coverage, beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET.

If you are having problems viewing our videos please go to our new Video help page.

To listen to live streaming of Radio One and Radio 2:

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2. Click on the Province and then city you want to listen to or live streams for Radio 2 regions or Radio 3.

If you experience problems:
-Visit our help tutorial at the bottom of the page.
- Use our direct URLs at the top of the page. Just click on the URL link and cut and paste the correct URL into iTunes.

Happy New Year. Please check out all the new shows and their websites:

18 to Life

Republic of Doyle

Death Comes to Town - Kids in the Hall

We explore how the white working class became a force in American politics, linguist Adam Aleksic spells out how online subcultures shape popular language, Shireen Ahmed and Morgan Campbell look back on the Paris Olympics, and historian Mary Beard shares lessons for our world from the Roman Empire.

Toluse Olorunnipa, Molly Ball, and Keith Boag unpack the latest on Kamala Harris' election campaign, science writer Amorina Kingdon explains the effect of human activity on the natural marine soundscape, Jennifer Welsh and Arif Lalani discuss the latest developments in the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, and Fei-Fei Li reflects on her groundbreaking work in AI.

Emilie Nicolas, Marieke Walsh, and David Herle explore what's at stake for the federal Liberals ahead of Parliament's return, Viet Thanh Nguyen talks about his latest kids book Simone, and we present Piya Chattopadhyay's on-stage conversation with four journalists about the vital role of local news – and new ideas emerging to enhance it.

Bea Bruske reflects on the state of the labour movement today, katherena vermette explores how "pretendians" damage Indigenous communities, Jon Ronson talks about how pandemic lockdowns helped fuel culture wars, and Maya Shankar offers advice on how we can all weather change better.

Our Sunday Politics Panel breaks down the NDP-Liberal breakup, Roland Allen explores why the notebook endures in the digital age, Nate Silver weighs the rewards of taking risks in politics and beyond, and our monthly challenge That's Puzzling! returns.

John Gradek unpacks the Air Canada pilot dispute, Marieke Walsh sets up Parliament's return, Walter Frisch explores why the classic song "Over the Rainbow" continues to endure, Armine Yalnizyan and Mikal Skuterud weigh the stakes of changes to Canada's immigration policy, and Ben Yagoda charts the rise of Britishisms in North American English.

Christopher Kirchhoff explores how technology is shaping global conflict, Nathan Law reflects on fighting for democracy in Hong Kong, Susanne Craig shares her reporting on Donald Trump's wealth, and Guy Vanderhaeghe looks back on what shaped him as a writer.

We unpack the latest on rising tensions in the Middle East, novelist Richard Powers reflects on finding possibility in the threats we face, Sixties Scoop survivor Andrea Currie shares her story and efforts to help other Indigenous people heal, and Eli Burnstein talks about the value of parsing fine distinctions in everyday language.

CBC foreign correspondent Chris Brown brings us the latest from the Middle East, NHL star Nazem Kadri shares his journey in hockey, Derek Guy explains how clothes transcend fashion on the campaign trail, and we take stock of one year since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and ensuing war.

We explore our future living with superstorms, Adrian Ma traces how Vince Carter shaped Canada on and off the basketball court, Connie Chung reflects on her trailblazing career in broadcasting, and we play another round of our monthly challenge That's Puzzling!

Marieke Walsh, Matt Gurney and Stephen Maher break down the week in Canadian politics, Michael Coren reflects on the transitions that have defined his life, our U.S. Election Panel explores what to expect in the final weeks of the campaign, and Oliver Stuenkel explains the rise of the BRICS group of nations.

Our Sunday Politics Panel breaks down the Liberal caucus revolt, Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa shares her journey to becoming a doctor, Dave Karpf explores how Big Tech is shaping the U.S. election campaign, Jaya Saxena charts how review culture took root in modern life, and John Thorn explains the historic rivalry taking place at this year's World Series.

Our U.S. Election Panel breaks down the final stretch in the race for the White House, Timothy Caulfield unravels the myths of the "manosphere" while investigating the male wellness industry, and author Malcolm Gladwell explores the darker sides of social epidemics.

Our U.S. Election Panel breaks down the final stretch in the race for the White House, Timothy Caulfield unravels the myths of the "manosphere" while investigating the male wellness industry, and author Malcolm Gladwell explores the darker sides of social epidemics.

Our U.S. Election Panel explores what Donald Trump's victory means for the country's future, Rob Sheffield breaks down how Taylor Swift has transformed culture, Gregg Carlstrom and Michael Bociurkiw weigh in on what Trump's return to power may mean for wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, and we play another round of our monthly challenge That's Puzzling!

The luggage ad started in the zoo and ended in the permanent collection at the New York Museum of Modern Art. But do you remember which brand was behind it?

A Vancouver-based ad agency placed $3 million cash between the glass in a bus shelter, unguarded on the street - to demonstrate a point.

Robbie told Mattel's CEO she wanted to honour the 60-year legacy of Barbie, but that there were also many people out there who hate the doll.

It all began with a doctorate, a skiing accident and a bit of ingenuity.

Poised to open in just six years, featuring spas, concert venues and even a Ferris wheel design, this out-of-this-world hotel will be a veritable playground for the ultra rich.

On International Fruit Day, one of the world's largest fruit producers did something very cheeky. It published a letter to His Holiness seeking apple absolution.

Young Lincoln wrestled in county fairs from his early twenties to his early thirties, and only lost one single match. But maybe his most famous match happened as the result of a bet. A bet that would land him in the Wrestling Hall of Fame. But is that story true?

Without permission to use sandwich boards to attract business, the Irish had to get resourceful.