Taiwan's Red Room event began years ago as a monthly gathering of locals and foreigners in Taipei, with five minutes of stage time available to anyone, for any kind of performance. The event quickly grew into a sort of movement, bringing with it a "culture of listening" that gave everyone a chance to speak. Trevor and Joey look into the culture of open mic events, and how they can help foster the growth of communities that cross both cultural and linguistic boundaries. This is also Trevor's...

Taiwan's Red Room event began years ago as a monthly gathering of locals and foreigners in Taipei, with five minutes of stage time available to anyone, for any kind of performance. The event quickly grew into a sort of movement, bringing with it a "culture of listening" that gave everyone a chance to speak. Trevor and Joey look into the culture of open mic events, and how they can help foster the growth of communities that cross both cultural and linguistic boundaries. This is also Trevor's...

Trying out a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle can come with a few initial hurdles, including your proximity to vegan options, your resources, and your eating habits. But the results have undeniably healthy effects on the environment, economies, and people. Joey and Trevor look into the world's most vegetarian countries, the roots of different kinds of veganism, and how it's getting easier to eat less meat.

Trying out a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle can come with a few initial hurdles, including your proximity to vegan options, your resources, and your eating habits. But the results have undeniably healthy effects on the environment, economies, and people. Joey and Trevor look into the world's most vegetarian countries, the roots of different kinds of veganism, and how it's getting easier to eat less meat.

Every year around late May or early June, we celebrate Dragon Boat Festival, a holiday with thousands of years of history, traditional foods, and competitive dragon boat races. Joey and Trevor look into the history behind the holiday, how it's celebrated, and its growing popularity in countries around the world.

Every year around late May or early June, we celebrate Dragon Boat Festival, a holiday with thousands of years of history, traditional foods, and competitive dragon boat races. Joey and Trevor look into the history behind the holiday, how it's celebrated, and its growing popularity in countries around the world.

As global average temperatures rise, many coral reefs are experiencing a phenomenon called "bleaching", leaving behind brittle structures which often stand very little chance of recovery. Coral reefs, sometimes called "the rainforests of the ocean", are highly sensitive underwater ecosystems. So how many of them can still be saved? Trevor and Joey look into how corals grow, how we study them, and the symbiotic relationships living all over their reefs, with expert commentary from coral reef...

As global average temperatures rise, many coral reefs are experiencing a phenomenon called "bleaching", leaving behind brittle structures which often stand very little chance of recovery. Coral reefs, sometimes called "the rainforests of the ocean", are highly sensitive underwater ecosystems. So how many of them can still be saved? Trevor and Joey look into how corals grow, how we study them, and the symbiotic relationships living all over their reefs, with expert commentary from coral reef...

Comedians are often encouraged to "punch up", or criticize those in positions of power, rather than "punching down", or ridiculing those less fortunate. So in countries where criticizing the government is dangerous, how does standup comedy fare as a political voice? Trevor and Joey look into the growth of standup comedy scenes around Asia, comedy's role as a cultural force, and how jokes translate across both linguistic and political lines.

Comedians are often encouraged to "punch up", or criticize those in positions of power, rather than "punching down", or ridiculing those less fortunate. So in countries where criticizing the government is dangerous, how does standup comedy fare as a political voice? Trevor and Joey look into the growth of standup comedy scenes around Asia, comedy's role as a cultural force, and how jokes translate across both linguistic and political lines.

According to the World Health Organization, worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1990, while obesity in adolescents has quadrupled in the same amount of time. In Taiwan, more than half of adults and a third of schoolchildren are either overweight or obese, giving it one of the highest rates in Southeast Asia. Joey and Trevor look into how these rates are calculated, which labels are unhelpful, and what we can do to lose weight on a larger scale. www.cindyyangnutrition.com...

According to the World Health Organization, worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1990, while obesity in adolescents has quadrupled in the same amount of time. In Taiwan, more than half of adults and a third of schoolchildren are either overweight or obese, giving it one of the highest rates in Southeast Asia. Joey and Trevor look into how these rates are calculated, which labels are unhelpful, and what we can do to lose weight on a larger...

While you may be paying a low price for clothes produced as "fast fashion", the real price falls upon textile workers and our environment.  Joey and Trevor chat about the advantages of a circular textile economy, the waste produced by major international brands, and where old clothes should go when we're done with them. In this episode, we spoke to representatives from two companies trying to make a difference in the field of sustainable fashion: https://www.threadingchange.org/...

While you may be paying a low price for clothes produced as "fast fashion", the real price falls upon textile workers and our environment.  Joey and Trevor chat about the advantages of a circular textile economy, the waste produced by major international brands, and where old clothes should go when we're done with them. In this episode, we spoke to representatives from two companies trying to make a difference in the field of sustainable...

Taiwan's "Bilingual by 2030" policy, set in motion in 2017, aims to achieve a Taiwanese society fluent in both Chinese and English by the end of the decade. With this ambitious undertaking, the government hopes to more deeply connect Taiwan's workforce with the world, and to attract more international businesses to Taiwan. Now that we're around seven years into this ambitious task, how is it going? As mentioned in this episode, Taiwan's Ministry of Education has provided online resources...

Taiwan's "Bilingual by 2030" policy, set in motion in 2017, aims to achieve a Taiwanese society fluent in both Chinese and English by the end of the decade. With this ambitious undertaking, the government hopes to more deeply connect Taiwan's workforce with the world, and to attract more international businesses to Taiwan. Now that we're around seven years into this ambitious task, how is it going? As mentioned in this episode, Taiwan's Ministry of Education has provided online resources for...

Around the end of April and the beginning of May, parts of North America are set to see two different broods of cicadas wake up at once. It's a dual emergence between groups that meet only once every 221 years. Trevor and Joey chat about the upcoming emergence event, why cicadas sleep for such exact amounts of time, and how the harmless insect has evolved to overcome even its toughest predators.

Around the end of April and the beginning of May, parts of North America are set to see two different broods of cicadas wake up at once. It's a dual emergence between groups that meet only once every 221 years. Trevor and Joey chat about the upcoming emergence event, why cicadas sleep for such exact amounts of time, and how the harmless insect has evolved to overcome even its toughest predators.

Mandarin pop music, or "Mandopop," is seeing increased listening in Taiwan, as one of the country's most famous musicians recently made history with global album sales. So, how does this affect the wider acceptance of music in Chinese, and how willing are people to listen to music in languages they don't understand?

Mandarin pop music, or "Mandopop," is seeing increased listening in Taiwan, as one of the country's most famous musicians recently made history with global album sales. So, how does this affect the wider acceptance of music in Chinese, and how willing are people to listen to music in languages they don't understand?

The earthquake that hit Taiwan in 1999 caused a staggering 2,400 deaths, while this month's earthquake of almost the same magnitude killed 13. While we strive to avoid any number of casualties at all, the difference in casualties is still remarkable. What changed, and are we really prepared for more?

The earthquake that hit Taiwan in 1999 caused a staggering 2,400 deaths, while this month's earthquake of almost the same magnitude killed 13. While we strive to avoid any number of casualties at all, the difference in casualties is still remarkable. What changed, and are we really prepared for more?

Geothermal power is the second form of renewable energy we're looking into, and comes with its own set of merits and challenges. Getting green energy from kilometers underground is no easy feat, but more and more countries are doing it. Trevor and Joey go over a bit of the science behind geothermal power stations, why geothermal energy is strongest in specific parts of the world, and whether it's work the risk of investment.

Geothermal power is the second form of renewable energy we're looking into, and comes with its own set of merits and challenges. Getting green energy from kilometers underground is no easy feat, but more and more countries are doing it. Trevor and Joey go over a bit of the science behind geothermal power stations, why geothermal energy is strongest in specific parts of the world, and whether it's work the risk of investment.

With cultural origins dating back thousands of years, Tomb Sweeping Day is a time for families to gather and pay respects to their ancestors. But could some traditions have a negative impact on the environment? Joey and Trevor chat about honoring ancestors across different cultures, how the accompanying practices have changed with time, and what people are doing to find a balance between tradition and climate consciousness.