The Cynic and The Optimist

Episode 18: In line with our motto that some things are too important to be taken seriously, in this episode we discuss euthanasia, assisted dying and assisted suicide. Who decides who is allowed to legally die, and for what reasons? What happens if those reasons then change? What about doctors who took an oath to save lives? On the way we take in depression, suicide and mental health in general, with insights from Belgium, Switzerland and India...

Episode 17: Muna and Alex discuss the conditions under which they would consider being naked in public, which in Alex's case boils down to "whenever it isn't snowing." Muna is more cautious, concerned about aesthetics, body confidence and hygiene...

Episode 16: This episode marks our six-month anniversary! In it we discuss beauty standards and how they've changed over time, different perceptions of beauty from male and female perspectives, leading us down a wild road of fairy tales and other stories from the opposite perspective, the She's All That movie, American jocks and ugly ducklings. But it all starts with Pandora and her enigmatic Box. She just couldn't keep it shut, could she?

Episode 15: The Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial has raised all sorts of questions, but here we focus on the broader topic of justice. Alex and Muna delve into individual understandings of what justice means, different approaches to justice in different countries, trial by jury, why it's fair to kill your father but not to steal a sheep, the Bow Street Runners and the major flaw in any judicial system: people!

Episode 14: Does cynicism increase with age? If Muna and Alex are any guide then the answer is a resounding yes...

Episode 13: If we didn't have to work for money, would any of us bother? Muna would, Alex wouldn't... in fact Alex struggles to work even when he's being paid to do so. Join us as we delve into the motivation for work, discover an almost-utopia in India, learn how education is failing to prepare kids for the working world, explore the purity of payment-free art and learn how to bankrupt someone by giving them more money. Featuring sharks and glaciers, because why not?

Episode 12: Is this the end of the world as we know it? Maybe so, maybe not, but Alex and Muna will keep talking anyway, about the mysterious fifth horseman, what's lurking behind the seven seals (and what happens when drinking men break the first one), the breakdown of international trust and why some things just aren't important (to Alex, at least). Featuring a bible quotation by Muna in her most stern and serious voice, Alex's trust issues and some conflicting views about bus drivers...

Episode 11: A discussion on the apparently narcissistic nature of cats (as opposed to dogs) which quickly veers off into the difference between covert and overt narcissists, the pros and cons of Ferraris and inflatable-asset girlfriends, and a somewhat serious (by our standards) conversation about how we see narcissists and how narcissists see us. Featuring Muna's candid, one-word appraisal of Alex's nature. She's not wrong.

Episode 10: Is convenience bad for us, for other people and for the planet? Muna presents the case for "it" as she and Alex discuss the disposable society, transportation, ebooks, the cost of practical and intellectual convenience, loss of privacy, home spying devices, AirBnB, Uber, smartphones, rocket-powered cars and the internet fridge. During all of this, Alex saves lives through laziness and Muna's head explodes.

Episode 9: Is too much state oversight and protection bad for societies and individuals, reducing individual responsibility and initiative? Or do we need the protective umbrella that an all-powerful government gives us? Alex reads an excerpt from a 1950s science-fiction story, Muna takes us on a trip to Burkina Faso and the Gambia, and we discuss self-reliance, democracy, social cohesion, Swiss referenda and political soap operas...