Episode 1: Presentation of the Network Project “Composing Worlds”

Marina Lencastre - Retired Full Professor from the University of Porto. Full Professor at the Fernando Pessoa University. Psychotherapist and Scientific and Clinical Supervisor at the Portuguese Society of Clinical Psychology. 

Rui Estrada - Full Professor at the Fernando Pessoa University. Researcher of the CITCEM da University of Porto. 

This is the introductory podcast of the project 'Composing Worlds: Humanities, Well-being, and Health in the 21st Century': a network of experts in the fields of humanities and health addressing well-being and health issues in contemporary societies. Marina Lencastre and Rui Estrada, project coordinators, discuss its origin, development, and future perspectives.

Episode 37: Ecotherapy and its applicability in health and education contexts

Irene Monteiro - Clinical psychologist at Hospital Escola Fernando Pessoa.

Carla Ladeira - Speech therapist and ecotherapist.

In this episode of the Compor Mundos Podcast, Irene Monteiro, a clinical psychologist at the Fernando Pessoa School Hospital, talks to Carla Ladeira about ecotherapy and its applicability in health, education and social contexts. Carla Ladeira, a speech therapist with a diverse background of training and experience in speech therapy, art therapy, therapeutic horticulture, garden design, orthomolecular nutrition and psychoneuroimmunology, shared her nature during this conversation in which ancestry, biophilia, scientific evidence and nature's potential for human health were combined to create a world that only exists in the strong interdependence between the human and more-than-human worlds. Being in nature is different from being with nature and it is here that we understand that there are various approaches within ecotherapy, where we find ecopsychology, animal-assisted therapy, therapeutic horticulture, nature-based mindfulness or nature baths. Science has amply proven the benefits of contact with nature for human health and development, and in this episode we will be able to understand how we can include elements of ecotherapy in health and education contexts, recovering ancestral links, reinforcing innate survival schemes refined over time that allow us to deal with the challenges of mental health in contemporary life.

Episode 36: Climate Change in the Perception of Young People

Patrícia Weber - Professor at Fernando Pessoa University and holds a PhD in Information Science, specializing in Journalism and Media Studies from the same institution. Professor and journalist with expertise in Radio, Research Methodology, and Distance Learning.

Tadiane Popp - Professora na Universidade do Oeste de Santa Catarina, doutoranda em Ciências da Comunicação pela Universidade Fernando Pessoa. Autora do livro Mudanças Climáticas – Percepções e Comportamentos, atua nas áreas de Educação, Marketing, Administração e Gestão de Tecnologia da Informação.

This podcast presents the research that resulted in the book "Climate Change – Perceptions and Behaviors", authored by Tadiane Popp, Evandro Guindati, and Karen Schroeder. The investigation shows how high school students in the west of Santa Catarina, Brazil, perceive climate change, their level of awareness about the problem, and their commitment to addressing environmental challenges. In a region of the country that has been affected annually by natural disasters, there is a perception of individual responsibility among young people who also end up listing important and unexpected aspects for the researchers to address in future research.

Episode 35: Volunteering and the social economy in contemporary society

Álvaro Campelo - Associate Professor at Fernando Pessoa University and Member of the ‘Composing Worlds’ Project. He is an integrated member of CRIA (Centre for Research in Anthropology), Vice-President of the Portuguese Society of Anthropology and Ethnology; Director of the cultural journal Mealibra, member of the editorial board of several journals specialising in anthropology, including the UFP journal Antropológicas. He is an anthropologist who, in addition to teaching and research, coordinates various social intervention projects in local, national and international communities, in the areas of heritage and development strategies. He researches and publishes in the following areas: anthropological theory; anthropology of religions; anthropology of art; anthropology of development, anthropology of health, and intangible cultural heritage.

Sónia Fernandes - With a degree in Anthropology (2000) and a Master's degree in Humanitarian Action, Cooperation and Development (2013), Sonia, as one of the leading experts in social projects and volunteering, was selected in 2023 to be one of the top 100 women in social enterprises. Author of several books and manuals on volunteering, she is co-author of the book: Complete Volunteer Management Manual. She created the CaDEI volunteer management training methodology. She is the founder and president of the NGO Pista Mágica - Associação. With experience on several continents, she works on ‘Designing and managing social innovation projects’; ‘Volunteering and volunteer management’; ‘Strategic planning for social economy organisations’. In these areas, she provides training, teaching and consultancy services.

The objectives of this Podcast were, firstly, to find out a little about our guest's career and work; secondly, to understand the reasons for her training choices and the activities she has developed over the years; and thirdly, to learn more about the role of volunteering and the social economy in contemporary society, given the challenges we face. The depth and enthusiasm with which the guest, Master Sónia Fernandes, spoke about these topics allowed us to see the importance of volunteering and the room for innovation that exists in an area that is not always valued. As we approach 2016, the year dedicated by the UN to Volunteering, it is important to remember the words of Sónia Fernandes, in a differentiated, promising and absolutely transformative look at volunteering and the social economy. From work that was often seen as amateurish and unprofessionalised, volunteering and the social economy have become increasingly demanding areas that involve complex management and organisational strategies. His words lead to the conclusion: volunteering transforms society, but above all it transforms those who do it.

Episode 34: Health as a public good and an individual responsibility

Ana Gabriela Nogueira - Professor at Fernando Pessoa University (UFP) in the area of Journalism and Communication Sciences, completed her doctorate in Audiovisual and Journalism at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) and a degree in Communication Sciences at UFP. He is an integrated member of ICNOVA, the Communication Institute of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, and also collaborates at the Novos Medios (USC) research center and the Cultura y Comunicación Interactiva research center at the University of A Coruña.

José Manuel Calheiros - Doctor specializing in Internal Medicine, is PhD in Medical Anthropology, Social Sciences and Health Care, is a specialist in Public Health, Environmental Health and Epidemiology. With a particular interest in health promotion, inequalities and socioeconomic determinants, José Calheiros was Director and Deputy Director of the Northern Unit of the National Institute of Public Health, Doctor Ricardo Jorge in 1988-91 and acting head of the department of infectious diseases in 2010-14). In addition to his vast experience in the field, José Calheiros is a visiting professor at Fernando Pessoa University, director of the Institute for Research, Innovation and Development (FP-I3ID), president of the Ethics Committee for Health at HE-FFP and an integrated member of the RISE-Health Research Unit. In addition to his brilliant academic career and extensive research, José Calheiros received the Portuguese Epidemiology Association (Luiz Cayolla da Motta) award for his contributions to the development of Epidemiology in Portugal.

Did you know that hypertension is the disease of poverty? What other stories and contexts do socio-economic dynamics imprint on a country's public health...? In its most traditional conception, ‘Public Health’ is the application of knowledge (medical or otherwise) with the aim of organising health systems and services, acting on conditioning and determining factors in the health/disease process and controlling the incidence of disease in populations through surveillance and government interventions. On the other hand, the definition of health defended by the WHO considers, in its first items, health as ‘complete physical, mental and social well-being and not simply the absence of disease or infirmity’ and defends it as a fundamental right and the main social goal of all governments. Through a conversation with Prof José Calheiros, we will explore and clarify the concepts of health and social and individual responsibility in a country's public health.

Episode 2: Mental Health and the Consequences of Lockdown

Eduardo Paz Barroso - Full Professor at Fernando Pessoa University. Researcher at LabCom, University of Beira Interior.

Cláudia Milheiro - Higher Education Lecturer. Psychoanalyst at the Portuguese Society of Psychoanalysis.

The podcast involves a conversation about the confinement condition due to the sars cov2 epidemic and its effects on mental health. The consequences for psychopathology and artistic creation are evoked, along with how the latter can save us from inner confinement. Alongside a reassessment of personal priorities forced by the lockdown situation, it has also revealed a "malaise in civilization" (Freud, 1930) and the conflict at the origin of psychological symptoms, and drama in the arts and literature. In a fast-paced and immediate society, it is important to work with symptoms rather than eliminate them, and psychoanalysis, with its long tradition in the archaeology of the mind, and other domains of thought, is particularly well-prepared to re-signify inner suffering and integrate it into the creative movement of culture.

Episode 5: The Involvement of Life, Social, and Public Sciences with Society

Teresa Toldy - Full Professor at Fernando Pessoa University. President of the International Chair of Bioethics based at UFP.

João Arriscado Nunes - Retired Full Professor from the University of Coimbra. Permanent Researcher at the Center for Social Studies and member of the Coordination of the Southern Epistemologies Research Program.

This podcast conversation addresses the field of knowledges and practices in health sciences, and the art of healthcare. Various forms of therapy and healing, traditionally organized in health institutions, pointed to the idea that health would be the absence of illness, the opposite of disease. However, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights describes health and well-being as rights, emphasizing the social determinants of health, in order to enable a dignified life for individuals. In this expanded paradigm of health, medicine lost its exclusive place to include other knowledges that broadens the conception of health and well-being. Social sciences and the humanities, "laypeople" and not just specialists, are considered essential for healing processes and a more fluid conception of health and disease. Social and environmental situations such as war, global warming, illicit substance use, and poverty, create mutually aggravating conditions of disease, or syndemics, illustrating the interconnection of the various health and well-being factors.

Episode 11: What is Human Nature and How Does It Manifest in the 21st Century?

Marina Lencastre - Retired Full Professor from the University of Porto. Full Professor at Fernando Pessoa University. Psychotherapist and Scientific and Clinical Supervisor at the Portuguese Society of Clinical Psychology.

Rodrigo de Sá-Nogueira Saraiva - Associate Professor at the University of Lisbon. Founder of the Portuguese Society of Ethology, the Portuguese Association of Experimental Psychology, and the Interdisciplinary Association for the Study of the Mind.

The podcast is a conversation about the origins and the development of biology of animal and human behavior. Ethology is presented, along with the critical questions it gave rise to, especially from the social sciences, namely the criticisms of the direct application of animal observations about hierarchies, aggression, or ritual behaviors, to humans. Sociobiology, and  its most important partial theories, are introduced, as well as their relationship to evolutionary psychology. The importance of this area for mental health and well-being is also discussed. Recent studies on the evolution of a proto-morality in animals allowed considerations regarding what may constitute a true ethics, decentralized from the individual, opening the discussion about theory of mind and the evolution of ideas about the soul.

Episode 15: How to Intersect Humanities and Health in the Field?

Marina Lencastre - Retired Full Professor from the University of Porto. Full Professor at Fernando Pessoa University. Psychotherapist and Scientific and Clinical Supervisor at the Portuguese Society of Clinical Psychology.

Susana Teixeira - Assistant Professor at Fernando Pessoa University. Researcher in Narrative Medicine and Ethics and Integrity of Scientific Research at the Institute for Innovation and Research in Health - i3S - University of Porto.

The podcast involves a conversation about how humanities and health can intersect in practice. The arts, as instruments for the development of imagination, are essential in both scientific discovery processes and in health diagnosis and treatment. Critical thinking is also based in imagination. Concrete projects that intersect artistic creation and laboratory scientific work, allow for the visual communication of knowledge production processes. Working with language, the arts also help make health observations more sensitive and detailed, addressing diversity and individual expression. Humanities and the arts help involve citizens in science, facilitating the communication of disciplinary knowledge in health and enabling a dialogue between laypeople, researchers, and professionals. Wonder, outrage, curiosity, and also the reserve of citizen common-sense, are important forms of regulating the scientific world. Ethical issues accompany the entire process of techno-scientific production to ensure equity, and the return of the results to the communities involved. Science literacy is essential for this process, as well as the ability to communicate complexity in a simple way, in various media and health contexts. The search for a sense of coherence in health can help explain the search for complementary therapies in the West, and individualized and integrated healthcare can help consider the person 'with an illness', not just the sick person. In mental health, testimonial injustice facing the diagnostic system can be reduced by citizen participation in health knowledge construction.

Episode 21: Where Does Oedipus Stand in the 21st Century? The Importance of Slow Psychotherapy in Times of Accelerated Change

Marina Lencastre - Retired Full Professor from the University of Porto. Full Professor at Fernando Pessoa University. Psychotherapist and Scientific and Clinical Supervisor at the Portuguese Society of Clinical Psychology.

Paulo Azevedo - Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist and Clinical Supervisor. Specialist Member and Trainer at the Portuguese Society of Clinical Psychology. Master in Clinical Developmental Psychology. Editor at the Portuguese Journal of Psychoanalysis.

This podcast's conversation unfolds from the central question, "Where does Oedipus stand in the 21st century?" Does it still make sense to include this fundamental notion from early psychoanalysis in contemporary psychotherapeutic work? Can a symbolic approach to Oedipus allow its adaptation to the problems brought to psychotherapy today? In the dyadic relationship between the young child and their mother, a third party, usually the father but potentially other significant figures in the child's environment, enters the dyad at a certain point, aiding in separation and the development of exploratory, communicative, and symbolic skills in the child. Oedipus represents the internal position in development at the origin of the ability to separate, defer gratification, manage raw instinctual activity, and navigate the emotions associated with encountering frustration and compromise. It involves an interest in symbols and the possibility of continuing to live healthily even in the absence of the secure object that is the first object of love. In times of illness, there is a regression to more primitive and raw modes of functioning, which can occur in individuals but also in groups and sometimes in entire nations. During these times, psychologically adaptive personalities to the chaotic state of society manifest, and despotic and psychopathic leaders may emerge. Animal behavior can help understand aspects of human nature, from the positive aspects such as empathy, bonding, friendship, and love, to the darker aspects such as aggression, destructiveness, envy, and jealousy, showing their functions and how they are sublimated in works of art or literature. For Paulo Azevedo, Oedipus today is defined as a function occurring in the interplay of identifications within family, social, and cultural dynamics.

Episode 25: Interconnections in the 21st Century: Health, Suffering, and Sustainability

Fátima Alves - Associate Professor at Universidade Aberta, Researcher at the Center for Functional Ecology of the University of Coimbra, Associated Laboratory TERRA.

Sílvia Portugal - Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Coimbra, Researcher at CES.

In this episode, we aim to problematize interconnections in the 21st century, as contemporary societies are increasingly interconnected and dependent on these connections, at the level of globalization of the economies, cultures, and societies. This situation challenges our understanding of how these interdependencies affect cross-cutting issues for sciences and societies, such as structural and structuring inequalities, as well as cultures and identities, which impact health and well-being. These interconnections are also observed in technology and networked societies that shape social dynamics, identities, policies, etc., and in artificial intelligence and its impacts on society's dynamics and structure. Interconnections also manifest at the level of migrations, as well as relations between societies and nature or natures, which are central to addressing, for example, climate change, loss of biodiversity, or environmental degradation. Issues such as global public health, pandemics, forced migration, wars, transnational conflicts, require a vision of these interconnections.

Episode 26: Environment, Health, and Well-being: Reflecting on a Curriculum Necessarily Changing in Higher Education

Diogo Guedes Vidal - Guest Researcher at the Centre for Functional Ecology, Associated Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra; Guest Professor and Tutor at Universidade Aberta.

Vanda Vegas - Researcher at the Centre for Functional Ecology, Associated Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra; Ph.D. student in Social Sustainability and Development and Tutor at Universidade Aberta.

In this episode, we talk about the creation of an innovative curriculum unit in the social sciences undergraduate program at Universidade Aberta. This curriculum unit transcends traditional approaches, highlighting the complexity of the fields of environment and health as socially constructed and temporally determined subjects. Throughout the conversation, we discover that the origin of this pioneering approach is rooted in the need to address contemporary challenges in a holistic manner. The curriculum’s objectives go beyond knowledge transmission, aiming to develop critical thinking and transdisciplinary analytical skills. Looking to the future, we anticipate the possibility of building other worlds and possible futures, preparing students to face contemporary socio-environmental challenges with resilience and empathy.

Episode 28: Aging: A Physician – Psychologist Dialogue

Irene Monteiro - Psychologist and art-therapist. Works at the Continuing Care Unit in the Fernando Pessoa Teaching Hospital. 

Agostinho Monteiro - Medical doctor and Professor in Internal Medicine, FMUP (retired); Competencies in Geriatry by the Order of Medicine.

Aging is a complex phenomenon involving many variables beyond physiology. In Portugal healthy age expectancy after the age of 65 is lower in comparison with other EU countries. During this dialogue, several issues to aging as well as obstacles interfering with quality of life during the aging process have been discussed: beliefs and prejudices, health literacy, physician-patient relationship, how to get older, role of the psychologist in the follow-up of the aging person, role of the physician in the quality of life, the environment, socioeconomic factors, disease and death, the life experience which makes every aging person a unique human being.

Episode 30: The post-covid world of work: for an emergence of sociability and an equality agenda

Patrícia Weber - Professor at Fernando University, she holds a PhD in Information Sciences, in the area of Journalism and Media Studies from the same institution. Also a teacher at UNISINOS, for 17 years, she worked as a Radio internship supervisor at the Experimental Communication Agency and was coordinator of the Teaching Center Distance.

Jaques Mick - Professor in Political Sociology and Pro-Rector of Research and Innovation at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC-Brazil).

The Covid-19 pandemic was responsible for profound changes in the world of work. Informal work was raised to a new level and social differences became deeper than ever in society, especially in underdeveloped countries. While in states with solidified labor rights there were changes in work culture, in the others, there is a precariousness of the market.

In Portugal, for example, many companies have adopted the hybrid model in functions that enable this type of modality. However, as Professor Jacques Mick explains, in Brazil there has been a weakening of the job market. In this podcast we will talk about the emergence of sociability, the need for an equality agenda and future perspectives in employment policy.

Episode 33: Oswaldo Cruz Institute and Community Connection: Environmental Literacy in Action

Patrícia Weber - Docente na Universidade Fernando é doutorada em Ciências da Informação, na área de Jornalismo e Estudos de Média pela mesma Instituição. Também professora na UNISINOS, durante 17 anos, atuou como supervisora de estágio de Rádio na Agência Experimental de Comunicação e foi coordenadora do Núcleo de Ensino a Distância.

Clélia Mello Silva - Bióloga especialista em Biologia Parasitária e Educação. Chefe do Laboratório de Avaliação e Promoção da Saúde Ambiental do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz da Fiocruz. Líder do grupo de pesquisa do CNPq -Saúde e Educação Ambiental com ênfase nas relações parasitárias. Coordenadora do mestrado e o Doutorado em Ensino de Biociências e Saúde.

In this episode, it's discussed the environmental education and health promotion in the projects of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz). In projects such as Agente das Águas (Agent of the Waters) and Guardiões das Matas (Guardians of Woods), Fiocruz develops training programs for communities, involving local volunteers in environmental preservation and natural resource monitoring. Professor Clélia Mello da Silva also addresses the relationship between technological advances and pollution, reflecting on how to create a new paradigm to prevent parasitic diseases and promote a more sustainable and healthy world. Additionally, this episode also gives voice to the importance of Fiocruz's educational initiatives and the institution's crucial role in enhancing environmental literacy in society.

Episode 3: Neuroscience – The Impacts of Technological Evolution on Human Life

Fernando Barbosa - Professor at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Porto. Coordinates the Psychophysiology Laboratory of U.Porto.

João Marques Teixeira - Psychiatrist and psychotherapist. Retired Professor from the University of Porto. Researcher and Director of Research in Neuroscience.

The podcast explores the possibilities of psychophysiological intervention and human-computer interface in both mental health and brain function enhancement. Various neurotherapy methodologies and conceptions of psychopathology are discussed, along with how they developed from the end of the last century to the present day. The ideas of transhumanism and post-humanism are discussed, as well as the social, personal, and ethical issues of brain technologies and artificial intelligence. They are addressed within a humanistic paradigm with equity concerns. The increasing importance of the humanities for the development of this area is emphasized.

Episode 4: Communication and Well-being

Ricardo Jorge Pinto - Associate Professor at the University Fernando Pessoa, journalist, Ph.D. in Media Studies from the University of Sussex.

Salvato Trigo - Founder of the University Fernando Pessoa. President of the Board of Direction of the Fernando Pessoa Foundation and of the Hospital-Escola da UFP.

This podcast discusses the impact of digital communication technologies on the sense of community. As Professor Salvato Trigo argues, the sense of community has been lost because, in its genuine etymological sense, community means to share; and to share, one must be present; one cannot commune from a distance: "Communication presupposes presence." The conversation shifts to discuss tectonic transformations in the media system, communicational manipulation, and the differences between information, knowledge, and wisdom.

Episode 6: Participation of the Humanities in General Well-being and Health

Pedro Cunha - Full Professor at the University Fernando Pessoa. Specialist in Conflict Psychology, Negotiation, and Mediation, and in Psychodrama.

Ana Paula Monteiro - Assistant Professor at the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro. Member of the Research and Educational Intervention Center at the University of Porto.

The podcast addresses the issue of technologies in social life and how they can affect relationships between people, leading to conflicts in various contexts. Conflict mediation in schools, health, justice, families could be a valuable tool at a time when disagreements have left the material sphere and shifted to the digital sphere. Various problems such as cyberbullying, electronic fraud (phishing), and other issues that have emerged on social networks affect the health and well-being, particularly of young people and those more exposed to digital influence. However, technologies have also brought significant benefits, as was the case during the lockdown caused by the sars cov2 pandemic. It brought people together, allowed telecommuting, defined new forms of online education and health, and also showed that, in times of suffering, people know how to be supportive.

Episode 16: How Can We Deal With the Challenges Posed by Artificial Intelligence?

Elsa Simões - Associate Professor at the University Fernando Pessoa. Ph.D. in Linguistics (Advertising Discourse) from University of Lancaster (United Kingdom), teaches and publishes in the field of advertising discourse.

Nelson Gomes - Graduate of the University Fernando Pessoa in Advertising, advertising copywriter at Caetsu Two, and brand keeper of MAR Shopping Matosinhos.

Rui Sousa-Silva - Associate Professor at the Faculty of Arts, researcher, and Scientific Coordinator of the Center for Linguistics (CLUP) at the University of Porto. Conducts research in Forensic Linguistics (authorship analysis, plagiarism analysis and detection, and cybercrime).

The podcast starts from the personal and professional experiences of the host and the two guests of this episode, developing a talk about Artificial Intelligence and one of its most publicized manifestations – the GPT chat – and how it is already profoundly affecting the ways of thinking, studying, and working today, forcing us to re-compose the paradigms that have guided our ways of being up to the present moment. In a conversation that aims to be relaxed, the guests shared the perceptions, ideas, discoveries, questions, some doubts and concerns, but also enthusiasm and a desire to know more about this universe of possibilities, that opens up to all of us, and that we are only just beginning to configure.

Episode 17: How does the Authority for the Prevention and Combating of Violence in Sports Compose the World?

Daniel Seabra - Lecturer at the University Fernando Pessoa; Scientific Coordinator of the Observatory of Violence Associated with Sports; Ph.D. in Social Sciences with a dissertation on Porto football ultras; Researcher on Hooliganism, Ultra Movement, and Violence in Sports.

Rodrigo Cavaleiro - Bachelor in Police Sciences (Institute of Police Sciences and Internal Security); Subintendent of the police staff with police functions of the Public Security Police; President of the Authority for the Prevention and Combating of Violence in Sports (appointed since November 2, 2018); Coordinator of the National Information Point on Sports since 2010 and 2017; Vice-President of the Council of Europe Committee on Safety at Sports Events (since April/2021).

Resulting from the partnership between the Compor Mundos project and the Observatory of Violence Associated with Sports, this podcast presents a conversation between the President of the Authority for the Prevention and Combating of Violence in Sports (APCVD) – Mr. Subintendente Rodrigo Cavaleiro - and Daniel Seabra, scientific coordinator of the Observatory of Violence Associated with Sports. It presents the functions and activities of this authority to prevent and combat violence associated with sports. The various fields of intervention of this institution are explored, showing that its aim is not just to exercise its punitive power. Listening to this podcast will also allow you to know the contribution of the APCVD to promoting the safety conditions of sports venues, as well as to encourage hospitality among fans. It also references and discusses two main approaches to violence in sports.

Episode 18: Media Literacy: Commentary on Communication and Interpretation

Rui Estrada - Full Professor at the University Fernando Pessoa. Researcher at CITCEM at the University of Porto.

Ricardo Jorge Pinto - Associate Professor at the University Fernando Pessoa, journalist, Ph.D. in Media Studies from the University of Sussex.

Renato Ferreira - Ph.D. in Information Sciences since 2013 from the University Fernando Pessoa, where he defended a thesis on Political Journalism. Lecturer since 2020 at the University Fernando Pessoa.

In this podcast, we reflect on the following questions: the 'commentary industry' and the impact it has, or not, on public opinion. Are commentators talking among themselves in a closed world, or is there a real influence that comes from these debates? Do information consumers reflect on the direct source (for example, the speech of the President or the Prime Minister, or another) or on what is commented immediately after that message? Does commentary sometimes seek to undermine critical thinking (undervaluing the minds of audiences) or does it trust in in-depth knowledge (overvaluing the minds of audiences)?

Episode 24: Health and Television

Margarida Cantista - Medical Specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Post-Graduated in Medical Hydrology, Sports Medicine, and Aesthetic Medicine. University Lecturer since 2010. Differentiated in Medical Techniques (Infiltrative Techniques, Mesotherapy, Botulinum Toxin, Hyaluronic Acid, PRPs, Laser, and Medical Equipment) in the areas of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Pain, and Aesthetic Medicine. Differentiation in Dermatofunctional Rehabilitation, Post-Surgical, and Scar Treatment. 

Jorge Gabriel - Journalist and television presenter.

The role of television in the evolution of Civil Society and its literacy over the last decades in Portugal is undeniable. Also, concerning health, television seems to play a crucial role in promoting healthy behaviors and health education. In a society increasingly hungry for immediacy, seeking quick answers, and inundated with fake news, we question the role of television in transmitting credible and reliable health information. In a relaxed conversation with television presenter Jorge Gabriel, recognized for his extensive experience and talent in communication, we will address the theme "Health and Television." We will also talk about his way of being and living, his health habits, and how he manages his own physical and mental health in such a demanding and media-intensive environment. Do public figures also play a role as health models? How can they also act as drivers of healthy policies and behaviors? Above all, with this podcast, we aim to elevate the role of television as a communication medium still so predominant in literacy and health education and launch this reflection: could television be even more integrated into health policies in Portugal?

Episode 31: APDA: Certainties, futures and convictions of the Portuguese association that was created to defend the supporter

Daniel Seabra - Scientific Coordinator of the Observatory of Violence Associated with Sports. Fan Researcher Football, Ultra Movement, Hooliganism and Casual Style - Professor at Fernando Pessoa University - PhD in Social Sciences from the Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Lisbon - Researcher at the Interdisciplinary Center of Social Sciences - CICS/NOVA - Researcher at the permanent Observatory Violence Crime.

Martha Gens - President of the Portuguese Association for the Protection of Fans (APDA). Bachelor of Laws - Lawyer.

The president of APDA introduces this association, as well as the conditions for its creation, stating the main reasons for its creation. The pyrotechnics in football stadiums and the legal framework that prohibits their use by fans; a discussion on some criticisms that are leveled at this Association that reiterates the reasons for its existence and also a critical view of the legal framework that affects organized groups of fans are some of the topics covered in this conversation that ends with Martha Gens presenting APDA's plans for the future, which include strengthening its internationalization.

Episode 8: Biophilia and Green Spaces

Marina Lencastre - Retired Full Professor from the University of Porto. Full Professor at the Fernando Pessoa University. Psychotherapist and Scientific and Clinical Supervisor at the Portuguese Society of Clinical Psychology.

Diogo Guedes Vidal - Guest Assistant Researcher at the Functional Ecology Center, TERRA Associated Laboratory, Department of Life Sciences at the University of Coimbra.

In this podcast, one of the most concerning aspects of today's society is discussed, which is associated with the increasing urbanization of human populations: the distancing from the natural environment and its vegetal, animal, and geological elements. This issue has garnered attention from various disciplines dealing with human health and well-being, as well as sustainability of lifestyles and the preservation of natural ecosystems and biodiversity. The concept of biophilia serves as a starting point for discussing these topics.

Episode 9: Natural Ecosystems and "Compensation Ecosystems" in Human Concentration Centers

Paulo Farinha Marques - Landscape Architect and Associate Professor - FCUP & Biopolis_UP.

Paulo Célio Alves - Biologist and Associate Professor with Aggregation - FCUP & Biopolis_UP.

The overwhelming increase in human population on the planet, and the consequent disappearance of fundamental natural resources for survival, such as biodiversity, demand increased attention to compensate for this loss. This effort involves intensifying the conservation of natural ecosystems and creating "compensation ecosystems" in human concentration centers, aiming to promote the health and well-being of humans and other living beings.

Episode 10: Society-Nature Relations: What Possible Futures?

Diogo Guedes Vidal - Guest Assistant Researcher at the Functional Ecology Center, TERRA Associated Laboratory, Department of Life Sciences at the University of Coimbra.

Fátima Alves - Sociologist, Associate Professor at the Open University, and Research Coordinator of the Environmental Societies and Sustainability research group at the Functional Ecology Center of the University of Coimbra.

The idea of progress, associated with modernity, translates into the domination of humanity over nature. This vision, anchored in a logic of human exceptionalism, assumes that humans are fundamentally different and superior to all other species and that the history of human society is one of endless progress. Drawing from Fátima Alves's experience with socioecological processes, this podcast reflects on how Society-Nature relations have been shaped and what possible futures are envisioned to transform this relationship.

Episode 19: Relationships between Humans and Non-Humans: How to Promote Socio-Ecological Well-Being?

Marina Lencastre - Retired Full Professor from the University of Porto. Full Professor at the Fernando Pessoa University. Psychotherapist and Scientific and Clinical Supervisor at the Portuguese Society of Clinical Psychology.

Nuno Ferrand de Almeida - Full Professor at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto. Founder of CIBIO, conceived the Biodiversity Gallery and the Museum of the University of Porto. Collaborates with Africa through TwinLab and filmed "As Novas Viagens Philosophicas" for RTP.

Paulo Farinha Marques - Landscape Architect and Associate Professor at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto. Member of CIBIO & Biopolis-UP.

With sedentarization around agriculture and animal domestication, humans began to coexist in the same place with many other animals and plants. One of the most important aspects today is how to integrate this living diversity in common places. Research in evolutionary biology, ecology, and landscaping helps to better understand these relationships. Today, more than ever, we need collective training places like museums. Informal education about the living world and our place within it helps us organize interspecies coexistence. The 'rewilding' movement raises practical questions about living with predators and also with the traditional prey of humans. This issue is particularly relevant in Africa, especially in transboundary reserves where Nuno has recently been, and where he observed the massive presence of conflicts among humans and with other animal species. Cooperation between scientific institutions in the North and South is essential for conserving the immense biodiversity potential of Africa, in contrast to China's extractivist presence that does not serve the interests of local countries. TwinLabs aim to cooperatively promote the development of research and conservation structures in Africa, involving Western partners, particularly Portuguese partners. Landscaping is absent in Africa due to historical reasons related to colonization but is an important resource for organizing the places of reception for contemporary migrant populations. Global warming is an essential research topic for Nuno, Paulo, and collaborators, who created the Mértola Center in the hottest place in Portugal, to host national and international researchers who study the concrete effects of climate change on Mediterranean ecology. The involvement of the Mértola population and their ownership of the Center brings scientific knowledge to the people, creating spaces for mediation and diplomacy between agents, humans, and non-humans, maintaining the quality of free university knowledge.

Episode 20: Geography in the Face of Contemporary Socio-Ecological Challenges

Diogo Guedes Vidal - Guest Assistant Researcher at the Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Researcher at the Functional Ecology Center of the University of Coimbra, and Guest Assistant Professor at the Department of Social Sciences and Management at the Open University, Member of the Compor Mundos Network.

Hélder Lopes - Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Minho and Researcher at Lab2PT – Laboratory of Landscapes, Heritage, and Territory, and IdRA – Institute of l’Aigua – Climatology Group, Member of the Compor Mundos Network.

In this podcast, we aim to reflect on the complex interaction between human societies and the natural environment. In this episode, we will discuss how geography affects our understanding of socio-ecological challenges and what are the main implications for the future. We will be talking with Hélder Lopes, Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Minho and Researcher at Lab2PT – Laboratory of Landscapes, Heritage, and Territory, IdRA – Institute of l’Aigua – Climatology Group, a brilliant young geographer with a promising career who interconnects climate issues, societies, and the multiple dimensions of health.

Episode 23: Gardens as Possibility: Expanding Frontiers of Thought

Diogo Vidal - Guest Research Assistant at the Center for Functional Ecology, Associated Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences at the University of Coimbra.

Luciana Bragança - Professor at the School of Architecture of the Federal University of Minas Gerais.

In this podcast, we explore Luciana Bragança's reflections and discoveries about Possible Gardens. Through a profound gaze, we delve into the spaces of coexistence and symbiotic territories that shape these gardens, going beyond the aesthetic dimension. Possible gardens thus become constructions of identity values, affective relationships, and spirituality. They are spaces of re-existence that challenge the limits of the definition of a garden, expanding them to embrace not only what is human but also all other living beings that inhabit the same planet with us.

Episode 27: Understanding territorial and social vulnerabilities in the Amazon region

Hélder Lopes - Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Minho and Researcher at Lab2PT – Laboratory of Landscapes, Heritage and Territory and at IdRA – Instituto de l’Aigua – Climatology Group, Member of the Compor Mundos Network.

Rony Iglecio - currently assistant professor at the State University of Amazonas - UEA. Has experience in the area of Geosciences and Geography Teaching, with an emphasis on the domains of Environment and Society.

This episode brings an essential geographic perspective to understand contemporary socio-ecological challenges, with a special focus on the Amazon. His research highlights the interconnection between society, environment and health, with an emphasis on the importance of the Amazon rainforest for planetary balance. This addresses the need for a holistic analysis, integrating physical and social aspects to deal with socio-environmental problems. In the Amazon, society-nature relations have been challenged, with the identification of several efforts to manage socio-environmental vulnerabilities and risks, with emphasis on the need for the population to understand environmental legislation and the choice of committed managers. Studies carried out, particularly in Tabatinga, reveal socio-environmental vulnerabilities related to demographic growth, economic activities and the lack of urban planning. In this way, the need for bottom-up strategies for mitigation and adaptation stands out, with public participation and investments in infrastructure and human resources training. Professor Rony Iglecio highlights the importance of individual and collective actions for the conservation of the Amazon and water resources, aiming to promote planetary and socio-environmental health, particularly based on resilience and positive local, regional and international impacts.

Episode 29: Governance, Climate Change and Well-Being in Island Contexts

Diogo Guedes Vidal - Guest Researcher at the Centre for Functional Ecology, Associated Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra; Guest Professor and Tutor at Universidade Aberta.

Ana Mendonça - Researcher at the Centre for Functional Ecology, Associated Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra; Higher Technician in Environment and Sustainability at the Cadaval City Council.

In this episode, we explore the complex interaction between governance, climate change and well-being in island contexts, focusing on the realities of Madeira Island and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, based on how local perceptions of climate change influence climate change policies. mitigation and adaptation. Based on an evolution of communication about climate change on these islands, highlighting challenges and opportunities, we also discuss the structure and implementation of local climate policies, examining their impact on community knowledge and promoting participation. This episode offers a comprehensive and innovative look at the key challenges and opportunities facing island communities in the fight against climate change, highlighting the importance of community participation and inclusive governance.

Episode 32: The biographical narrative, biotime and biophilia

Ana Gabriela Nogueira - Professor at the Fernando Pessoa University (UFP) in the area of Journalism and Communication Sciences, he completed his doctorate in Audiovisual and Journalism at the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) and a degree in Communication Sciences at UFP. He is an integrated member of ICNOVA, the Communication Institute of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, and also collaborates at the Novos Medios (USC) research center and the Cultura y Comunicación Interactiva research center at the University of A Coruña.

Mónica Martinez - Specialized in Jungian Psychology from the Jungian Institute of Education and Research and graduated in Psychology from the University of Sorocaba and in Social Communication (Journalism) from the Methodist University of São Paulo, she is a professor in the Postgraduate Program in Communication and Culture at the University of Sorocaba, where he conducts research in the Analysis of Media Processes and Products Line and is responsible for the Research Group on Literary Journalism and Narratives of Personal and Social Transformation.

With a specialization in Jungian Psychology, Mónica Martinez is a professor at the Postgraduate Program in Communication and Culture at the University of Sorocaba and it is in this scenario that we come to talk not only about the issues of scientific literacy versus the elitist and, even, towering aspect of science communication, but also about the ecology of communication and the transition from an ego-systemic to an eco-systemic consciousness, in this search for which worlds to compose in the creation of new meanings and, also, anti-epistemicide solutions, presenting the “integrated human being” and explaining, among other contents and concepts, the Media as social tools and why, from the human being, it was torn away biotime and this rootedness of Man in ecological and social reality.

Episode 7: Thinking with Bioethics: Challenges and Opportunities

Susana Teixeira - Assistant Professor at Universidade Fernando Pessoa. Researcher in Narrative Medicine and Ethics and Integrity of Scientific Research at the Institute of Innovation and Research in Health - i3S - University of Porto.

Helena Gonçalves - Coordinator of the Ethics Forum at Católica Porto Business School.

José Eduardo Figueiredo Soares - EDP; Ethics Forum at Católica Porto Business School.

António Carneiro - Hospital da Luz Arrábida.

This episode addresses different dimensions of Bioethics, exploring ethical issues related to human and non-human sustainability, economics, organizational culture, as well as more specific areas of internal and intensive medicine. Ethics promotes questioning the nature of Good, both in the context of organizations/institutions and in each of our lives. Concepts such as hope and vulnerability and how they articulate across various dimensions of our society are revisited throughout this podcast, offering new perspectives on the importance of bioethical reflection for health promotion.

Episode 12: How and When to Think about Palliative Care?

Joana Queiroz-Machado - General and Family Medicine Physician. Technical and Clinical Director of the Continuous Care Unit of HE-FP.

Daniela Duarte Silva - General and Family Medicine Physician. Coordinator of the USF Brás Oleiro, ACES Gondomar. Intermediate Training in Palliative Care by ARS Norte. Collaborates with GesPal (Palliative Care Study Group of APMGF). Guest Lecturer at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Porto and the University Institute of Health Sciences – CESPU.

This podcast discusses palliative care from the perspective of a family doctor. Dealing with people at the end of life or with complex illnesses represents a specific area of caregiving, raising important issues of communication and relationship with healthcare professionals and families. It is essential to reflect on the emotions involved in situations of fragility and mortality. Palliative care tends to be recommended at increasingly earlier stages, as it is used to promote life rather than primarily to address the dying process. Family doctors have a closeness to people in distress that makes them privileged interlocutors for those with chronic, degenerative diseases, and/or in need of palliative care.

Episode 13: Bioethical Challenges in Medical Diplomacy

João Moreira Pinto - Pediatric Surgeon. Scientific Director of the Hospital-Escola da Universidade Fernando Pessoa.

Francisco Pavão - Public Health Physician. Secretary of the Community of Portuguese Language Medical Community.

Medical diplomacy is becoming increasingly requested by international healthcare systems and by global health. The diplomacy of global health is a term that has gained prominence in the last 20 years, although health diplomacy has been present in Europe since the late 19th century, when transborder health problems such as plague and yellow fever outbreaks were experienced. Nowadays, doctors and medical sciences are asked to help solve political and geopolitical issues raised by global health issues, as was the case with the sars cov2 epidemic. The UN currently represents the body that brings together the main multidisciplinary actors in promoting global health relations between countries and major regions of the world.

Episode 14: Justice in Access to Emergency and Medication

João Moreira Pinto - Pediatric Surgeon. Scientific Director of the Hospital-Escola da Universidade Fernando Pessoa.

Miguel Soares Oliveira - Pediatric Surgeon, former president of the National Institute of Emergency Medical Services (INEM), current coordinator of the National Automated External Defibrillation Program.

How can justice in access to emergency services and medication be ensured? The podcast explores these questions through the knowledge and professional journey of Dr. Miguel Soares Oliveira, who presents the development of the operating modalities of INEM and emergency services in Portugal. Creating fixed teams and specialties are measures that improve access to emergency services. INEM, in addition to its specific functions, also promotes professional training in emergency and citizenship skills. This training is provided in healthcare units and also to the general population, for example, in the use of emergency defibrillators by citizens, which is mandatory in populous public spaces. The podcast also addresses the importance of health literacy to prevent overload in emergency services and recommends recovering the wealth of traditional and family knowledges, in basic health practices.

Episode 22: A Humanistic Perspective on Secondary Data: A Necessity in the Face of the World's Metamorphosis

Diogo Vidal - Invited Assistant Researcher at the Center for Functional Ecology, Associated Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra.

Rui Maia - Invited Associate Professor at Fernando Pessoa University and Researcher at the Transdisciplinary Research Center "Culture, Space, and Memory" at the Faculty of Arts, University of Porto, Member of the Composing Worlds Network.

In this episode, we delve into the world of secondary data and how it plays a fundamental role in understanding health, the environment, and demography in contemporary societies. Often overlooked, secondary data have the potential to reveal profound insights into the complex network of factors shaping our health and demography. However, a humanistic perspective on this data is lacking, allowing to gain a deeper understanding of the cultural and social factors that shape them, moving beyond raw numbers and statistics and framing them within the stories, meanings, and experiences they represent.The podcast revolves around an interesting conversation with our guest, Professor Rui Maia, who will help us reflect on the need to develop a deeper, reflective, and humanistic perspective on secondary data to empower us for more informed and compassionate decision-making in addressing the health, environmental, and well-being challenges of our time.