PINT OF SCIENCE CANADA 2020

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PINT OF SCIENCE CANADA 2020

11-13th May Online & free

11-13 Mai

En ligne & gratuit

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Day 1 / Jour 1

Register here / Réservez ici

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Infinity and beyond:

From atoms to the Milky Way

Ben Davis-Purcell PhD Student in Physics,

Carleton University CERN, Switzerland

Seeing is believing: the building blocks of the Universe

How do we learn about the tiniest building blocks that make up everything we know of in the Universe? How do we see particles that are invisible to the naked eye and too small to see with a microscope? How do we study particles that are born and die faster than you can blink? What can we learn from these fundamental particles? Why do we even care? What does E = mc2 really mean? I am an experimental particle physicist and I will (try to) answer these questions and more

Dr. Dave Williams

Astronaut and aquanaut Former Director of Space &

Life Sciences at NASA

Currently brewing

Credit: NASA

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Monday, May 11 / Lundi 11 Mai

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Dr. Eloïse Ashworth Biologiste marin

A la recherche des motifs cachés de la nature:

une aventure aquatique

Qu'ont en commun les arbres et les poissons? Ils recueillent le passage du temps. Chez les poissons, les scientifiques décryptent les motifs circulaires de l'âge dans les otolithes (os de l'oreille interne) et utilisent cette information précieuse pour améliorer les efforts de conservation et de gestion des pêches, qui fera le plaisir des générations à venir. Biologiste marin, Dr. Eloïse Ashworth vous emmène à la découverte d’un voyage temporel, qui explore le pouvoir des motifs cachés dans les royaumes marins et d'eau douce

Dr. Olivier Morissette

Chercheur gouvernemental, Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs

du Québec

L’otolithe, un thermomètre dans la tête des poissons !

Chez les poissons, la température de l’eau exerce une grande influence sur leur biologie et leur comportement. Mesurer la température utilisée en nature demeure un grand défi technologique.

Un nouvel outil, la chimie de l’otolithe, permet de pouvoir estimer la température utilisée durant toute leur vie. Nous l’avons utilisé chez des populations de Touladi de différentes origines. Cette technique ouvre la possibilité de mieux comprendre les poissons, mais aussi de pouvoir les utiliser comme des sentinelles des changements climatiques.

A l’écoute des poissons

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Dr. Elizabeth Morin-Lessard

Post-doctoral researcher Psychology, University of Calgary

Dr. Meghan Azad

Associate Professor

Pediatrics and Child Health University of Manitoba

Milk & microbes: How breastfeeding shapes lifelong health

Breast milk is an extraordinary ‘superfood’, providing all the nutrients a baby needs and changing over time as the baby grows. Breast milk is also the ultimate ‘personalized medicine’, providing protection against infections and lowering the risk of asthma and obesity. Breast milk contains many bioactive components, including live bacteria and specialized sugars that help ‘seed and feed’ the baby’s gut microbiome. My team is researching how breastfeeding shapes the infant microbiome and contributes to growth, development and lifelong health.

Baby talk and breastfeeding

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Uhhh… why are hesitations important for children?

When we speak, our speech is filled with hesitations such as

“uhhh” and “ummm”. We know from research that these disfluencies can be useful cues for adults when listening to a speaker, but much is still unknown about how children use these cues during listening. In this talk, I will discuss why uhs and ums can be valuable cues for children. I will then present a study in which we uncovered how monolingual and bilingual toddlers use disfluencies when listening to a speaker. Join me to get insider information about how language researchers learn what children know through the lenses of bilingualism and disfluencies..

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Branden Walker

Research Associate, Geography & environmental studies. Wilfrid Laurier University

What happens in the Arctic doesn’t stay in the Arctic

The Western Canadian Arctic is one of the fastest-warming places on the planet due to man-made climate change. Warming in this region has already led to drastic changes in the physical environment, however the changes we have observed extend beyond the 66th parallel (Arctic Circle). My research looks at how changes to snow, water, and ice may affect local and global climate systems. To do this I use many new tools including drones, satellites, and remote field stations to study relationships between the water and local and global climate systems.

Dr. Jennifer Murphy

Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto

What's in the air out there?

The air around us contains thousands of particles too small to be seen by the naked eye, but just the right size to impact climate and human health. These particles can scatter sunlight directly and

help clouds to form, dramatically changing Earth’s energy budget.

As the Arctic warms, changes to sea ice, marine life, fires, and ship traffic may alter the number of particles, with important

consequences for climate. Closer to most of our home, particles are gaining attention for their relationship to the transmission of COVID-19.

A breath of fresh air

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Debarati Das

Graduate Student,

Earth and Planetary Sciences, McGill University

Chasing water on Mars with lasers

Debarati’s research focuses on measuring boron in the rocks of Gale crater to understand ancient water activity on Mars. Boron, a highly water-soluble element, tells us about Martian habitability through water properties and composition. She uses data collected by the laser on the Curiosity rover to identify new boron-rich areas.

I also study Martian geochemistry using terrestrial examples. She analyzes samples from Death Valley using instruments similar to the rover’s to understand processes that caused boron enrichment on Mars.

Dr. Tanya Harrison

Chief Scientist, Professional Martian LLC / Manger of Science Programs, Planet Labs

Cloudy with a chance of dust storms

What’s the weather like on Mars, and how do we know about it? And how did it kill the poor Opportunity rover?! Professional Martian and former Red Planet weather reporter Dr. Tanya Harrison gives a brief overview.

Martian spirit:

Curiosities and Opportunities

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Dr. Billy Strean

Professor

Kinesiology, Sport and Recreation University of Alberta

Why a pandemic should be a laughing matter

When faced with "challenging and unprecedented circumstances,"

many people may think that it is inappropriate to play, laugh, or find humour in various situations. George Bernard Shaw said, "Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh." Because laughter, humour, and play have powerful stress relieving benefits and otherwise promote mental health, they are essential during difficult times. This presentation will engage the audience in the theory and practice of laughter, humour, and positive emotions.

Dr. Krishana Sankar

Researcher

Faculty of medecine University of Toronto

A healthy mind

in a healthy body

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No sugar coating

Our bodies are amazing machines, made up of many organs. But which is the sweetest organ? In this talk by Dr. Krishana Sankar, you will learn about the tiny but mighty islet of langerhans found in our pancreas. Islets are the mini-organs responsible for regulating sugar levels in our bodies. So, put aside that yummy chocolate cake and enjoy this talk on the truth behind diabetes and the powerful tiny organ involved.

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Talia Lowi-Merri

PhD Student, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto

Royal Ontario Museum

Dinosaurs are alive, and one’s flying outside your window

The

^{shape of} ^animals’ bones are reliable indicators of the function they serve. In living birds, we can observe the shapes of their bones and the function associated with them, like how they fly, walk, or swim.

When looking at the extinct ancestors of birds, like dinosaurs, we only have their fossilized bones left, and the associated function is a mystery. Which ones were able to fly? How did they evolve flight and eventually become birds? Clues are provided in the fossils, which can be used to compare against those of living birds and make well- informed predictions on how dinosaurs evolved into modern birds.

Mika McKinnon

Geophysicist, Public Outreach Lead, Project ESPRESSO

Spying with rocks

Seismology isn't just for earthquakes. Geophysicists use seismic signals to spy on everything from bomb tests and traffic jams to crashing waves and lover's lanes. A signal is just the noise you're looking for, and our planet is humming in its eagerness to spill subsurface secrets.

Get your hands dirty:

secrets from down below

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Alexia Ostrolenk

Etudiante au doctorat Sciences psychiatriques

Université de Montréal

Co-présidente Mission Cerveau

Neurones et préjugés

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L’autisme sous la loupe

Est-ce que l’autisme est une maladie? Est-ce que les vaccins rendent autistes ? Est-ce que tous les autistes ont une déficience intellectuelle? Les autistes sont-ils tous bon en maths? Est-ce qu’il y a une épidémie d’autisme? Ce sont quelques-uns des nombreux mythes et clichés qui circulent sur l’autisme. Alors qu’on estime que plus d’1% de la population a un diagnostic d’autisme, les caractéristiques de cette condition sont encore mal connues. Lors de cette présentation, je partagerai avec vous ce que les sciences m’ont appris sur cette condition encore mal cernée qui nous révèle des mystères fascinants!

La stupidité naturelle

On parle beaucoup d’intelligence artificielle, mais peu de stupidité naturelle. Nous sommes pourtant tous touchés ! Par nos biais cognitifs, par les raccourcis que notre cerveau aime bien prendre, nous sommes tous à risque de basculer dans une croyance irrationnelle, de faire de mauvais choix, d’adhérer à des théories complotistes douteuses, d’opposer une résistance à la science. Sur un ton ludique et audacieux, la conférence expose les forces et faiblesses de la méthode scientifique comme façon de comprendre le monde, de même que les défauts de notre cerveau, évolué pour survivre dans la savance. Quelques pistes sont explorées pour aiguiser son esprit critique et contourner les failles de notre pensé et ultimement, prendre de meilleures décisions.

Joël Leblanc

Communicateur scientifique Créateur du Bunker de la Science

PHOTO : RADIO-CANADA / VALÉRIE MARCOUX

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Marijo Gauthier-Bérubé

Candidate au doctorat Texas A&M University Cofondatrice Institut de Recherche en Histoire Maritime et

Archéologie Subaquatique

Pas si simple la découverte de sites archéologiques!

Suffit-il de creuser dans son jardin pour trouver un site archéologique ? De prendre une carte pour connaître l’emplacement de vestiges ? Il y a des découvertes accidentelles, mais la recherche archéologique demande une importante préparation ! Pour comprendre le processus qui précède les fouilles, je vous invite à découvrir un projet mené par des archéologues subaquatiques dans la rivière Richelieu de 2016 à 2018. Des recherches en archives, à la télédétection et des plongées exploratoires, je revois avec vous les principales étapes qui nous ont permis de découvrir de nouveaux sites archéologiques!

Dr. Laurent Turcot

Professeur, Histoire

Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières YouTube, l’Histoire nous le dira

Les aventuriers des temps perdus

Brassage en cours

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L’histoire nous le dira: de la révolution française à Ubisoft

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Day 2 / Jour 2

Register here / Réservez ici

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Farah Qaiser

Graduate Student, Molecular Genetics University of Toronto

Let’s talk about DNA: You & your genome

Picture your DNA – your entire genome – as a book. Using DNA

sequencing, scientists can go through the three billion letters in your book, and search for typos, jumbled up sentences and torn out

chapters. But what does all of this genetic information tell us, and what are scientists searching for in our genomes? Join Farah Qaiser as she explores the human genome in this Pint of Science talk – with a special Choose Your Own Adventure where YOU get to pick in-real time what Farah talks about.

Hajer Nakua

Graduate Student, Neurosciences University of Toronto

How your brain develops

Your brain weighs about 2-3% of your body weight and requires about 20% of the energy you consume which means its a very important

organ! Our brain is responsible for managing behaviour, development and even our thoughts! There are billions of cells in the brain that work very hard to communicate with each other. Within the brain, there are groups of neurons that cluster together and perform similar functions and these make up many brain regions. With new technology,

neuroscientists have been able to better understand how these brain regions develop during childhood, and how these regions work

together to make all the cool processes possible! This talk will share what the latest research says on the development of your brain!

Humans: incredible machines

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Tuesday, May 12 / Mardi 12 Mai

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Charles-Alexandre Plaisir

Étudiant à la maîtrise Ecologie

Université de Sherbrooke

Quand la densité a mauvais goût pour les kangourous

Les jeunes kangourous ne sont pas tous sûrs de survivre jusqu'à l'âge adulte. Puisqu'ils sont des mammifères herbivores, signifiant qu'ils mangent du gazon toute la journée, l'environnement est très important pour eux. Lorsque l'environnement n'est pas optimal, comme quand il y a trop de pluie ou des sécheresses, le gazon meurt, et les petits kangourous aussi. Mais parfois, parmi ceux qui survivent, certains auront vécu les conséquences d'une autre façon.

Lorsqu'il n'y a pas beaucoup de gazon, et trop de kangourous, il se peut que les jeunes mâles grandissent moins vite que d'habitude. Ce qui veut dire qu'ils auront plus de difficulté à devenir de gros mâles dominants dans le futur.

Sophie Sarazin

Guide animalière à l'éducation Aquarium du Québec

De l’Australie au Québec, il n’y a qu’un bond

Brassage en cours

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Les pieuvres

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Alan Shapiro

Instructor

BC Institute of Technology (BCIT) and Simon Fraser University

Counting Down to Day Zero

As our climate changes and cities continue to grow, water scarcity in many parts of the world will become the new normal. In 2018, in response to a severe drought, the city of Cape Town, South Africa introduced the idea of 'Day Zero' - the day when the city's water supply would be exhausted. But the idea of 'running out' of water is deeply flawed. In this talk, we will delve into the complicated relationships between cities and water, and explore a few of the solutions that lie at our fingertips.

Dr. Katharine Hayhoe

Climate scientist, Professor Political Science, Co-director of the Climate

Center at Texas Tech University.

Mitigate, Adapt--or Suffer:

Connecting global change to local impacts and solutions

Climate is changing — throughout Canada, and for the planet as a whole. Temperatures are increasing, rainfall patterns are shifting, and extreme precipitation and heat wave events are becoming more frequent. Climate change isn’t just a problem for polar bears or future generations any more - it’s affecting us, here and now. Not only that, but the choices we make today will have profound impact on our future: the faster we cut our carbon emissions, the less adaptation will be needed, and the more suffering we can avert. In such a politically charged environment, are we still able to act on climate? Or is it too late? Join Katharine Hayhoe as she untangles the complex science connecting our choices to future impacts and highlights the actions that are being taken to combat this critical issue today.

Credit : Ashley Rodgers –Texas tech university

Save the Earth,

it’s the only planet with beer

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Christa Van Laerhoven

University of British Colombia B.Ed. Teacher Candidate

Loony Moons

The collections of moons that orbit our giant planets are very like

miniature planetary systems, each with their own dramatic history. In my presentation I will talk about the various moons of the solar system and how they have been shaped by orbital shenanigans with their

fellow moons and their host planet.

Dr. Shawna Pandya

Physician/Scientist-Astronaut Candidate/VP of Immersive

Medicine Luxsonic

So, Mars is Trying to Kill You (What Do I Do?)

What does it take to send people to the Moon, Mars and beyond?

How do we keep people healthy up on the International Space Station? In this talk, Dr. Shawna Pandya talks about the challenges of the space flight environment, how we can adapt, and the challenges we face as we send humans to increasingly distant and ambitious locales (and the technologies that can help us not just survive, but thrive on Mars).

Space Jam

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Zahra Clayborne

PhD Candidate, School of Epidemiology and Public Health,

University of Ottawa

Are we in for a pandemic of poor mental health after COVID-19?

Isolation

and loneliness are linked to mental health difficulties for all age groups. Some studies also suggest that rates of depression, anxiety disorders, and other mental health disorders have been rising in recent years, especially among young people.

With social distancing measures now in place throughout Canada and in many other countries, can we expect a pandemic of poor mental health after COVID-19? The epidemiology of depression and anxiety disorders will be discussed, as well as ways to cope with stress and promote positive mental health.

Dr. Elisa Brietzke

Professor, Psychiatry, Queen’s University

Is keto diet good for your mood?

Although there is a clear association between poor diet and risk for depression, very few studies evaluated the potential benefit of specific diets to improve depressive symptoms. Ketogenic diet is a low carbs, normal protein and high fat diet which forces the brain to use ketones produced from the fat tissue instead of glucose as a source of energy. Keto diet has been used for years to treat Epilepsy, but recent evidences supports the hypothesis that its benefits can go beyond anticonvulsant activity. In this talk we are going to explore an ongoing research project investigating the effects of keto diet and the treatment of depression in humans.

Mental health:

Food for thoughts

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Dr. Daniel Charlebois

Assistant Professor of Biophysics, University of Alberta

Physics + Biology = Weapons against drug resistance Drug resistance is an emerging global health crisis due to infections and cancers that are now resistant to common antibiotics and anticancer drugs. In this talk, I will discuss how scientists are combining physics with biology to study drug resistance. This cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research involves mathematical modelling, building gene networks inside of living cells, and evolution experiments to discover new drugs and “evolution proof” treatments for patients.

Dr. Chithra Karunakaran

Science Manager

Canadian Light Source Inc

Advancements in agriculture research using synchrotron imaging techniques

Synchrotrons produce tunable beams of X-rays and infrared light used by researchers to understand the structure (X-ray imaging) and nature (X-ray or infrared spectroscopy) of molecules in samples. Synchrotron based imaging and spectroscopy can be applied to study any plant parts or products from macro to nano-scale with no or minimal sample preparation. The synchrotron techniques have high detection sensitivity for the molecules of interest compared to laboratory methods due to a combination of a brilliant light source and state of the art detectors.

Physics and biology cocktail

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Sandhya Mylabathula and Swapna Mylabathula

PhD student in Public Health Policy and MD/PhD student

University of Toronto

Concussions: The impact of invisible injury

Concussions are a major public health concern in Canada and beyond, and can result in a variety of debilitating consequences.

They are also considered an ‘invisible’ injury, as their impact is often not obvious to the onlooker. This makes it even more important to recognize the impacts of the injury and what we can do about it! Join us in a discussion on current and emerging management techniques and potential long-term effects. We will also share our journey on concussion policy in Canada, and the role that we can all have in mitigating the impact of concessions!

Dr. Jeffrey Dunn

Professor

Clinical Neuroscience University of Calgary

What breaks in your brain after concussion

What happens to cause concussion? The brain is complex with many types of cells. The injury causing concussion is not completely understood. I will talk about the complexity of the brain and the types of injuries that may occur. I will talk about why a helmet can’t prevent all concussions (but is still a good idea). Because I’m an imaging scientist, I will finish on how concussion is diagnosed and what role imaging plays in diagnosis and monitoring. For instance, should you have an MRI? Tune in for the answer.

Keep calm and wear a helmet

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Loïze Maréchal

Candidate au doctorat

Pharmacologie et Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal

Guide de survie pour cœur fœtal en détresse

Saviez-vous que la santé de notre cœur se joue avant même notre naissance ? En effet, lorsque l’environnement utérin n’est pas adéquat, le bébé doit adopter un mode de vie dit "économe". Cela a des impacts à long terme sur sa santé car ces enfants sont prédisposés à développer des maladies cardio-métaboliques comme l’obésité ou le diabète de type II. Cependant, les raisons biologiques derrière ces prédispositions sont mal connues. C’est pourquoi je vous propose d’explorer ensemble quelques pistes d’explication.

Dr. Valérie Courchesne

Stagiaire Post-doctorale Neurologie et neurochirurgie,

Université McGill

Le cerveau des tous petits:

Plastique, instinctif et énergivore

Dans cette présentation, nous nous pencherons sur les différentes étapes du développement du cerveau des enfants de la naissance au début de l’âge scolaire. Nous discuterons du développement et de l’évolution des différentes parties du cerveau et de comment cela affecte les comportements et les capacités de l’enfant. Il sera également question de l’influence de l’environnement sur le développement cérébral.

Tout petits:

le cœur et la raison

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Dr. Nadia Lafrenière

Chercheuse postdoctorale, Université Dartmouth College

Comment les mathématiques peuvent vous aider à trouver l’âme sœur

La recherche d’un partenaire avec qui faire sa vie n'est pas toujours évidente, surtout si nous demandons en plus que la personne sélectionnée soit la meilleure qu'on ne pourra jamais rencontrer. Heureusement, les probabilités peuvent alors nous guider pour savoir si le temps est venu de s'établir dans une relation avec le partenaire sélectionné, ou si nous pourrions trouver mieux en continuant nos recherches. Qui aurait deviné que les mathématiciennes et mathématiciens détenaient le secret du grand amour?

La vie secrète des mathématiques

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Xavier Mouy

Etudiant au doctorat

School of Earth and Ocean Science University of Victoria

Le chant mysterieux des poisons

«Prrrrr… thump… thump… brrrrr…», ce sont les sons que vous pouvez entendre dans les eaux côtières de la Colombie- Britannique. Sons que les poissons peuvent faire pour effrayer les prédateurs ou attirer les femelles. Oui, vous lisez correctement, les poissons font des sons! Et cela est connu depuis très longtemps. Aristote décrivait déjà ces sons intrigants au 4ème siècle avant JC. Malgré cela, nous ne savons toujours pas grand-chose sur les différents types de sons émis par les poissons et à quoi ils servent. Venez voir ma présentation pour en savoir plus. Et je vous dirait aussi peut être comment les sons de poissons ont presque déclenchés une troisième guerre mondiale...

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Day 3 / Jour 3

Register here / Réservez ici

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A trip to the past and to the stars

Searching for new worlds!

For the longest time, humanity knew of only 8 planets. In 1995, the discovery of the first planet around a Sun-like star Sun challenged our knowledge of the Universe. We know now of over 4000 exoplanets. Let's discover together these strange and exciting new worlds!

Dr. Frédérique Baron

Astrophysicist, Institute for research on exoplanets ,

Université de Montréal Dr. Michelle Campbell Mekarski

Science Advisor Canada Science and Technology Museum

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Wednesday, May 13 / Mercredi 13 Mai

How a lizard becomes a sea monster

Have you ever seen a lizard before? Most lizards on Earth today are pretty small and live in dry, warm places. But millions of years ago, some of the biggest, most ferocious sea monsters were giant swimming lizards. How did that happen? What changes were needed to turn a tiny lizard into a sea monster big enough to eat a dinosaur? And what made them so scary? Let’s take a journey back in time to find out!

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Dr. Nadine Borduas-Dedekind

Chercheuse

l'École polytechnique fédérale de Zürich (ETH)

Démonstration de laboratoire de la chimie des nuages

D’où viennent les nuages? Comment se forment-ils? Bien que les nuages soient d’immenses sculptures de toutes formes dans le ciel, leur origine est infiniment petite. En effet, une gouttelette d’eau contient des molécules importantes pour la formation de nuages.

Veux-tu en savoir plus sur la chimie des nuages? On fera une démonstration de laboratoire à la maison. Tu auras besoin d’une bouteille d’eau en plastique, d’une allumette, de l’eau et de la supervision d’un parent. Viens mettre ta tête dans les nuages!

Dr. Nathalie Ouellette

Coordonnatrice, Institut de recherche sur les exoplanètes, Université de

Montréal

La chasse aux mondes extraterrestres

L’ 'idée que des mondes extraterrestres puissent orbiter autour des étoiles au-delà de notre Système solaire date de plusieurs siècles, mais ça ne fait que 25 ans que l'humanité a pu prouver leur existence concrètement. Nous connaissons maintenant l'existence de plus de 4000 de ces mondes qui ont des allures des plus surprenantes, et ce n'est que la pointe de l'iceberg! Venez découvrir ces exoplanètes, les méthodes que les astronomes utilisent pour les étudier et ce que nous pouvons apprendre à les observer d'une distance de plusieurs dizaines ou même de centaines d'années-lumière.

Voyage au dessus de nos têtes

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Wednesday, May 13 / Mercredi 13 Mai

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Sebastian Jones

Fish, Wildlife and Habitat Analyst Yukon Conservation Society

Lauren Eckert

PhD student, Geography, University of Victoria

Wildlife in our backyard:

Understanding human-black bear conflict towards coexistence Conflict between humans and non-human animals presents significant threats to human and wildlife well-being globally. In BC, human-wildlife conflicts have increased substantially in the last two decades, with most conflict occurring between humans and black bears. The Qathet Regional District – an intersectional region of settler and Indigenous communities located on the Sunshine Coast – is struggling to mitigate human-wildlife conflict. I will share how I examine the ecological aspects of conflict alongside the human ones by journeying into the worlds of wildlife camera trapping and social surveys and interviews.

Ultimately, my research aims to highlight how interconnected human and wildlife health is - and how we can move towards coexistence in BC and beyond.

Into the wild

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Wednesday, May 13 / Mercredi 13 Mai

Wetlands in the Yukon

Yukon Conservation Society strives to support people, all wildlife and natural systems in the Yukon Territory.

In this presentation, Sebastian will give an overview of the status of wetlands in the Yukon: where they are most threatened, where they are secure and efforts to craft a Wetlands Policy in the Yukon.

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Ashley Nicole Warner

Master Student

Stewart-Blusson Quantum Matter Institute University of British Colombia

Quantum Tunneling - it's not rocket science

Physics gets quite peculiar once we enter the 20th century, when special relativity and quantum mechanics was born. Quantum mechanics involves studying the weird behaviors that come to fruition when we think about what happens at the atomic scale, such as quantum tunneling. Here we'll discuss exactly what quantum tunneling is, and how its existence allows us to take pictures of actual atoms using a technique called scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). It's not rocket science, just quantum mechanics!

Dr. Parshati Patel

Educational Outreach and Communications Specialist, Institute for Earth and Space Exploration/Adjunct Research Professor, Faculty of Education at Western University

We are all made of Stardust!

Believe it or not, most of the elements in our body are made of stardust. Iron in our blood, calcium in our teeth, oxygen in our body… all of that and more came from stars! How and where did these elements form? Stars come in variety of sizes so what type of stars produce such elements? How did these elements end up here on Earth and in our bodies? Let’s take a 13.7-billion-year journey through the universe to learn a little bit about the evolution of the stars and to uncover the origins of these elements.

Why you’re already a star and how particles can walk through walls

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Wednesday, May 13 / Mercredi 13 Mai

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Dr. Kimberly Girling

Interim Executive Director Evidence for Democracy

Combating misinformation during a global pandemic

We are in the midst of a global pandemic. In this time of uncertainty, misinformation around COVID-19 has flooded our news streams and it can be difficult to know what to trust. Misinformation threatens our health, safety, environment and democracy. In my talk, I'll explain some of the science behind why we're so vulnerable to misinformation and share some ways that we can equip ourselves and others to recognize and stop the spread of misinformation online.

Dr. Arinjay Banerjee

Postdoctoral Researcher,

Pathology and Molecular Medicine McMaster University

Coronavirus infections in humans and bats

Both bats and humans can be infected with highly pathogenic coronaviruses, so why do humans develop serious disease, while bats do not? What can we learn from bats and can we use this information to develop antivirals for humans? In this talk, we shall discuss all things coronavirus and I shall answer questions from the attendees.

Guys, I ordered a beer not a virus!

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Hannah Charnock

MSc Student Biological Sciences

Brock University

Pretty neat: Accelerated Whisky ageing studies

Canada’s reputation in the distilling world depends on the sale and production of whisky. The minimum 3-year ageing requirement poses challenges to product price and availability.

Sonication is a technique where induced high-frequency sound waves create extreme energy hotspots, with high temperatures and pressures capable of driving chemical reactions. By isolating significant compounds in the whisky ageing process, the effectiveness of sonication as an accelerated ageing technique was investigated.

Dr. Brian Wagner

Professor Chemistry

University of Prince Edward Island

Drinking may not

make you bright but…

A bright approach:

Fluorescence in research and of everyday things

Fluorescence is light emitted by molecules, is useful for studying their properties, and has many applications. I use fluorescence in my research for studying supramolecular systems (“chemistry beyond the molecule”). However, fluorescence does not just occur in the lab, it is all around us. I will show that not only is fluorescence a versatile research tool, but that many everyday items are fluorescent, some which are obvious (highlighters) and some that might be quite surprising (including many common foods). We’ll shed some light on fluorescence, and get a good glow on.

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Eva Bloom

Science Communicator Sex-ed YouTuber

Why sexting in quarantine can make

us better lovers - according to research!

In an era of quarantine and social distancing, many are turning to digital sex and sexting as ways to stay connected and express their sexuality. Previously, media coverage has largely focused on the potential negative effects of sexting in particular, which is defined as the creation and exchange of sexually explicit digital content.

Nonetheless, research has shown a myriad of benefits to sexting with regards to sexual satisfaction, arousal, and sexual communication.

This talk will examine the various correlates of sexting and explore the implications for an insurgence in digital sexual expression on young adults’ sexuality.

Dr. Lori Brotto

Professor of ObGyn, University of British Columbia and Canada Research Chair in

Women's Sexual Health

It’s getting hot in here

Paying attention: The ultimate aphrodisiac!

Sex in a multi-tasking world has become distracted, pressured, and unsatisfying. Rates of sexual dysfunction are high, and discrepant sexual desire in couples represents one of the most common causes for seeking sex therapy. Mindfulness meditation, defined as present- moment, non-judgmental awareness, has emerged as the most powerful tool for cultivating sexual desire and feigning off sexual catastrophizations. This talk will consider also the purported mechanisms by which mindfulness improves sex.

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Anh-Khoi Trinh

Étudiant au doctorat Physique

Université McGill

L'Harmonie des Chiffres et de la Nature

De quoi est composé le monde qui nous entoure? De cellules, de molécules, d’atomes, d’électrons? Quelle est la plus petite structure possible dans la nature? Dans cet exposé, je vous présenterai la théorie principale qui fournit une explication à tout:

de l'origine de la matière elle-même, à la genèse de notre univers cosmologique: la théorie des cordes.

Julie Bolduc-Duval

Astronome et communicatrice scientifique Fondatrice et directrice de

À la découverte de l’univers

Poussières d’étoiles

Nous disons parfois que nous sommes faits de poussières d’étoiles. Comment est-ce possible? En partant du cœur des étoiles, nous suivrons le chemin parcouru par cette poussière pour se rendre jusque dans nos corps. Vous y découvrirez ce qui vous lie réellement au cosmos!

Compter la nature, raconter les étoiles

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Caroline Aubry-Wake

Etudiante au doctorat Géographie

University of Saskatchewan

De feu et de glace: Les conséquences des feux de forêts sur la fonte des glaciers alpins

Les glaciers des Rocheuses canadiennes sont un source d’eau importante pour les environnements en aval, que ce soit pour obtenir de l’eau potable, pour l’irrigation, ou pour remplir les réservoirs hydroélectriques. Récemment, des feux de forêts records ont eu lieu dans l’ouest du Canada, causant des nuages de fumée qui se rendent dans les montagnes et bloquent le soleil. De plus, des cendres se déposent sur le glacier et noircissent sa surface, et accélère la fonte de la glace.

Entre terre et mer

Robert Michaud

Directeur scientifique et président du Groupe de recherche et d’éducation sur

les mammifères marins (GREMM)

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Fjord, bélugas et grands projets

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Une petite population de bélugas vit dans le Saint-Laurent depuis la dernière glaciation. Isolés des populations voisines du Grand Nord, les bélugas du Saint-Laurent ont survécu à la chasse du dernier siècle.

Fragilisée par l’exposition soutenue aux produits toxiques déversés dans son habitat depuis des décennies, la population s’est maintenue autour d’un millier d’individus jusqu’au début des années 2000. La population est de nouveau en déclin et la hausse récente des mortalités périnatales risque d’accélérer le déclin débuté au tournant du siècle. La survie des bélugas dans le Saint-Laurent est incertaine. Ils font face aux bouleversements entrainés par les changements climatiques. Ils sont aux prises avec de nouveaux contaminants dont on ne connait pas bien les effets. La multiplication des projets industrialo-portuaires soulève de nouveaux défis pour la cohabitation. Comment et pourquoi devrait-on prendre en compte les bélugas dans l’évaluation des grands projets de développement dans le fjord?

PINT OF SCIENCE CANADA 2020