Starting this week, the Ontario Science Centre’s new fall speaker series Great Conversations promises to engage us in important topics. From the need for climate change action to the search for extraterrestrial life, this provocative four-part speaker series brings leading global experts to Toronto audiences to share thoughts, ideas and perspectives on a range of critical issues.
Great Conversations launches its journey of discussion, debate and discovery with inaugural speaker David Suzuki this Thursday, September 21 at 7:30 p.m.
Presented in a three-part format, the series features a formal presentation, followed by a one-on-one conversation with a moderator and an opportunity for audience members to pose their own questions.
The 2017 Great Conversations line-up features:
September 21 – Environmentalist David Suzuki, Ph.D.
Can Humans Survive the Anthropocene?
Human beings have become the driving force shaping the properties of the biosphere. As the urgency of climate change becomes clear, will we have the foresight to choose a path to survival or allow economics and politics to drive us in the opposite direction.
September 27 – Astronomer Jill Tarter, Ph.D.
A Cosmic Perspective: Searching for Aliens, Finding Ourselves
Are we alone in the universe? Is there intelligent life in space?
Humans have been asking these questions throughout history. We want to know where we came from, how we fit into the cosmos and where we are going. Searching for life beyond Earth may not only result in contact, but could also lead to a better understanding ourselves. What will life in the future look like?
Presented by The Charles Darrow Lecture Series in collaboration with the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada – Toronto Centre.
October 26 – Former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly
In Conversation with Scott Kelly
We’ve created a research lab in space. But can man really live beyond Earth’s orbit? Astronauts provide a unique perspective on both the challenges of living in a microgravity environment and the opportunities of human space missions. What are the extreme challenges of a long-term spaceflight on the body and psyche? Is there such a thing as a space gene? Does Mars hold the key to life in space?
Presented in collaboration with Penguin Random House.
December 4 – Molecular physiologist David Julius, Ph.D.
From Peppermints to Pit Vipers
Our senses enable us to interpret and experience the world in which we live. Sensory systems are fine-tuned by evolution to detect signals that are most relevant to an animal’s lifestyle and environment. How do spices and snakes help us understand this important sensory process while generating new ideas for basic research and drug development?
Presented by TELUS in partnership with the Gairdner Foundation.
For more information about Great Conversations and to purchase tickets for these intellectually enriching evenings, please visit OntarioScienceCentre.ca/GreatConversations. Tickets are $20 each and are sold separately.
