The Science and Technology team at The Tribune have gathered around our fall campfires to bring you the best of McGill’s upcoming science-related talks and events this November.
Hand on My Heart: A Journey of Healing and Impact
Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023 – 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Coming up first, on Nov. 1st, is the McGill Global Health Programs’ book launch of Dr. Maureen Mayhew’s new memoir, Hand on My Heart: A Canadian Doctor’s Awakening in Afghanistan. Dr. Mayhew has worked across the globe, including in Afghanistan and the Northwest Territories. In her book, she shares her clinical experiences and personal transformations, highlighting her involvement in Doctors without Borders in Taliban-occupied Afghanistan. You can register for the event on McGill’s Department of Global and Public Health website.
Probing Human Consciousness and Creativity Through Brain Criticality and AI
Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 – 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
This event, hosted at the McGill Neuro as part of the Feindel Brain and Mind Seminar Series, explores the possibilities of using artificial intelligence (AI) to study human consciousness and creativity. Karim Jerbi, a professor in Université de Montréal’s Department of Psychology, will discuss recent research from his lab that uses electrophysiology, signal processing, and AI to study cognition. He will bring together a variety of topics, including the effects of caffeine, anesthesia, and meditation on brain function. If you have been wondering how your caffeine consumption affects your cognition during those unbearable 8:30 a.m. classes, this event may hold the answer! Registration will be available soon at McGill’s Department of Psychology website.
Fuzzy Robots with Feelings: Understanding physical emotional communication
Monday, Nov. 13 – 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Karon MacLean, professor at University of British Columbia’s Department of Computer Science, will be giving this talk in the context of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music, Media, and Technology’s (CIRMMT) distinguished lectures. She will cover the relationship between emotion and physical touch, something that is extremely hard to replicate with robotic interactions. Her research is truly interdisciplinary, and offers an exciting window into the future of human-machine interactions. This talk may not give you warm, fuzzy feelings but the title guarantees discussion of fuzzy robots! Registration is available at the CIRMMT website.
Unconventional semiconductors and processes for flexible, stretchable, and wearable electronics
Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023 – 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
In this seminar hosted by McGill’s Department of Chemistry, Antonio Facchetti, adjunct professor at Northwestern University and co-founder of Flexterra Inc., will provide an overview of new materials and techniques in the field of wearable and flexible electronics. His company, Flexterra, aims to develop soft, flexible electronic devices that can be worn and folded without issue. This involves developing innovative technologies for transistors and visual displays, the chemical techniques and principles for which Facchetti will discuss in his seminar. Registration is not required for this event.
Examining the role of diverse sexual behavior and conflict on eco-evolutionary dynamics
Thursday, Nov. 23 – 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
This installment of the McGill Biology Department’s Conservation, Ecology, Evolution, and Behaviour lecture series will explore the relationship between animals’ sexual patterns and the resulting evolutionary changes. The speaker will be Swanne Gordon, assistant professor at Cornell University’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, whose research focuses on evolutionary diversity using fish, moths, and butterflies. Registration is not required for this event.
Open Science in Action Symposium
Thursday, Nov. 30 – 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The McGill Neuro’s fifth annual Open Science in Action Symposium features a variety of events. Topics will range from data sharing practices, open-source software in neuroscience, and the potential of the open science movement to accelerate drug discovery. Vincent Larivière, the Inaugural UNESCO Chair in Open Science and a professor of information science at Université de Montréal, will deliver the keynote address to open the symposium. You can register for the symposium on The Neuro’s website, where there will also be a livestream provided on the day of the event.
