Lecture & Lunch Series — Past Events
October 29, 2011
- See full itinerary (pdf)
Lectures:
Can you blame the financial crisis on mathematicians? with Professor Thomas Salisbury
During the 2008 financial crisis, some commentators blamed the problem on "too many Math PhDs". Join Professor Salisbury as he unravels the basis for this claim, and considers whether it is actually fair or not.
Canadian Utopias: A Short History with Professor Colin Coates
The utopian history of the United States began with the Puritan settlers in Massachusetts and includes a wide variety of utopian attempts throughout the country’s history. The history of Canadian utopias are less studied. Join Professor Coates as he examines the Canadian experience of utopian endeavors.
When did walking become such a balancing act? with Professor William Gage
Over the past century, intense research and debate has attempted to address the question, “How do we bipedal animals stand and walk so well?” Standing and walking emerge from a complex organization of neuromuscular commands that originate from seemingly all levels of the nervous system. Join Professor Gage as he explores what we know about changes in standing and walking that occur with age.
Pagans and Parties: The Haunting History of Hallowe'en with Professor Nicholas Rogers
Join Professor Rogers as he explains why Halloween has been a contentious holiday in the last two centuries and why trick-or-treating is a tame, American version of what Halloween is really about. Halloween has been at the centre of debates about the use of urban space, sexual politics, Latino identities, and the rampant commercialism of horror.
Bonus: Gary Brewer's talk about Growth & Change on the York University Campus
April 30, 2011
Lectures:
The Bird Detective: Investigating the Private Lives of Birds with Professor Bridget Stutchbury
Based on her book, The Bird Detective, Stutchbury will explain why some birds readily divorce their partners, why females sneak copulations with neighboring males, and why mothers sometimes desert their babies.
The Interesting Life of Olaudah Equiano, the African, and the Abolition of the British Slave Trade with Professor Paul Lovejoy
Widely admired in literary circles and among proponents of social justice, the life of Gustavus Vassa, better known by his African name, Olaudah Equiano (c. 1742-1797), was a pioneer in advocating the aboliton of slavery and the emancipation of those in slavery. He was truly a liberator of his people.
Related: Harriet Tubman Institute for Research on the Global Migrations of African Peoples
My Gold Medal Experience: Olympic Poetry with Professor Priscila Uppal
Poet and York University professor Priscila Uppal will discuss her experiences as Canadian Athletes Now Fund’s first poet-in-residence during the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Games. Uppal celebrated with the Canadian athletes and their families by writing poetry about winter sports, the games, and the personalities and performances that captured a nation’s imagination.
A World of Suburbs? Finding the Heart of the Urban Century in the Periphery with Professor Roger Keil
The 21st century has been heralded as an urban century. Indeed, urbanization is now the most tangible shared experience of humanity. Behind the story of the 'urban revolution' lies an important and perhaps astonishing truth: Most urban dwellers now live in the periphery.
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