Spring 2018 Lectures
An Evening with Daniel Dale: Life as a Washington Correspondent
May 3, 2018 7:30-9:00 PM
Daniel Dale will discuss what it's like to be a Canadian reporter covering American politics and the presidency during this remarkable era.
He will start with his background as a reporter covering Mayor Rob Ford and how it prepared him, and did not prepare him, for covering Trump. He will then talk about his attempts to fact-check this unique president - and the bigger question of whether facts still matter in today's America. Finally, he'll discuss what he's learned traveling the country covering the 2016 campaign and other stories.
Daniel Dale, Thornhill native, reports on President Donald Trump and American politics as the Washington Bureau Chief for the Toronto Star. Before his move to Washington in 2015, he was bureau chief and reporter at Toronto City Hall, covering Mayor Rob Ford and city council, from 2010 to 2014.
The U.S. website Politico named Dale one of its "breakout media stars" of the 2016 presidential election for his popular fact-checks of the candidates’ claims, and Toronto Life named him one of the 50 most influential Torontonians of 2017.
He has won a National Newspaper Award for short features and two Goff Penny Awards for Canada's best young journalist. He is a graduate of York University's Schulich School of Business.
Daniel is a frequent commentator on MSNBC, CNN and CBC radio and television.
The Trouble With Terror
April 12, 2018 1:30 to 3:30 PM
“The War on Terror” has become a hallmark of the contemporary international order. 9/11 and other terrorist attacks around the world are embedded in our collective memories as symbols of a “new” global threat. Al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, and ISIL have become terms in the common vernacular. But is it all really anything new?
This lecture will explore some of the many dimensions of global terrorism, tracing the development of terror as a political tool across cultural, religious, and ideological dimensions of some of the best - and least - known “terrorists” in history. We will then focus on the parameters of contemporary international terror, and how the “trouble” is not just with its proliferation around the world but also with our collective responses to it: gripping us with fear and often compromising the values of our civil society.
Dr. Arne Kislenko is an Associate Professor with the Department of History at Ryerson University, an instructor at Trinity College, University of Toronto and a visiting professor at the Freie Universität Berlin. He teaches modern international relations, including courses on the world wars, the Cold War, the history of espionage, the history of terrorism, comparative foreign policy, and modern Southeast Asia. Dr. Kislenko has won numerous teaching awards and was named Ontario’s “Best Lecturer” following TV Ontario’s first “Academic Idol” series.
Kislenko has written three books and is currently working on a new one about the "real James Bond". He also serves as an editor for the prestigious journal Intelligence and National Security. He appears regularly in the media and served as a consultant on national security matters for the federal government and as an historical advisor for TV and media programs. He is currently working on two international television projects about the history of espionage.
Canada in the World - Past, Present, Future
April 19, 2018 1:30 to 3:30 PM
When Justin Trudeau became Canada's 23rd Prime Minister in 2015, he boldly announced to the world “Canada is back.” Based on the initial responses of Canadians at home and leaders abroad, his message was well received. But what did it really mean?
Would Canada reinvest in its foreign service, its international development officials or its military? Would Ottawa pursue international leadership on pressing global issues? Had Canada ever left in the first place?
This lecture explores Canadian foreign policy beginning with an overview of critical national interests and concluding by exploring a series of contemporary challenges.
Dr. Adam Chapnick is a professor of defence studies at the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC). He is located in Toronto, where he also serves as the deputy director of education at the Canadian Forces College.
He holds a BA (Honours) from Trent University, an MA in International Affairs from Carleton University, and a PhD in History from the University of Toronto. He joined RMC in 2006 and currently teaches courses in Canadian government and strategic decision-making, critical thinking and writing, and Canadian international policy.
He is the author or editor of seven books, including The Harper Era in Canadian Foreign Policy (2016), Canada’s Voice: The Public Life of John Wendell Holmes (2009), and The Middle Power Project: Canada and the Founding of the United Nations (2005).
The Amazing Universe
April 26, 2018 1:30 to 3:30 PM
In this profusely-illustrated, non-technical presentation, Dr. Percy hopes to convince you that the universe, as astronomers now understand it, is as amazing, wondrous, and awe-inspiring as anything you may encounter in science fiction -- and it's real!
The emphasis will be on the most current, exciting aspects of astronomy. Lots of time for questions and discussion -- on any aspect of astronomy that you wish.
Dr. John Percy (PhD Astronomy 1968 University of Toronto) is a very active Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto, in Astronomy & Astrophysics, and in Science Education.
His research deals with the nature and evolution of the stars, and he has published over 250 research papers and three books in these fields.
He has also been active in science and astronomy education throughout the world. He has served as president of six national or international scientific and educational organizations and as Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Ontario Science Centre. He has received numerous awards for his contributions to public understanding of astronomy. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.
Dance at the Movies
May 10, 2018 1:30 to 3:30 PM
Ever since moving pictures were invented, dance has been part of them. Film has been used to record stage performances, particularly stage musicals, but the exoticism and glamour of the dance world itself has become the subject of popular dramatic features, from The Red Shoes (1948) , through The Turning Point (1977) to the controversial Black Swan (2010).
In this lecture we'll look at some of the greatest dance ever committed to film and the stories behind them.
Michael Crabb has been writing, broadcasting and lecturing about the performing arts for more than four decades. He has written for a range of newspapers and magazines across North America and overseas and is currently dance critic of The Toronto Star, a regular columnist for Canadian quarterly Dance International and for British monthly The Dancing Times. He has edited/contributed to a number of dance books and reference works and is author of An Instinct for Success: Arnold Spohr and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.
Michael enjoyed a long association with the CBC, 1976-2010. He was a producer for a number of network radio arts programmes, notably The Arts Report where he was senior producer and host, 1993-2000. He has lectured widely on the history and appreciation of dance, in Canada and the United States. Michael holds degrees in history from King's College, University of London, and McMaster University.
Artificial Intelligence and Ethics in Health Care
May 17, 2018 1:30 to 3:30 PM
The far-reaching potential and scope of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques in the health technology industry are routinely characterized as ‘revolutionary.’
AI is a branch of computer science that focuses on the ability of computers to imitate or simulate specific aspects of intelligent human behaviour.
In this lecture, Sally Bean will:
- briefly introduce the rapidly evolving use of AI in healthcare,
- present two broad use categories of AI that reflect the breadth of how and where AI is currently being applied: 1. intelligent design support that assists in clinical decision-making and 2. robotic assisted devices (e.g. used for surgeries, instrument sterilization, etc.), and
- apply an ethical, legal, and societal implications lens to help frame the discussion.
Sally Bean is the Director of the Health Ethics Alliance & Policy Advisor at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, a member of the University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics, an Adjunct Lecturer in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and the Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation, an Associate Member of the School of Graduate Studies at the University of Toronto, and an Adjunct Lecturer at Osgoode Hall School of Law at York University.
Sally earned a B.A. in Philosophy & English, an M.A. in Bioethics and Public Policy and a Juris Doctorate. After law school, Sally completed a two year fellowship in Clinical & Organizational Ethics through the University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics. Her research areas of academic interest pertain largely to health institution and health system ethics with an emphasis on health law and policy.
Five ways to a Better Brain: Separating the Science from Myth
May 24, 2018 1:30-3:30 PM
Can we actually DO something to reduce the risk of cognitive decline? How do we tell the difference between evidence-based science and "fake news" when it comes to understanding the things we can do to keep our brain active and healthy?
Dr. Patterson will outline the hierarchy of scientific evidence, and will explain why it is so hard to prove (and disprove) things that people earnestly believe. He will then discuss 5 strategies which may reduce the risk of cognitive decline with age. They may sound familiar, but be prepared for some surprises.
The presentation will conclude with advice on obtaining the best evidence for health information (hint: McMaster Optimal Aging Portal).
Dr. Chris Patterson is a specialist in Geriatric Medicine at Hamilton Health Sciences, the second largest teaching hospital in Canada. Now an Emeritus Professor of Medicine, he joined the faculty of McMaster University in 1982. He served on the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care (1987-2005) and helped develop Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia, most recently in 2012-13.
He has authored or contributed to over 150 scientific publications, lectured across Canada and abroad, and received awards for teaching and clinical achievements. He tries to follow his own advice, and admits that it is not always easy...