Pulsars, born after the splendid explosion of massive stars, are the most compact objects in the visible universe. Sitting on Earth, we receive regular pulses of light from pulsars. The accuracy of the period between pulses can sometimes rival that of an atomic clock. Pulsar studies have won two Nobel prizes: one for their discovery, and one for the first indirect evidence of gravitational waves. In this talk, Dongzi Li will explain how the compact nature and the excellent periodicity of pulses help make previously difficult studies feasible.

Explore the universe with members of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. Telescopes will be set up to provide amazing views of the Moon, the planets and more! (Rain date is May 15th).

Join poet Laboni Islam for a special tour of The Moon: A Voyage Through Time, an exhibition that looks at the moon through the lens of art, science, and spirituality.

Graduate student Ari Silburt will be presenting about "Distant Earths". In recent years with the launch of the Kepler Space Telescope there has been a rapid explosion in the number of planets discovered outside our solar system. For the first time ever we are able to explore questions such as “how many habitable planets are out there?”, and “where should we look for life?”. This talk will outline what the next steps are for finding life elsewhere in the universe as well as highlight a few of the noteworthy habitable exoplanets discovered to date.

What if I tell you that the world in the smallest imaginable scales has nothing to do with what we know? Bosons versus FermionsDuncan O'Dell  (Professor, Department of Physics & Astronomy, McMaster University)

Apparently "We are made of star stuff" so your beer contains chunks of the Big Bang explosion, doesn't it? Echoes of the Big Bang at the Large Hadron ColliderDavid Curtin (Assistant Professor, Canada Research Chair in Theoretical Particle Physics) @drc83 

In a galaxy far, far away, a black hole and a big space rock walk into a bar.

By listening to the cold, dim hiss of the universe, we can learn about its fiery beginning. Prof. Renée Hložek's talk will focus on how cosmologists use microwave instruments to measure this birth-light. She’ll describe the exciting new Simons Observatory in the Atacama Desert of Chile, and how it will allow us to learn about the beautiful universe we live in. As we learn about what the universe contains, how it started and ultimately how it is going to end.

World renowned theoretical physicist and writer, Lee Smolin, and Globe and Mail staff science reporter, Ivan Semeniuk, discuss Smolin's latest book which suggests that the problems which have long plagued the field of quantum physics are a result of an incomplete Einstein theory.

Learn the secrets of a 2,500-year-old technological tool from long-time amateur astronomer Pierre Paquette. The astrolabe, sometimes known as a “computer of the skies,” is one of the most eye-catching of the various instruments used by ancient astronomers – yet its use is shrouded in mystery. In this interactive workshop, discover how an astrolabe works, and make your own version to take home and use.