An illustrated, non-technical presentation that will describe the astronomy of civilizations ranging from the seagoing Polynesians, to the builders of Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids, to our own First Nations. Also being mentioned will be the astronomy of China, India, and the Islamic world, since it is often under-appreciated. Throughout, we will emphasize the challenge of understanding the astronomy of long ago, in civilizations which, in many cases, left no written records. Drop-in program. First come, first seated.

Speaker: Randy Attwood, Executive Director - The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Amateur astronomy has changed drastically over the past 50 years. Telescopes made in the basement have been replaced with high quality instruments capable of performing astronomical research. Those new to astronomy are confronted with computerized telescopes and unfortunately, disappearing skies due to light pollution.

What would happen to you if you fell into a black hole? Why is Dark Matter so mysterious? These are some questions that will be explored with a visual showcase of cartoons and comics. A presentation by Rina Piccolo.

Don't miss Canada's most famous astronaut on-stage at the Appel Salon, presenting the practical lessons he's learned throughout his career on collaboration, teamwork and science and technology. This event is now SOLD OUT. A very limited number of rush seats will be made available on the day of the event.

Throughout its 4.5 billion year history, life on Earth has been threatened by cataclysmic events such as extreme volcanic eruptions and asteroid impacts which have caused mass extinction of species. While events like these can drastically alter the face of the Earth, the planet still remains. So what would it take to completely obliterate the Earth? Starting from birth, the evolution of solar systems and the environments they exist in can put planets towards catastrophic fates. In this talk, we will explore some of the incredible ways that nature can destroy planets.

Dr. Roberto Abraham, Dept. of Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Toronto

Presented by John Percy, Professor Emeritus of the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics and Dunlap Institute

With Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry and his collaborators envisioned a future where technological innovation has led to a post-scarcity society, one where resources like food, shelter, and energy are abundant and available to all. This premise is crucial to understanding Star Trek's universe: technology is the key to social equity.

Debuting at the height of the US-Soviet Space Race, Star Trek offered an alternative to the adversarial ideology then underlying space exploration in the United Federation of Planets. A kind of intergalactic United Nations, the Federation is dedicated to preserving peace between species, ridding the known universe of war, inequality, hunger, and disease, and upholding the values of cooperation, equality, justice and liberty for all.

Since its debut in 1966, Star Trek has inspired people to pursue their passions and dreams in a variety of fields, from science and engineering to technology and the arts. From Martin Cooper, who invented the portable cellular phone in 1973 inspired by Captain Kirk's communicator, to Dr. Mae Jemison, whose admiration of Nichelle Nichols' Lt. Uhura led her to realize her dream to become the first African American woman in space, Star Trek has motivated fans to realize its ideals in their own lives.