All lectures for 2023 are now complete. Thanks for your support this last year.
We will leave this page up until our 2024 lectures are ready for posting.
Summer Lectures Club 2024 Program
All lectures are virtual Zoom meetings on Mondays
Commencing 20 March and continuing every first and third Monday
April thru Sept, except July when they are on the second and fourth Monday
Summer Lectures Club (SLC) agrees that the Speakers own all Copyright in their presentations, other than such content as may have been taken from other sources on the basis of “Fair Dealing” as provided under the Copyright Act, or the Speakers have explicit written approval to use certain copyright materials, and SLC will not post any part of the Program on our website without the Speakers' prior consent.
Prof Ken Jeffrey
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March 20th
Guelph University Physics Prof. Emeritus Ken Jeffrey Fusion Technology, Past, Present and What’s to Come A world of almost completely free energy? Ken Jeffrey explains challenges of a technology that has been pursued as physicists’ holy grail for his entire career. Are we finally on the home stretch? Ken will describe recent breakthroughs and reasons for cautious optimism.
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Dr Garrow
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April 3rd
Educationalist Dr. Jim Garrow The Pink Pagoda Campaign, China’s one child policy and the race to save unwanted baby girls Jim Garrow ran English Speaking schools in China, until he witnessed a tragedy unfolding before his eyes: the new-born niece of a staff member about to be “set aside” in the quest for a son and heir. Overnight he found himself propelled into a clandestine world to save baby girls, as he relates in his book The Pink Pagoda.
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Professor Evren Altinkas
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April 17th
Professor Evren Altinkas Kurds in Turkey: Political, Social, Cultural and Foreign Policy Dimensions To continue our understanding of a part of the world riled in conflict we will meet U of Guelph History and Political Science Professor Evren Altinkas who joined the University initially from Turkey in 2018, and who will speak on Kurds in Turkey.
Accommodating the Kurdish population that blankets parts of Turkey, Iran and Syria is a sensitive issue for Turkey, complicated by the war in Ukraine and Turkey's objection of Sweden's application to join NATO. In this talk Prof. Altinkas will focus on the Kurdish population in Turkey and perceptions of the Turkish Government. He will give a brief introduction about the Kurds and their history, their identity, their role in Turkish (and Middle Eastern) politics, and the cultural-social and foreign policy dimensions of the Kurdish identity. |
Ed Mizzi
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May 1st
Ed Mizzi, Retired teacher and past president of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Hamilton branch, reminds us of "Relative Size" With the recent launching of the James Webb telescope into deep space, this is an exciting time for astronomers. The Earth is a tiny speck in a vast cosmos, making us feel small and insignificant. However, it is the only home we have ever known, and we cannot ignore its importance to our survival; nor can we expect to find a place to move to, at least not in the near future. Join Ed for a journey comparing the Earth to other planets, our Sun, stars and galaxies and discover why we need to look after this "Pale Blue Dot" (Carl Sagan). |
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May 15th
Prof. Basil Kalymon The Zelensky Presidency The previously announced Ukrainian post-grad student is not available, however we are pleased to be able to announce that Professor Kalymon, who addressed us in the early days of the Ukrainian war, will join us to speak of the enigmatic president of Ukraine. His subject is 'The Zelensky Presidency'. Prof. Basil political Kalymon positioning, will describe Volodymyr Zelensky's background, ascendancy to office, impact on the war and societal perceptions. While originally an actor and producer of television serials with wide popularity in Ukraine, he becomes the wartime President of Ukraine and achieves international recognition and acclaim as a defender of freedom and democracy in the world.
Again, may we recommend to you "Servant of the People" a truly profound situational comedy that hints at Zelensky's political views, still available on Netflix. |
Peter Hannam
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May 23rd (Tuesday)
Woodrill Farms Excursion - 11am for 11:30am This is confirmation of the new date and time. Remember Peter Hannam’s remarkable farm talk, Horses to Robots, several years ago? We’re invited to visit Peter at his home, Woodrill Farms, 7861 Highway Seven East, close to the border of Guelph just east of Guelph AirPark, to admire his spectacular rhododendron collection. This excursion is not to be missed! |
Maria Chester
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June 5th Maria Chester and Mexican Muralism
After studying Fine Arts, Maria Chester decided to go deeper and studied Art History becoming a Professor in Pre-Columbian Civilisations. From her first passion, which was Cave Art and Rock Art she developed an interest in Archaeology, and this has served as a frame for her ongoing research. She is multilingual and enjoys travelling. She taught in several South American universities as well as private institutions.
Maria Chester joins us from Scotland, to discuss the remarkable depth and power of Mexican wall art |
Ruth Rigby
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June 19th
Ruth Rigby "Ancient DNA - New Science of our Human Past Humanity has always been intrigued by its origins and what makes us, Homo sapiens, different from other hominids.
Ruth Rigby's lecture will weave the story of this young science by relating the work of Svante Paabo and his group prior to his Nobel Prize in 2022. |
Please Note: To avoid the Canada Day weekend, July meetings are on 10th and 24th
Dr Gordon
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July 10th
Dr. Keith Gordon retired Vice-President, Research, CNIB: The Impact of the Prevalence and Cost of Vision Loss in Canada. Dr. Gordon is active in Fighting Blindness Canada, a Canadian NFP that funds research into retinal conditions. He has been a guest speaker at the Guelph-Wellington Men’s Club twice and also at the Probus Club of Guelph. |
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July 17th
Caroline Taylor - Climate Change 101 After we'd filled the program, I was approached by a new Toronto based Third Age Group, headed by Caroline Taylor and Sharon Zeiler. They also approached Third Age Guelph. They feel strongly that Third Age should promote moves we can each make to reduce our carbon footprints. I explained that the program is full but suggested July 17th. The talk will be by Caroline Taylor
Here is the description of Caroline's talk. Climate change is a complex topic with many dimensions, many information sources and many opinions. We will look at what Canada has pledged and what we can do as individuals |
Richard Harris
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July 24th
Richard Harris - AI (Artificial Intelligence): An Update We are being bombarded by news stories and opinions about AI. This presentation will briefly discuss how it works, what it can do now and, in the future, and what are its benefits and risks.
Bio: Richard (Dick) Harris retired from the University of Illinois in Urbana, Illinois where he was the Associate VP for Administrative Systems. Prior to that he worked for Deloitte Haskins & Sells in both financial and computer auditing as well as the private sector in internal audit and IT systems management. While with Deloitte, he worked in the Paris office for 3 years in the early 80s |
Tim Ewbank
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Aug 7th
Tim Ewbank, Chair of U3A Cambridge, UK Iconoclasm, Past, Present and Future Tim Ewbank, Chair of Cambridge U3A in Britain, discusses the current global vogue for iconoclasm by setting it within a broader historical context, looking at the variety of justifications used. With mostly UK examples, he examines the issues raised such as Who decides which icons to remove? The potential scope of popular iconoclasm will be considered along with where it leads into wider questions of restitution and reparations for past injustices.
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Professor Gibbon
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Aug 21st
Prof. Victoria Gibbon, CapeTown U, South Africa: Sutherland Restitution, restorative justice & community centered science.
In a process Dr. Vicky Gibbon rates as one of the most significant and important projects of her academic career, she joined an interdisciplinary team of academics from the University of Cape Town and two international institutions to conduct a series of scientific studies on the remains of nine people exhumed in Sutherland South Africa and kept at the University for 100 years. She has dealt with a range of sensitive issues that are sure to influence national and international policies when returning indigenous remains for reburial and restitution. |
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Sept 5th TUESDAY
This meeting has been changed since Dr. Crickette's presentation has been moved to Monday11thSept
The first part of the meeting will be a short business meeting to discuss plans for Summer Lectures Club in 2024.
The business meeting will be followed by a photographic presentation by Julian Sale.
A Quick Trip Around the World: “Images and stories of travels to Iceland, UK, Europe, Morocco, Tunisia, Jordon, Turkey, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, and of course, Canada” |
Dr Crickette Sanz
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Sept 11th Please note this new date.
Dr. Crickette Sanz of Washington University St. Louis, Missouri
What great apes have taught us. Based partly on gorilla and chimpanzee interactions through her field research in the Goualougo Triangle Ape Project in the Congo Republic, Dr. Crickette Sanz relates What Great Apes in the Congo Basin have taught us about Culture and Conservation |
Maris Chester
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Sept 18th
Maria Chester The Elephant and the Dove Maria Chester joins us for our final lecture of the summer, to relate to us two of Mexico’s most famous painters, their lives, interactions, and their lasting impact on Central American painting
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