Ming-ko Woo, McMaster University Thursday, November 29, 2001 Bommy Lee, Carleton University Northern water resources are very sensitive to weather and climate, and they may be affected substantially by the warming trend being experienced over many parts of Canada. This talk is about how the atmosphere, the snow and the permafrost collectively control the freshwater […]

Alfonso Rivera, Natural Resources Canada, Quebec Thursday, February 7, 2002 Although Canada is a water-rich country with many rivers and lakes, ten million Canadians rely on groundwater for their water supply. These water resources are being stressed in many areas due to contamination, changes in climate and the increasing demands of growing population centres and […]

Ned Djilali, University of Victoria Thursday, March 14, 2002   Ned Djilali, Université de Victoria Jeudi 14 mars 2002 Si nous voulons assurer notre prospérité économique et notre qualité de vie, il est essentiel de disposer d'un approvisionnement énergétique adéquat. Toutefois, la disponibilité d'un tel approvisionnement est associée à des émissions qui menacent notre santé […]

Tom Hutchinson, Trent University Thursday, April 11, 2002   Tom Hutchinson,Trent University Jeudi 11 avril 2002 À première vue, on pourrait croire que les effets environnementaux de la pollution de l'air engendrée par les automobiles et par l'industrie à Toronto et dans la région du Grand Toronto ne constituent un problème que pour Toronto. Mais […]

Dr. Jed Harrison, University of Alberta Tuesday, May 7, 2002 During the past decade, Professor Jed Harrison has played a key role in developing “lab-on-a-chip” technology, one of three converging trends that researchers hope will accelerate the discovery of new drugs and improve the evaluation of human health. He employs the same methods used to […]

Mark L. Winston, Simon Fraser University Jeudi 24 octobre 2002 Genetically modified (GM) crops are becoming increasingly important for pest control, but have spawned unusually charged disputes because of concerns about possible side effects on human and environmental health. Dr. Mark Winston has been studying the impact of these crops on beneficial organisms such as […]

Brett Finlay, University of British Columbia Jeudi 13 février 2003 Although we all contain harmless E. coli as part of our normal intestinal flora, there are several strains of E. coli that can cause much human disease worldwide. Pathogenic E. coli O157:H7, the organism that caused the Walkerton outbreak, is shed by cattle, and causes […]

Arvind Gupta, Simon Fraser University Jeudi 20 mars 2003   Arvind Gupta, Simon Fraser University Thursday, March 20, 2003 Les mathématiques sont au cœur de la majeure partie de la recherche et de l’innovation scientifiques au Canada – non seulement en mathématiques, mais également dans les technologies de l’information, le génie et bon nombre des […]

Robin Riddihough, Natural Resources Canada Tuesday, April 8, 2003 Gravity keeps the coffee in the cup and the cup on the table. It rules our lives and yet remains one of the great mysteries of science. The acceleration of a falling body turns out to be key to understanding how a pendulum keeps time, measuring […]

Dr. Louis Fortier, Québec-Océan, Université Laval Climate models predict that the earliest indisputable evidence of climate change will come from the melting of Arctic sea ice. Is the current thinning and disappearance of sea ice proof that the models are right? The jury is still out. But, given the impressive match between observations and simulations, […]

Dr. Jeffrey Hutchings, Dalhousie University  Since the 1960s, more than one and a half billion cod have vanished from Newfoundland and Labrador waters. Why have these and other fish populations not recovered despite massive reductions in fishing? Is this the marine equivalent of the hunting of the buffalo? Have ocean environments been altered permanently? Dr. […]

Dr. David Layzell, Queen's University  Plants have been in the business of managing greenhouse gases for more than 400 million years. Can they help Canada meet its Kyoto commitment of reducing emissions by at least 30 per cent? What scientific insights and new technologies are needed to augment carbon sinks in forestry and agriculture, and […]