This is going to be a jam-packed posting with the AI experts at the Canadian Science Policy Centre (CSPC) virtual panel, a look back at a ‘testy’ exchange between Yoshua Bengio (one of Canada’s godfathers of AI) and a former diplomat from China, an update on Canada’s Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, Evan Solomon and his latest AI push, and a missive from the BC artificial intelligence community.
A Canadian Science Policy Centre AI panel on November 11, 2025
The Canadian Science Policy Centre (CSPC) provides an October 9, 2025 update on an upcoming virtual panel being held on Remembrance Day,
[AI-Driven Misinformation Across Sectors Addressing a Cross-Societal Challenge]
Upcoming Virtual Panel[s]: November 11 [2025]
Artificial Intelligence is transforming how information is created and trusted, offering immense benefits across sectors like healthcare, education, finance, and public discourse—yet also amplifying risks such as misinformation, deepfakes, and scams that threaten public trust. This panel brings together experts from diverse fields [emphasis mine] to examine the manifestations and impacts of AI-driven misinformation and to discuss policy, regulatory, and technical solutions [emphasis mine]. The conversation will highlight practical measures—from digital literacy and content verification to platform accountability—aimed at strengthening resilience in Canada and globally.
For more information on the panel and to register, click below.
Odd timing for this event. Moving on, I found more information on the CSPC’s webpage for this event, Note: Unfortunately, links to the moderator’s and speakers’ bios could not be copied here,
Canadian Science Policy Centre Email info@sciencepolicy.ca
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This panel brings together cross-sectoral experts to examine how AI-driven misinformation manifests in their respective domains, its consequences, and how policy, regulation, and technical interventions can help mitigate harm. The discussion will explore practical pathways for action, such as digital literacy, risk audits, content verification technologies, platform responsibility, and regulatory frameworks. Attendees will leave with a nuanced understanding of both the risks and the resilience strategies being explored in Canada and globally.
Canada Research Chair in Internet & E-commerce Law, University of Ottawa See Bio
[Panelists]
Dr. Plinio Morita
Associate Professor / Director, Ubiquitous Health Technology Lab, University of Waterloo …
Dr. Nadia Naffi
Université Laval — Associate Professor of Educational Technology and expert on building human agency against AI-augmented disinformation and deepfakes. See Bio
Dr. Jutta Treviranus
Director, Inclusive Design Research Centre, OCAD U, Expert on AI misinformation in the Education sector and schools. See Bio
Dr. Fenwick McKelvey
Concordia University — Expert in political bots, information flows, and Canadian tech governance See Bio
Michael Geist has his own blog/website featuring posts on his ares of interest and featuring his podcast, Law Bytes. Jutta Treviranus is mentioned in my October 13, 2025 posting as a participant in “Who’s afraid of AI? Arts, Sciences, and the Futures of Intelligence,” a conference (October 23 – 24, 205) and arts festival at the University of Toronto (scroll down to find it) . She’s scheduled for a session on Thursday, October 23, 2025.
China, Canada, and the AI Action summit in February 2025
Zoe Kleinman’s February 10, 2025 article for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) news online website also notes the encounter,
A former Chinese official poked fun at a major international AI safety report led by “AI Godfather” professor Yoshua Bengio and co-authored by 96 global experts – in front of him.
Fu Ying, former vice minister of foreign affairs and once China’s UK ambassador, is now an academic at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
The pair were speaking at a panel discussion ahead of a two-day global AI summit starting in Paris on Monday [February 10, 2025].
The aim of the summit is to unite world leaders, tech executives, and academics to examine AI’s impact on society, governance, and the environment.
Fu Ying began by thanking Canada’s Prof Bengio for the “very, very long” document, adding that the Chinese translation stretched to around 400 pages and she hadn’t finished reading it.
She also had a dig at the title of the AI Safety Institute – of which Prof Bengio is a member.
China now has its own equivalent; but they decided to call it The AI Development and Safety Network, she said, because there are lots of institutes already but this wording emphasised the importance of collaboration.
The AI Action Summit is welcoming guests from 80 countries, with OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, Microsoft president Brad Smith and Google chief executive Sundar Pichai among the big names in US tech attending.
Elon Musk is not on the guest list but it is currently unknown whether he will decide to join them. [As of February 13, 2025, Mr. Musk did not attend the summit, which ended February 11, 2025.]
A key focus is regulating AI in an increasingly fractured world. The summit comes weeks after a seismic industry shift as China’s DeepSeek unveiled a powerful, low-cost AI model, challenging US dominance.
The pair’s heated exchanges were a symbol of global political jostling in the powerful AI arms race, but Fu Ying also expressed regret about the negative impact of current hostilities between the US and China on the progress of AI safety.
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She gave a carefully-crafted glimpse behind the curtain of China’s AI scene, describing an “explosive period” of innovation since the country first published its AI development plan in 2017, five years before ChatGPT became a viral sensation in the west.
She added that “when the pace [of development] is rapid, risky stuff occurs” but did not elaborate on what might have taken place.
“The Chinese move faster [than the west] but it’s full of problems,” she said.
Fu Ying argued that building AI tools on foundations which are open source, meaning everyone can see how they work and therefore contribute to improving them, was the most effective way to make sure the tech did not cause harm.
Most of the US tech giants do not share the tech which drives their products.
Open source offers humans “better opportunities to detect and solve problems”, she said, adding that “the lack of transparency among the giants makes people nervous”.
But Prof Bengio disagreed.
His view was that open source also left the tech wide open for criminals to misuse.
He did however concede that “from a safety point of view”, it was easier to spot issues with the viral Chinese AI assistant DeepSeek, which was built using open source architecture, than ChatGPT, whose code has not been shared by its creator OpenAI.
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Interesting, non? You can read more about Bengio’s views in an October 1, 2025 article by Rae Witte for Futurism.
In a Policy Forum, Yue Zhu and colleagues provide an overview of China’s emerging regulation for artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and its potential contributions to global AI governance. Open-source AI systems from China are rapidly expanding worldwide, even as the country’s regulatory framework remains in flux. In general, AI governance suffers from fragmented approaches, a lack of clarity, and difficulty reconciling innovation with risk management, making global coordination especially hard in the face of rising controversy. Although no official AI law has yet been enacted, experts in China have drafted two influential proposals – the Model AI Law and the AI Law (Scholar’s Proposal) – which serve as key references for ongoing policy discussions. As the nation’s lawmakers prepare to draft a consolidated AI law, Zhu et al. note that the decisions will shape not only China’s innovation, but also global collaboration on AI safety, openness, and risk mitigation. Here, the authors discuss China’s emerging AI regulation as structured around 6 pillars, which, combined, stress exemptive laws, efficient adjudication, and experimentalist requirements, while safeguarding against extreme risks. This framework seeks to balance responsible oversight with pragmatic openness, allowing developers to innovate for the long term and collaborate across the global research community. According to Zhu et al., despite the need for greater clarity, harmonization, and simplification, China’s evolving model is poised to shape future legislation and contribute meaningfully to global AI governance by promoting both safety and innovation at a time when international cooperation on extreme risks is urgently needed.
Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,
China’s emerging regulation toward an open future for AI by Yue Zhu, Bo He, Hongyu Fu, Naying Hu, Shaoqing Wu, Taolue Zhang, Xinyi Liu, Gang Xu, Linghan Zhang, and Hui Zhou. Science 9 Oct 2025Vol 390, Issue 6769 pp. 132-135 DOI: 10.1126/science.ady7922
This paper is behind a paywall.
No mention of Fu Ying or China’s ‘The AI Development and Safety Network’ but perhaps that’s in the paper.
Canada and its Minister of AI and Digital Innovation
Evan Solomon (born April 20, 1968)[citation needed] is a Canadian politician and broadcaster who has been the minister of artificial intelligence and digital innovation since May 2025. A member of the Liberal Party, Solomon was elected as the member of Parliament (MP) for Toronto Centre in the April 2025 election.
He was the host of The Evan Solomon Show on Toronto-area talk radio station CFRB,[2] and a writer for Maclean’s magazine. He was the host of CTV’s national political news programs Power Play and Question Period.[3] In October 2022, he moved to New York City to accept a position with the Eurasia Group as publisher of GZERO Media.[4] Solomon continued with CTV News as a “special correspondent” reporting on Canadian politics and global affairs.”[4]
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Had you asked me what background one needs to be a ‘Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation’, media would not have been my first thought. That said, sometimes people can surprise you.
Solomon appears to be an enthusiast if a June 10, 2025 article by Anja Karadeglija for The Canadian Press is to be believed,
Canada’s new minister of artificial intelligence said Tuesday [June 10, 2025] he’ll put less emphasis on AI regulation and more on finding ways to harness the technology’s economic benefits [emphases mine].
In his first speech since becoming Canada’s first-ever AI minister, Evan Solomon said Canada will move away from “over-indexing on warnings and regulation” to make sure the economy benefits from AI.
His regulatory focus will be on data protection and privacy, he told the audience at an event in Ottawa Tuesday morning organized by the think tank Canada 2020.
Solomon said regulation isn’t about finding “a saddle to throw on the bucking bronco called AI innovation. That’s hard. But it is to make sure that the horse doesn’t kick people in the face. And we need to protect people’s data and their privacy.”
The previous government introduced a privacy and AI regulation bill that targeted high-impact AI systems. It did not become law before the election was called.
That bill is “not gone, but we have to re-examine in this new environment where we’re going to be on that,” Solomon said.
He said constraints on AI have not worked at the international level.
“It’s really hard. There’s lots of leakages,” he said. “The United States and China have no desire to buy into any constraint or regulation.”
That doesn’t mean regulation won’t exist, he said, but it will have to be assembled in steps.
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Solomon’s comments follow a global shift among governments to focus on AI adoption and away from AI safety and governance.
The first global summit focusing on AI safety was held in 2023 as experts warned of the technology’s dangers — including the risk that it could pose an existential threat to humanity. At a global meeting in Korea last year, countries agreed to launch a network of publicly backed safety institutes.
But the mood had shifted by the time this year’s AI Action Summit began in Paris. …
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Solomon outlined several priorities for his ministry — scaling up Canada’s AI industry, driving adoption and ensuring Canadians have trust in and sovereignty over the technology.
He said that includes supporting Canadian AI companies like Cohere, which “means using government as essentially an industrial policy to champion our champions.”
The federal government is putting together a task force to guide its next steps on artificial intelligence, and Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon is promising an update to the government’s AI strategy.
Solomon told the All In artificial intelligence conference in Montreal on Wednesday [September 24, 2025] that the “refreshed” strategy will be tabled later this year, “almost two years ahead of schedule.”
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“We need to update and move quickly,” he said in a keynote speech at the start of the conference.
The task force will include about 20 representatives from industry, academia and civil society. The government says it won’t reveal the membership until later this week.
Solomon said task force members are being asked to consult with their networks, suggest “bold, practical” ideas and report back to him in November [2025].
The group will look at various topics related to AI, including research, adoption, commercialization, investment, infrastructure, skills, and safety and security. The government is also planning to solicit input from the public. [emphasis mine]
Canada was the first country to launch a national AI strategy [the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy announced in 2016], which the government updated in 2022. The strategy focuses on commercialization, the development and adoption of AI standards, talent and research.
Solomon also teased a “major quantum initiative” coming in October [2025?] to ensure both quantum computing talent and intellectual property stay in the country.
Solomon called digital sovereignty “the most pressing policy and democratic issue of our time” and stressed the importance of Canada having its own “digital economy that someone else can’t decide to turn off.”
Solomon said the federal government’s recent focus on major projects extends to artificial intelligence. He compared current conversations on Canada’s AI framework to the way earlier generations spoke about a national railroad or highway.
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He said his government will address concerns about AI by focusing on privacy reform and modernizing Canada’s 25-year-old privacy law.
“We’re going to include protections for consumers who are concerned about things like deep fakes and protection for children, because that’s a big, big issue. And we’re going to set clear standards for the use of data so innovators have clarity to unlock investment,” Solomon said.
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The government is consulting with the public? Experience suggests that when all the major decisions will have been made; the public consultation comments will mined so officials can make some minor, unimportant tweaks.
Canada’s AI Task Force and parts of the Empire Club talk are revealed in a September 26, 2025 article by Alex Riehl for BetaKit,
Inovia Capital partner Patrick Pichette, Cohere chief artificial intelligence (AI) officer Joelle Pineau, and Build Canada founder Dan Debow are among 26 members of AI minister Evan Solomon’s AI Strategy Task Force trusted to help the federal government renew its AI strategy.
Solomon revealed the roster, filled with leading Canadian researchers and business figures, while speaking at the Empire Club in Toronto on Friday morning [September 26, 2025]. He teased its formation at the ALL IN conference earlier this week [September 24, 2025], saying the team would include “innovative thinkers from across the country.”
The group will have 30 days to add to a collective consultation process in areas including research, talent, commercialization, safety, education, infrastructure, and security.
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The full AI Strategy Task Force is listed below; each member will consult their network on specific themes.
Research and Talent
Gail Murphy, professor of computer science and vice-president – research and innovation, University of British Columbia and vice-chair at the Digital Research Alliance of Canada
Diane Gutiw, VP – global AI research lead, CGI Canada and co-chair of the Advisory Council on AI
Michael Bowling, professor of computer science and principal investigator – Reinforcement Learning and Artificial Intelligence Lab, University of Alberta and research fellow, Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute and Canada CIFAR AI chair
Arvind Gupta, professor of computer science, University of Toronto
Adoption across industry and governments
Olivier Blais, co-founder and VP of AI, Moov and co-chair of the Advisory Council on AI
Cari Covent, technology executive
Dan Debow, chair of the board, Build Canada
Commercialization of AI
Louis Têtu, executive chairman, Coveo
Michael Serbinis, founder and CEO, League and board chair of the Perimeter Institute
Adam Keating, CEO and Founder, CoLab
Scaling our champions and attracting investment
Patrick Pichette, general partner, Inovia Capital
Ajay Agrawal, professor of strategic management, University of Toronto, founder, Next Canada and founder, Creative Destruction Lab
Sonia Sennik, CEO, Creative Destruction Lab
Ben Bergen, president, Council of Canadian Innovators
Building safe AI systems and public trust in AI
Mary Wells, dean of engineering, University of Waterloo
Joelle Pineau, chief AI officer, Cohere
Taylor Owen, founding director, Center [sic] for Media, Technology and Democracy [McGill University]
Education and Skills
Natiea Vinson, CEO, First Nations Technology Council
Alex Laplante, VP – cash management technology Canada, Royal Bank of Canada and board member at Mitacs
David Naylor, professor of medicine – University of Toronto
Infrastructure
Garth Gibson, chief technology and AI officer, VDURA
Ian Rae, president and CEO, Aptum
Marc Etienne Ouimette, chair of the board, Digital Moment and member, OECD One AI Group of Experts, affiliate researcher, sovereign AI, Cambridge University Bennett School of Public Policy
Security
Shelly Bruce, distinguished fellow, Centre for International Governance Innovation
James Neufeld, founder and CEO, Samdesk
Sam Ramadori, co-president and executive director, LawZero
With files from Josh Scott
If you have the time, Riehl ‘s September 26, 2025 article offers more depth than may be apparent in the excerpts I’ve chosen.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen Arvind Gupta’s name. I’m glad to see he’s part of this Task Force (Research and Talent). The man was treated quite shamefully at the University of British Columbia. (For the curious, this August 18, 2015 article by Ken MacQueen for Maclean’s Magazine presents a somewhat sanitized [in my opinion] review of the situation.)
One final comment, the experts on the virtual panel and members of Solomon’s Task Force are largely from Ontario and Québec. There is minor representation from others parts of the country but it is minor.
British Columbia wants entry into the national AI discussion
Just after I finished writing up this post, I received Kris Krug’s (techartist, quasi-sage, cyberpunk anti-hero from the future) October 14, 2025 communication (received via email) regarding an initiative from the BC + AI community,
Growth vs Guardrails: BC’s Framework for Steering AI
Our open letter to Minister Solomon shares what we’ve learned building community-led AI governance and how BC can help.
Ottawa created a Minister of Artificial Intelligence and just launched a national task force to shape the country’s next AI strategy. The conversation is happening right now about who gets compute, who sets the rules, and whose future this technology will serve.
Our new feature, Growth vs Guardrails [see link to letter below for ‘guardrails’], is already making the rounds in those rooms. The message is simple: if Ottawa’s foot is on the gas, BC is the steering wheel and the brakes. We can model a clean, ethical, community-led path that keeps power with people and place.
This is the time to show up together. Not as scattered voices, but as a connected movement with purpose, vision, and political gravity.
Over the past few months, almost 100 of us have joined as the new BC + AI Ecosystem Association non-profit as Founding Members. Builders. Artists. Researchers. Investors. Educators. Policymakers. People who believe that tech should serve communities, not the other way around.
Now we’re opening the door wider. Join and you’ll be part of the core group that built this from the ground up. Your membership is declaration that British Columbia deserves to shape its own AI future with ethics, creativity, and care.
If you’ve been watching from the sidelines, this is the time to lean in. We don’t do panels. We do portals. And this is the biggest one we’ve opened yet.
See you inside,
Kris Krüg Executive Director BC + AI Ecosystem Association kk@bc-ai.ca | bc-ai.ca
Canada just spun up a 30-day sprint to shape its next AI strategy. Minister Evan Solomon assembled 26 experts (mostly industry and academia) to advise on research, adoption, commercialization, safety, skills, and infrastructure.
On paper, it’s a pivot moment. In practice, it’s already drawing fire. Too much weight on scaling, not enough on governance. Too many boardrooms, not enough frontlines. Too much Ottawa, not enough ground truth.
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This is Canada’s chance to reset the DNA of its AI ecosystem.
But only if we choose regeneration over extraction, sovereign data governance over corporate capture, and community benefit over narrow interests.
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The Problem With The Task Force
Research says: The group’s stacked with expertise. But critics flag the imbalance. Where’s healthcare? Where’s civil society beyond token representation? Where are the people who’ll feel AI’s impact first: frontline workers, artists, community organizers?
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The worry:Commercialization and scaling overshadow public trust, governance, and equitable outcomes. Again.
The numbers back this up: Only 24% of Canadians have AI training. Just 38% feel confident in their knowledge. Nearly two-thirds see potential harm. 71% would trust AI more under public regulation.
We’re building a national strategy on a foundation of low literacy and eroding trust. That’s not a recipe for sovereignty. That’s a recipe for capture.
Principles for a National AI Strategy: What BC + AI Stands For
Two events on the same day. albeit thousands of kilometres apart, and both of them have a ‘physics’ flavour.
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (PI) October 22, 2025 event
Usually, the Perimeter Institute announces that tickets will be available at a specific time for an event being held two or more weeks later.Tthis one is coming up next week (Wednesday, October 22, 2025) and tickets are already available, from an October 15, 2025 PI announcement (received via email),
100 Years of Quantum: Perspectives on its Past, Present, and Future
Wednesday, October 22, [2025] at 6:45 pm ET
Join us to mark 100 years since a revolutionary idea changed physics forever.
In July 1925, on the island of Helgoland, Werner Heisenberg made a breakthrough that gave rise to modern quantum theory. A century later, physicists are still exploring what it truly means.
This public event celebrates the quantum centenary with a panel discussion bringing together experts in the history and philosophy of physics and researchers studying quantum foundations, to discuss the past, present, and future of quantum theory. The diverse perspectives of the panellists promise a dynamic and engaging exploration of the most profound and the most puzzling topics in physics today.
Don’t miss out! Free tickets to attend this event in person are available now.
Starts on Wednesday, October 22 [2025] · 6:45pm EDT
Location
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics 31 Caroline Street North Waterloo, ON N2L 2Y5
Agenda
6:00 p.m.
Doors Open
Perimeter’s main floor Atrium will be open for ticket holders, with researchers available to answer science questions until the talk begins.
6:45 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.
Doors Close
Theater doors close to ensure all guests have enough time to enter and be seated by our ushers.
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Public Talk
The talk will begin at 7:00 PM, offering a live stream for virtual attendees. This will include a full presentation in the Theatre as well as a Q&A session.
8:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Atrium (Optional)
After the talk, head to the Atrium to mingle with other attendees and meet the speaker.
I’m Adam Becker. I’m a journalist, author, and erstwhile astrophysicist.
My new book, More Everything Forever, is about the terrible plans that tech billionaires have for the future and why they don’t work. Silicon Valley’s heartless, baseless, and foolish obsessions—with escaping death, building AI tyrants, and creating limitless growth—are about oligarchic power, not preparing for the future. According to Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman, and more, the only good future for humanity is one powered by fantastical technology: trillions of humans living in space, functionally immortal, served by superintelligent AIs. These are wildly implausible and profoundly immoral visions of tomorrow—and in reality, there is no good evidence that they will, or should, come to pass. Nevertheless, these obsessions fuel fears that overwhelm reason—for example, that a rogue AI will exterminate humanity—at the expense of essential work on solving crucial problems like climate change. These futuristic visions cloak a hunger for power under dreams of space colonies and digital immortality. The giants of Silicon Valley claim that their ideas are based on science, but the reality is darker: they come from a jumbled mix of shallow futurism and racist pseudoscience.
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My first book, What is Real?, is about the unfinished quest for the meaning of quantum physics. The New York Times liked that one too; they called it “a thorough, illuminating exploration of the most consequential controversy raging in modern science.” If you want a taste of what that book is like, check out this interactive essay based on the book, about the strangest result in all of quantum physics. Errata for the book are here.
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The full title of Becker’s latest book (published April 2025) is “More Everything Forever: AI Overlords, Space Empires, and Silicon Valley’s Crusade to Control the Fate of Humanity” and the full title for his 2018 book is “What is Real? The Unfinished Quest for the Meaning of Physics.”
Belkin Art Gallery (University of British Columbia [UBC] in Vancouver, Canada)
There are more events but my interest was this one, from an October 16, 2025 Belkin Art Gallery announcement (received via email) and available online here,
Conversation [Uncanny slippages: Time and transformation] with Bronwen Tate and Adele Ruosi
Wednesday, October 22 [2025] at noon
For this noon-hour conversation in the gallery, Bronwen Tate (School of Creative Writing) and Adele Ruosi (Department of Physics and Astronomy) will speak to Uncanny Slippages: Time and Transformation, bringing physics and poetic form together, addressing themes of materiality, structure, rhythm and metaphor—inviting reflection on scale, pattern and the felt experience of space and matter as they resonate with Akhavan’s practice [Abbas Akhavan: One Hundred Years exhibition, September 5 – December 7, 2025]. This talk is part of a series of noon-hour conversations at the Belkin where UBC scholars discuss productive intersections of their own work and the current exhibition, followed by a discussion that includes the audience.
Be sure to pick up a copy of Bronwen Tate’s text, “The Window and the Bridge.” As part of Akhavan’s work LOOP, local writers were invited to contribute a text using the word “loop” as a catalyst; Tate’s writing will be available only until the end of October [2025].
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Bronwen Tate’s text, “The Window and the Bridge” is available at the Belkin (either in the exhibit area or at the front desk).
If the title seems familiar, that’s because the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (PI) had a November 2024 presentation also by Dr. Katie Mack with an identical title. Here’s more from an August 29, 2025 PI event notice (received via email),
How the Universe Ends: Dr. Katie Mack
Tuesday, September 16 [2025] at 7:00 pm ET
You’re invited to an exclusive public lecture with Dr. Katie Mack, a theoretical astrophysicist exploring a range of questions in cosmology, the study of the universe from beginning to end. She currently holds the position of Hawking Chair in Cosmology and Science Communication at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, where she carries out research on dark matter and the early universe and works to make physics more accessible to the general public.
The Big Bang theory tells the story of the beginning of the Universe, our cosmic home for the last 13.8 billion years. But how does the story end? She’ll share what modern astrophysics tells us about the ultimate fate of the cosmos, and what the catastrophic destruction of all reality would look like to anyone still around to see it.
Don’t miss out! Free tickets to attend this event in person will become available on Tuesday, September 2, [2025] at 9 am ET.
Starts on Tuesday, September 16 [2025] · 6:45pm EDT
Location
Centre for International Governance Innovation 67 Erb Street West Waterloo, ON N2L 6C2
Agenda
6:00 p.m.
Doors Open
CIGI’s main floor foyer will be open for ticket holders, with researchers available to answer science questions until the talk begins.
6:45 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.
Doors Close
Auditorium doors close to ensure all guests have enough time to enter and be seated by our ushers.
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Public Talk
The talk will begin at 7:00 PM, offering a live stream for virtual attendees. This will include a full presentation in the CIGI Auditorium as well as a Q&A session.
8:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
CIGI Foyer (Optional)
After the talk, head to the CIGI foyer to mingle with other attendees and meet the speaker.
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About the Speaker
Dr. Katie Mack is a theoretical astrophysicist exploring a range of questions in cosmology, the study of the universe from beginning to end. She currently holds the position of Hawking Chair in Cosmology and Science Communication at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, where she carries out research on dark matter and the early universe and works to make physics more accessible to the general public. She is the author of the book “The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking)” and has written for a number of popular publications, such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Scientific American, Slate, Sky & Telescope, BBC Science Focus, and Cosmos magazine. You can read more about Dr. Mack and her work at www.astrokatie.com.
Tickets
Registration to attend the event in person will open on Tuesday, September 2, at 9:00 AM EDT. Tickets are free and must be reserved through Eventbrite, as there is no on-site box office.
TICKETS ARE VALID UNTIL 6:45 PM THE DAY OF THE EVENT.
This Perimeter Institute (PI) for Theoretical Physics event, ”Dispatches from the Hidden Universe” won’t take place until Wednesday, September 10 [2025]. Here are the details for getting a ticket or two this Monday morning (if you can attend in person; there is a virtual attendance alternative, more about that later in this post), from an August 22, 2025 PI announcement (received via email),
Dispatches from the Hidden Universe with Sarah Shandera
Wednesday, September 10 [2025 at 6:45 pm ET
You’re invited to an exclusive public lecture with Sarah Shandera, Professor of Physics and the Director of the Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos at Penn State [Pennsylvania State University].
Humanity can observe more of the universe than ever before. In the last year, we’ve detected signatures of cosmic events almost unimaginably distant and old. Yet much of the universe remains hidden — some parts unknown because we don’t yet understand how to see them, and others forever hidden beyond cosmic horizons. This talk will be a tour through the hints we have of the still-hidden workings of the universe, and of our best ideas to uncover them. This exploration requires reframing the way we build theories, including quantum theories, and embracing our role as imperfect observers. In doing so, we might convince the universe to give up the deepest secrets of its fundamental structure.
Don’t miss out! Free tickets to attend this event in person will become available on Monday, August 25, [2025] at 9 am ET.
Starts on Wednesday, September 10 [2025] · 6:45pm EDT
Location
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics 31 Caroline Street North Waterloo, ON N2L 2Y5
Agenda
6:00 p.m.
Doors Open
Perimeter’s main floor Atrium will be open for ticket holders, with researchers available to answer science questions until the talk begins.
6:45 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.
Doors Close
Theater doors close to ensure all guests have enough time to enter and be seated by our ushers.
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Public Talk
The talk will begin at 7:00 PM, offering a live stream for virtual attendees. This will include a full presentation in the Theatre as well as a Q&A session.
8:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Atrium (Optional)
After the talk, head to the Atrium to mingle with other attendees and meet the speaker.
…
About the Speaker
Sarah Shandera is a Professor of Physics and the Director of the Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos at Penn State. She received her PhD in physics from Cornell University in 2006 and held postdoctoral positions at Columbia University’s Institute for Strings, Cosmology, and Astroparticle Physics and at Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics before joining the faculty at Pennsylvania State University in 2011..
Tickets
Registration to attend the event in person will open on Monday, August 25 , [2025] at 9:00 AM EDT. Tickets are free and must be reserved through Eventbrite, as there is no on-site box office.
TICKETS ARE VALID UNTIL 6:45 PM THE DAY OF THE EVENT.
This Perimeter Institute (PI) for Theoretical Physics event, ”New Physics in a Post-Big Science World” won’t take place until Wednesday, August 27 [2025]. Here are the details for getting a ticket or two this Monday morning (if you can attend in person; there is a virtual attendance alternative, more about that later in this post), from an August 15, 2025 PI announcement (received via email),
New Physics in a Post-Big Science World with Savas Dimopoulos
Wednesday, August 27 [2025] at 6:45 pm ET
You’re invited to an exclusive public lecture with Savas Dimopoulos, the Hamamoto Family Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford University and the Coril Holdings Archimedes Visiting Chair at Perimeter Institute.
Over the past century, physics has made astonishing progress, culminating in the development of the Standard Model — an extraordinarily successful theory describing all known particles and forces. This era, powered by “big science” — from the Manhattan Project to CERN’s discovery of the Higgs boson — greatly expanded our understanding of the universe.
Yet some of its deepest mysteries remain: Why is the cosmos so vast? Why is gravity so weak? What is dark matter? Could other universes hide in extra dimensions?
In this talk, we will explore how answers to these questions may emerge from a renaissance of small‑scale science — nimble, ingenious experiments reminiscent of the creative era before big science reshaped physics.
Don’t miss out! Free tickets to attend this event in person will become available on Monday, August 18, [2025] at 9 am ET.
Starts on Wednesday, August 27 [2025] · 6:45pm EDT
Location
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics 31 Caroline Street North Waterloo, ON N2L 2Y5
Agenda
6:00 p.m.
Doors Open
Perimeter’s main floor Atrium will be open for ticket holders, with researchers available to answer science questions until the talk begins.
6:45 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.
Doors Close
Theater doors close to ensure all guests have enough time to enter and be seated by our ushers.
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Public Talk
The talk will begin at 7:00 PM, offering a live stream for virtual attendees. This will include a full presentation in the Theatre as well as a Q&A session.
8:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Atrium (Optional)
After the talk, head to the Atrium to mingle with other attendees and meet the speaker.
…
About the Speaker
Savas Dimopoulos is the Hamamoto Family Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford University and the Coril Holdings Archimedes visiting chair at Perimeter Institute. A visionary in theoretical particle physics, he is known for pioneering the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model and the Theory of Large Extra Dimensions. He received the J. J. Sakurai Prize of the American Physical Society “for his creative ideas on dynamical symmetry breaking, supersymmetry, and extra spatial dimensions, which have shaped theoretical research on TeV‑scale physics, thereby inspiring a wide range of experiments.” He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and was featured in the documentary Particle Fever.
Tickets
Registration to attend the event in person will open on Monday, August 18, [2025] at 9:00 AM EDT. Tickets are free and must be reserved through Eventbrite, as there is no on-site box office.
TICKETS ARE VALID UNTIL 6:45 PM THE DAY OF THE EVENT.
This Perimeter Institute (PI) for Theoretical Physics event, *”The Universe in a Box” won’t take place until Wednesday, July 30, 2025, if you can attend in person. here are the details for getting a ticket or two this Monday morning, from a July 18, 2025 PI announcement (received via email),
The Universe in a Box with Andrew Pontzen
Wednesday, July 30 [2025] at 7:00 pm ET
You’re invited to an exclusive public lecture with Professor Andrew Pontzen, one of today’s leading voices in the study of cosmology.
Merging black holes, collapsing dark matter, giant supernova explosions: a tapestry of cosmic events stretching over the past 13.8 billion years have shaped our existence in a vast universe. Faced with this complexity, humanity has increasingly turned to computers to help extract a clear understanding of the cosmos and our place within it. This lecture will explore the history of how these tools have developed, in parallel with more down-to-earth computational pursuits like weather forecasting. We will see how the resulting codes have unlocked our understanding of the universe, from galaxies and black holes to the essence of matter. And the lecture will conclude with a look at a contentious idea put forward by some philosophers and scientists – that we may already be living inside a simulation.
Andrew Pontzen is a professor of cosmology, and from January 2026 will direct Durham University’s Institute for Computational Cosmology [UK]. His research concerns how structure formed in our universe, from its opening moments to the present day. He has written for the New Scientist, BBC [British Broadcasting Corporation] Sky at Night and BBC Science Focus; lectured at the Royal Institution; appeared on BBC, Amazon Prime and Discovery Channel documentaries; and contributed to BBC Radio 4 programmes including Inside Science and The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry. He is also the author of The Universe in a Box which dives into the role of simulations in cosmology and beyond, recently published to critical acclaim.
Don’t miss out! Free tickets to attend this event in person will become available on Monday, July 21, [2025] at 9 am ET.
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics 31 Caroline Street North Waterloo, ON N2L 2Y5
Agenda
6:00 p.m.
Doors Open
Perimeter’s main floor Atrium will be open for ticket holders, with researchers available to answer science questions until the talk begins.
6:45 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.
Doors Close
Theater doors close to ensure all guests have enough time to enter and be seated by our ushers.
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Public Talk
The talk will begin at 7:00 PM, offering a live stream for virtual attendees. This will include a full presentation in the Theatre as well as a Q&A session.
8:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Atrium (Optional)
After the talk, head to the Atrium to mingle with other attendees and meet the speaker.
About this event
Please Note: Your ticket will be valid until 6:45 PM. This ensures all guests have enough time to enter the Theatre and be seated by our ushers.
Live-stream of the event will start at 7 p.m. EDT on our YouTube channel.
Our ushers seat guests beginning from the front rows of the Theatre toward the back.
As is usual for the Perimeter Institute (PI) for Theoretical Physics, the “Battle of the Big Bang …” event itself won’t take place until sometime in June 2025 but, if you can attend in person, here are the details for getting a ticket or two this coming Monday, from a May 23, 2025 PI announcement (received via email),
Battle of the Big Bang: The New Tales of Our Cosmic Origins
Niayesh Afshordi
Wednesday, June 4 [2025] at 7:00 pm ET
Join us for a lecture with Niayesh Afshordi, a theoretical astrophysicist and professor at the University of Waterloo and Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics.
The story of the universe’s origins is one of the greatest mysteries in science. From the explosive birth of the cosmos to the enigmatic nature of time and space, we are continually challenged by paradoxes that defy current understanding. In this public talk, we shall explore the triumphs and debates that shape modern cosmology, and the novel quests to uncover our cosmic origins. I will also highlight the pioneering contributions of my friend and colleague, Lee Smolin. His groundbreaking ideas on quantum gravity, the nature of time, and cosmological evolution have sparked new directions in the search for a deeper theory of the universe. Together, we will journey through the frontiers of physics, exploring how new theories and astronomical observations might offer clues to the next great paradigm shift. Whether you’re a science enthusiast or just curious about the cosmos, join us for a conversation on the past, present, and future of our understanding of the universe.
Don’t miss out! Free tickets to attend this event in person will become available on Monday, May 26 [2025], at 9 am ET.
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics 31 Caroline Street North Waterloo, ON N2L 2Y5
Agenda
6:00 p.m.
Doors Open
Perimeter’s main floor Atrium will be open for ticket holders, with researchers available to answer science questions until the talk begins.
6:45 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.
Doors Close
Theater doors close to ensure all guests have enough time to enter and be seated by our ushers.
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Public Talk
The talk will begin at 7:00 PM, offering a live stream for virtual attendees. This will include a full presentation in the Theatre as well as a Q&A session.
8:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Atrium (Optional)
After the talk, head to the Atrium to mingle with other attendees and meet the speaker.
….
About the Speaker
Niayesh Afshordi is a theoretical astrophysicist and professor at the University of Waterloo and Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. His research explores the frontiers of cosmology, gravity, and quantum physics, with a focus on black holes and the origins of the universe. He is the co-author of the forthcoming popular science book Battle of the Big Bang: The New Tales of Our Cosmic Origins (University of Chicago Press, 2025), which reexamines the history and future of the cosmos through the lens of cutting-edge theory and observation.
Enjoy! For those who cannot attend in person, “… you can always catch the livestream on our website or watch it on YouTube after the fact. [https://www.youtube.com/@PIOutreach]” One last note , Afshordi’s (co-authored with Phil Halper) new book “Battle of the Big Bang: The New Tales of Our Cosmic Origins” is being released on May 29, 2025.
This May 9, 2025 Perimeter Institute (PI) for Theoretical Physics announcement (received via email) involves an event being held on May 21, 2025 with free tickets for in person attendance available as of 9 am ET (6 am PT) on Monday morning, May 12, 2025,
Quantum Chemistry in the Universe’s Coldest Test Tube
Dr. Alan Jamison
Wednesday, May 21 [2025] at 7:00 pm ET
Join us for a lecture with Dr. Alan Jamison, an Assistant Professor at the University of Waterloo, jointly appointed to the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC).
How do chemical reactions change when they’re run at temperatures a billion times colder than a Canadian winter? What can we learn when we have perfect quantum control of the reactants? Before answering these questions, we’ll discuss the fascinating techniques of laser cooling that allow us to cool atoms and molecules to within a few billionths of a degree above absolute zero. We’ll then look at how molecules prepared at such temperatures allow us to control chemical reactions at the quantum level, beginning to open a new understanding of chemistry and new possibilities for technologies of the future.
Don’t miss out! Free tickets to attend this event in person will become available on Monday, May 12 [2025], at 9 am ET.
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics 31 Caroline Street North Waterloo, ON N2L 2Y5
Agenda
6:00 p.m.
Doors Open
Perimeter’s main floor Atrium will be open for ticket holders, with researchers available to answer science questions until the talk begins.
6:45 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.
Doors Close
Theater doors close to ensure all guests have enough time to enter and be seated by our ushers.
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Public Talk
The talk will begin at 7:00 PM, offering a live stream for virtual attendees. This will include a full presentation in the Theatre as well as a Q&A session.
8:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Atrium (Optional)
After the talk, head to the Atrium to mingle with other attendees and meet the speaker.
…
About the Speaker
Dr. Alan Jamison is an Assistant Professor at the University of Waterloo, jointly appointed to the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC). He leads the Jamison Lab, which investigates ultracold atoms and molecules to explore quantum many-body physics, quantum chemistry, and quantum information science. Dr. Jamison earned his B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Central Florida in 2007, followed by an M.S. and Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Washington in 2008 and 2014, respectively.
After completing his Ph.D., he joined the group of Nobel Laureate Wolfgang Ketterle at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as a postdoctoral researcher. At the University of Waterloo, Dr. Jamison’s research centers on using ultracold atoms and molecules to investigate complex quantum systems. His lab aims to achieve precise control over chemical reactions at ultracold temperatures, providing insights into quantum chemistry and enabling advancements in quantum computing and simulation.
This March 27, 2025 Perimeter Institute (PI) for Theoretical Physics announcement involves an event being held on April 7, 2025 and tomorrow morning, Friday, March 28, 2025, free tickets for in person attendance will be available as of 9 am ET (6 am PT),
How Will AI Change Education?
with Derek Muller / Veritasium
Monday, April 7 [2025] at 7:00 pm ET
Join us for a talk with Derek Muller, creator of the Youtube channel Veritasium.
The rapid pace of AI progress has taken almost everyone by surprise. Many now predict that in the coming years AI will disrupt virtually every industry and institution. So how will it affect education? Derek Muller will analyse this question by reflecting on past technological innovations in education and foundational principles of cognitive science. Although AI offers some potential advantages, it also creates risks that undermine how our brains learn and develop expertise.
Don’t miss out! Free tickets to attend this event in person will become available on Friday, March 28, [2025] at 9 am ET.
I have a little more information about the location and the speaker from the event registration page,
…
Location
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics 31 Caroline Street North Waterloo, ON N2L 2Y5
Agenda
6:00 p.m.
Doors Open
Perimeter’s main floor Atrium will be open for ticket holders, with researchers available to answer science questions until 6:45 PM.
6:45 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Doors Close
Theater doors close to ensure all guests have enough time to enter and be seated by our ushers.
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Public Talk
The talk will begin at 7:00 PM, offering a live stream for virtual attendees. This will include a presentation in the Theatre as well as a Q&A session.
8:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Atrium (Optional)
After the talk, head to the Atrium to mingle with other attendees and meet the speaker.
…
About the Speaker
Derek Muller is an Australian-Canadian science communicator, educator, and filmmaker, best known as the creator of the YouTube channel Veritasium. Born in 1982, he holds a Ph.D. in physics education research from the University of Sydney, where he studied how multimedia can improve science learning. Since launching Veritasium in 2010, Muller has gained millions of followers, producing engaging science content that challenges misconceptions. He has also hosted documentary series such as Uranium – Twisting the Dragon’s Tail and contributed to Netflix’s Bill Nye Saves the World. His work has earned him prestigious awards, including the Eureka Prize for Science Journalism.
It seems things a revving up for International Women’s Day on March 8, 2025. Strangely, neither the ‘Lost Women of Science’ organization announcement (although Women’s History Month March 2025 is noted) in my earlier March 6, 2025 posting nor this latest announcement from the Perimeter Institute (PI) for Theoretical Physics make mention of it .
A March 6, 2025 Perimeter Institute (PI) for Theoretical Physics (received via email) announces an event titled “Her Space, Her Time: How Trailblazing Women Scientists Decoded the Hidden Universe,” Note: The event takes place on March 12, 2025,
Her Space, Her Time: How Trailblazing Women Scientists Decoded the Hidden Universe
with Shohini Ghose
Wednesday, March 12 [2025] at 7:00 pm ET
Join us for a talk with Shohini Ghose, Professor of Physics at Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada, and CTO of the Quantum Algorithms Institute.
From the Big Bang to dark matter, women have been involved in the most groundbreaking discoveries about the cosmos. This talk will share the inspiring stories of these long-overlooked scientists who not only transformed our understanding of the universe, but also reshaped the rules of society.
Don’t miss out! Free tickets to attend this event in person will become available on Friday, March 7 [2025], at 9 am ET.
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics 31 Caroline Street North Waterloo, ON N2L 2Y5
Agenda
6:00 p.m.[ET]
Doors Open
Perimeter’s main floor Atrium will be open for ticket holders, with researchers available to answer science questions until the talk begins.
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.[ET]
Public Talk
The talk will begin at 7:00pm, offering a live stream for virtual attendees. This will include a full presentation in the Theatre as well as a Q&A session.
8:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.[ET]
Atrium
After the talk, head to the Atrium to mingle with other attendees and meet the speaker.
…
Please Note:
Your ticket will be valid until 6:45 PM [ET]. This ensures all guests have enough time to enter the Theatre and be seated by our ushers.
Our ushers seat guests beginning from the front rows of the Theatre toward the back.
…
About the Speaker
Shohini Ghose is Professor of Physics at Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada, and CTO of the Quantum Algorithms Institute. She holds one of 5 federally funded Chairs for Women in Science and Engineering and serves on the national Quantum Advisory Council for Canada’s National Quantum Strategy. She is the recipient of several awards, including a TED Senior Fellowship and selection to the College of the Royal Society of Canada, and in 2019, was among 25 women scientists worldwide featured in a UNESCO exhibit in Paris. Her book, Her Space, Her Time, about unsung women scientists, won the Science Writers and Communicators of Canada 2023 Book Award.
