Part 1 of the “Six Great Ideas That Changed the World” took place on October 8, 2024 (as per my October 3, 2024 posting). Now for Part 2, from a May 3, 2025 ARPICO (Society of Italian Researchers & Professionals in Western Canada) notice (received via email),
Just a month has passed since our last gathering, and we’re thrilled to invite you to our final public event before summer, “Six Great Ideas That Changed Science and the World (Part 2),” featuring the distinguished Prof. Douw G. Steyn, to be held on Thursday, May 22nd, 2025 at 7:00 PM at the Museum of Vancouver, History Room, 1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver, BC.
We are honored to once again host Prof. Douw G. Steyn, Professor Emeritus in Atmospheric Science at The University of British Columbia. Prof. Steyn is internationally recognized for his groundbreaking work in air pollution meteorology and boundary layer dynamics. His contributions to environmental research, education, and international consultancy have earned him prestigious awards, including the UBC Killam Teaching Prize and the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society’s Andrew Thompson Prize.
You may recall the first part of his compelling talk last fall, where he explored:
- Evolution by Natural Selection
- DNA, RNA, and the Mechanism of Heredity
- The Periodic Table of the Elements
In Part 2 of this series, Prof. Steyn will illuminate three more revolutionary ideas and the brilliant minds behind them:
- Quantum Mechanics
- Relativity
- Mathematics
See below for more details.
YOU ARE INVITED
- Date: Thursday, May 22nd, 2025
- Location: Museum of Vancouver, History Room, 1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver, BC
- Check-in: 6:30 PM, to get your seat and have a cup of coffee
- Lecture Start Time: 6:50 PM
We look forward to seeing everyone there.
There is yet more to this invitation including some details as to about the ideas in part 2 of this talk,
Evening Details
ADMISSION TICKETS ARE MANDATORY
Admission Tickets for this event are MANDATORY, but FREE; all wishing to attend are requested to obtain “free-admission” tickets on EventBrite. Click the “Reserve a Spot” button on the Eventbrite page. Tickets are necessary to help organizers plan for room capacity, fire regulations, and refreshment needs. Please be sure to supply the first name, surname and email of each person in your order.
- Admission Cost? – We don’t charge for admission to the event. A special thank you to the ARPICO members who generously cover the venue and equipment rentals, speaker travel, and thank-you costs for regular events throughout the year. Their support allows us to offer free admission to all attendees.
- Donations for ARPICO’s Scholarship Fund – Your donation helps ensure the continuation of our educational initiatives. If you enjoy attending ARPICO public lectures and appreciate the opportunity to engage with the speaker and fellow attendees, please consider donating to support our Scholarship Fund. Not ready? That’s alright. Decide after you have experienced the evening’s full offering. ARPICO is pleased to accept donations at the venue as well.
Further details are also available at arpico.ca, arpico facebook, and EventBrite.
Main Event Details
Six Great Ideas That Changed Science and the World (Part 2)
In the second part of this two-part series, Prof. Steyn will illuminate three more revolutionary ideas and the brilliant minds behind them:
- Quantum Mechanics – Einstein single handedly overturned our understanding of energy at a molecular and sub-atomic level. The idea of energy quantization explained the three great outstanding ideas of physics in the early 1900s, and laid open the way for a deep understanding of matter. Today we have LED lights, quantum computing, nuclear power (and bombs).
- Relativity – Einstein single handedly overturned our ideas of the absolute nature of space and time. The discovery (together with quantum mechanics) has lead to a deeper understanding of the origins of the universe, but also to essential applications like GPS navigation and satellite orbital dynamics.
- Mathematics – All of science is embedded in mathematics, which is both the queen of sciences and the servant of all sciences. As an example, Prof. Steyn will present Fermat’s last theorem, and its 300 year delayed solution.
About Our Speaker
Douw G. Steyn PhD, ACM, FCMOS is a Professor Emeritus of Atmospheric Science at The University of British Columbia, in the Department of Earth Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences. His professional, teaching and research activities are in the field of air pollution meteorology, boundary layer meteorology, mesoscale meteorology, environmental science and interdisciplinary science. His research involves measurement and modelling studies of regional air pollution, especially in regions with complex terrain. He has worked extensively on the statistics of air pollution, air pollution monitoring and monitoring network design. He is winner of a UBC Killam Teaching Prize, the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society Andrew Thompson Prize in Applied Meteorology, and the Canadian Federation for Earth Sciences Mentorship Medal. He has served as Chair of the scientific committee that leads the International Technical Meeting series on Air Pollution Modelling and its Application. He has published regularly in the international peer reviewed literature, and served as Director of Publications for the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society. He is an Accredited Consulting Meteorologist, and has international consultancy experience in his areas of expertise, and has provided expert testimony in numerous court cases, appeal board hearings and environmental assessment panels in British Columbia, and Nationally.
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There you have it.