Winter 2023 Lecture Series from McGill Community for Lifelong Learning

The McGill Community for Lifelong Learning (mcll.scs@mcgill.ca) offers a series of lectures during Winter 2023 on Fridays. The cost is $10 per lecture by credit card. Registration closes at 12 midnight Wednesday before each lecture. The Zoom link will be sent on Thursday from the MCLL volunteer Zoom host.

NB. Once you have your “Athena username & Athena password”, please keep a record for future registrations at MCLL. For registration help, contact caring.mcll@gmail.com

01/13/2023 1:00pm ET
The Little Ice Age

What exactly was the Little Ice Age? Images of Dutch burghers skating on frozen lakes come to mind, and vague stories about Vikings having once lived in Greenland. We will explore what happened and when and look into the factors that could have affected the climate between the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.

Presenter: Wolfgang Schneider
Attendance: Online

Registration link: https://www.mcgill.ca/mcll/lectures/how-register-lectures

01/20/2023 1:00pm ET

Social Media and Misinformation

While media misinformation has been around for decades (if not centuries!), the explosion ignited by social media now poses a threat to democracy. A retired American I.T. professional, Richard Harris, will take us deep into social media's business model, its differences from traditional media, recent examples of its use for misinformation and possible solutions that respect freedom of expression. A lively round-the-table discussion not to be missed!

Presenter: Richard Harris
Attendance: Online

Registration link:

https://www.mcgill.ca/mcll/lectures/how-register-lectures

01/27/2023 10:00am ET

A.Y. Jackson: Formative Years in Montreal

Award winning author and historian Doug Hunter will speak about his recent book: Jackson's Wars. A.Y. Jackson, the Birth of the Group of Seven, and the Great War, (MQUP. 2022). This talk will focus on Jackson's life in Montreal and his progress as a painter before he joined the Group of Seven. It will include a rare look into his experience during World War I, first as a soldier, then as a war painter.

Presenter: Douglas Hunter
Attendance: Online

Registration link: https://www.mcgill.ca/mcll/lectures/how-register-lectures

02/03/2023 10:00am ET

South to Textile Factories

Between 1840 and 1930 a million French-Canadians left Canada to work in the United States. Many were employed in textile factories in the New England states. In these areas they set up communities where they maintained the French language and culture. In this lecture I will describe their working and living conditions and show their impact.

Presenter: Muriel Herrington
Attendance: Online

Registration link:https://www.mcgill.ca/mcll/lectures/how-register-lectures

02/10/2023 10:00am ET

The Sumerians
The ancient Sumerians created one of humanity's first great civilizations and were responsible for many of the most important innovations, inventions and concepts. They were from southern Mesopotamia, flourishing from 4100 BCE to 1750 BCE. We will examine such aspects as their first schools, monumental architecture and irrigation techniques as well as religion, writing, agriculture, mathematics and astronomy whose influence can still be felt in today's world. Presenter: George Lapa
Attendance: Online

Registration link: https://www.mcgill.ca/mcll/lectures/how-register-lectures

02/17/2023 10:00am ET

Celiac Disease
In this lecture I will present a description of celiac disease, its prevalence, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.

Presenter: Leora Birnbaum
Attendance: Online

Registration link: https://www.mcgill.ca/mcll/lectures/how-register-lectures

02/24/2023 10:00am ET

The Silk Road
It is hard to overstate the importance of the Silk Road in history. It refers to a network of routes, spanning over 6,400 km, used by traders from the Han Dynasty of China who opened trade in 130 BCE until 1453 CE when the Ottoman Empire closed off trade with the West. The exchange of information gave rise to new technologies and innovations that changed the western world. Topics such as gunpowder, compass, paper and printing as well as disease (Black Death) will be presented. We will examine its lasting impact on commerce, culture, religion and history that resonates even today.

Presenter: George Lapa
Attendance: Online

Registration link: https://www.mcgill.ca/mcll/lectures/how-register-lectures

03/03/2023 1:00pm ET
How Are the Polar Bears Doing?
Polar bears were supposed to be highly diminished in numbers by the year 2015. In this lecture it will be shown that at present they thrive in record numbers. We will speculate on the reasons why these and other pessimistic predictions all turned out to be questionable.

Presenter: John Felvinci
Attendance: Online

Registration link: https://www.mcgill.ca/mcll/lectures/how-register-lectures

03/10/2023 1:00pm ET

The Peopling of the Americas
The Americas were the last continents to be populated by Homo sapiens, and the story of when, where, and how is still unfolding. We will take a comprehensive look at the theories that have been put forward and discuss how recent results from both archaeological and genetic research may be changing these views.

Presenter: Wolfgang Schneider
Attendance: Online

Registration link: https://www.mcgill.ca/mcll/lectures/how-register-lectures