YCLML 001 - MCLL Lectures

Presenter: Michael Allen  

From a mud-walled cottage in Hungary to the Nobel Prize stage, Katalin Karikó’s journey is one of extraordinary persistence. Her breakthrough in mRNA technology became a cornerstone of the COVID-19 vaccines, saving millions of lives. Her path was anything but traditional. Michael Allen will explore the science behind the COVID-19 vaccines and Karikó’s remarkable personal story—one that includes raising an Olympic champion and the unlikely, pivotal role of a 900-pound teddy bear. 

Presenter: Ronji Borooah

India-born Borooah will explain that his home country is best understood as “many Indias”: a vast, diverse democracy shaped by regional, linguistic, caste, and economic divisions. Politics is driven by caste and the pursuit of power, enabling the dominance of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. Rapid GDP growth masks low per-capita income, weak manufacturing, job scarcity, inequality, and impending urbanization, while foreign policy has shifted from strict non-alignment to pragmatic multi-alignment amid security pressures. 

Presenter: Paul Kuai-Yu Leong

This Yom HaShoah lecture is dedicated to the Jewish refugees' saga in WW2 Shanghai. In the Evian Conference (France, July 1938), all 32 participant countries expressed sympathy for the Jewish refugees from the Nazis but refused to admit more (except the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica). However, over 20,000 Jews fled the Nazis and found refuge in Shanghai. See: "In Shanghai, a refuge for Jews fleeing Nazi Europe" (Forward; 2020.07.23)  >> > forward.com/culture/451296/in-shanghai-a-refuge-for-jews-fleeing-nazi-europe/">forward.com/culture/451296/in-shanghai-a-refuge-for-jews-fleeing-nazi-europe/ 

Presenter: Harald von Cramon

We will explore the history of Der Bodensee, or Lake Constance, which borders on Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Attracted by the generally mild climate, monastic establishments were founded by Irish monks in and around the lake as early as 612 AD. Emperor Napoleon III grew up on its shores. The town of Konstanz hosted the important General Church Council from 1414 to 1418.

Presenter: Jo Whitehead

This talk seeks to explain the current situation in the Middle East based on its history and to provide a foundation for thinking about how it may develop in future. The speaker proposes a framework for understanding the region by reviewing the geography, colonial legacies, oil wealth, individual leaders and other factors. Iran will be used as an illustrative case study of how all these factors can play out at a local level, inviting discussion of how the same factors have played out differently in other countries. 

Presenter: Martin Coles

Nowadays, everyone is talking about artificial intelligence (AI). This lecture will provide some answers to key questions such as: How important is AI? Is it harmful? What are the risks? Is it going to kill us all? How do neural networks process mountains of data to provide such remarkable results? How can I benefit from AI? 

Presenter: Maxine Ruvinsky

This lecture will begin with a brief presentation on the techniques employed by professional writers to compose works of creative nonfiction (also sometimes called “narrative nonfiction”). It will then proceed to the main portion, in which participants will employ some of these techniques to produce a paragraph or two of writing, and then read their work aloud to get feedback from the other members of the group. At the end of the lecture, I will provide some brief tips on how to submit articles for publication (i.e., the query letter) to magazines. 

Presenter: Ron Vexler

Longevity science explores the mechanisms that drive aging, investigating how genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors influence how we age. How has humanity dealt with aging in the past? The new field of longevity science encompasses three main research approaches: one, slowing aging; two, reversing aging; and three, understanding senescence with the ultimate goal of extending not just how long people live, but how long they live in good health. 

Presenter: Elizabeth Robinson

 “There are increasing concerns that continued economic growth in high-income countries might not be environmentally sustainable, socially beneficial, or economically achievable”. This is the first sentence of an article entitled Post-growth: the science of wellbeing within planetary boundaries published in 2025 in the medical journal Lancet Planetary Health.  In this lecture, we will walk through the article and discuss the findings reported. NB: it is not necessary to have read it in advance to attend the lecture! 

Presenter: Raymond Stern

There were significant differences between Ancient Greek and Roman architecture, from the buildings to the contrasting cultures and social values which became expressed in stone. The Ancient Greeks sought sublimity in design; the Ancient Romans strove for an expression of power. Each had three basic design concepts, which explain their priorities. These periods greatly affected all walks of life, particularly that taken by architecture, and still affect us today. This lecture will have a dynamic image-driven format. 

Presenter: J.D.M. Stewart 

This talk will be about Canada's significant prime ministers, beginning with Sir John A. Macdonald and concluding with Mark Carney. Drawing on insights from his 2025 book The Prime Ministers: Canada's Leaders and the Nation They Shaped, Stewart will lay out not only the achievements of leaders such as Wilfrid Laurier, William Lyon Mackenzie King and Lester B. Pearson, but also prime ministers’ failings, the imprint their decisions left on our country, and the way they are remembered by Canadians today. 

Presenter:  Russell Chapman   

Count Harry Graf Kessler (1868-1937) lived a remarkable life. His diaries record the intellectual, historical, and artistic events of the times. He spends time with Auguste Rodin, Vaslav Nijinsky, Sergei Diaghilev. Kessler works on a Nietzsche archive and planned monument, collaborates on The Rosenkavalier, is patron to artists, meets with imprisoned Polish leader Jozef Pilsudski just prior to his release in 1918. This is a remarkable record of La Belle Époque, World War I, and post-war tumult in Germany. 

Presenter:  Mark G. Peacock  

Brutal warfare plagued 17th century north-eastern North America and 18th century Napoleonic Europe. Two very different contexts produced two lasting peace agreements. Firstly, the Great Peace of Montreal (1701) was the chef-d'oeuvre of New France’s Governor L-H de Callières. Through negotiation and compulsory mediation, it secured peace between 39 Indigenous nations and the French up to 1760. Secondly, the post-Napoleonic Congress of Vienna (1815) became a model for subsequent European peace summits. 

Presenter: Jean-Pierre Raymond   

The Dieppe Raid of 1942 remains highly contested: Some view it as a tragic, avoidable failure, while others argue it provided essential lessons for the Normandy landings. This lecture explores the debate through an engineer’s lens. 

Presenter: John Felvinci   

The Earth Magnetic Field shields all living things from harmful radiation from the Sun. The strength of the magnetic field depends on the unpredictable movements of the molten core of the Earth. During Earth’s history the magnetic field reversed many times, and on one occasion around 600 million years ago it nearly disappeared. The increase of radiation during the period may have caused genetic changes and thus affected evolution by enabling the development of multicellular organisms. 

Presenter: Michael Allen    

John von Neumann, a Hungarian polymath, sometimes called the smartest man of the 20th century, made major contributions to mathematics, physics, game theory, computers, and economics. Though less famous than Einstein or Oppenheimer, he shaped the Manhattan Project and laid the foundations of the digital age. We still live in his world. A bon vivant who loved fast cars, late-night parties, and loud music, he died still full of ideas. See: https://youtu.be/Oh31I1F2vds?si=UVd_OEUxc--BGDo0 (4 minutes).  

Presenter: Don Mikel 

In this beautifully illustrated lecture, based on his book, Canadian Architectural Styles: A Field Guide, Don Mikel will explain how architectural styles have developed in Canada over the last four centuries, from log houses and the buildings of New France, to Gothic Revival and Romanesque in the 19th-century, on to Art Deco, Internationalist and now Post-Modern. Don will explain how to recognize defining features, regional variations and historical influences, helping us better understand our built environment. 

Presenter: Paul Kuai-Yu Leong  

The late (40th) president of Uruguay, Jose "Pepe" Mujica, was the opposite of Donald Trump in terms of FRUGALITY, HUMILITY, PROGRESSIVENESS, PHILOSOPHICAL THINKING... He was an ex-guerrilla who spent 13+ harsh years in military captivity (where he used to speak with the ants to avoid craziness). Please see this BBC article: "Uruguay's Jose Mujica, world's 'Poorest president' dies" (2025.5.13) [ bbc.com/news/articles/c0j71402z58o], and come to discuss this unusual person. 

Presenter: Mark G. Peacock   

It has been said that there is a price to pay for peace. If so, what price can be morally and pragmatically justified? This lecture analyzes two different approaches. The first was engineered by German Chancellor Count Otto von Bismarck using war and intimidation (1864-1890). The second, through the WWI-ending Treaty of Versailles, had the victors use punishment of thev anquished as one means to establish long-lasting peace. Are there lessons to be learned for today’s highly conflicted world? 

Presenter: Robert Paris   

The lecturer will present new knowledge of the brain focused on research that concludes that the majority of us are unaware of our authentic personal stories. The lecturer will demonstrate the power of storytelling by telling his own genuine narrative and guide the group to become comfortable telling their own genuine stories. The lecturer will then relate the power of personal storytelling to self-leadership and fulfilment. 

Presenter: Sharon Harris   

Step into the world of Giovanni Puccini’s La Bohème and the turbulent life behind its music. This lecture delves into the passion, heartbreak, and creative genius of Puccini, revealing how his loves, losses, and recurring personal struggles shaped his greatest works. Explore the inspiration behind his unforgettable melodies, the Parisian world of the opera, and discover why La Bohème remains one of the most moving and enduring achievements in the operatic repertoire.

Presenter: Raymond Stern   

The breathtaking cave art from prehistoric times evokes awe. How did this major transition into becoming “human” come about? What do these symbols and animal images reveal about the ancestral mind? How was this large-scale, universal art produced? What are the theories to explain the development of this phenomenon? The integration of art and rock combined with anthropological and neurological content was unique and gives insights into the human need to make art.  This presentation will be image-driven. 

Presenters: Dale Bonnycastle and Debra Fisher 

Hearing loss is common in people over 65, but it often develops slowly and can be hard to recognize. This talk will explain what hearing loss is, how it affects everyday life and communication, and why it is often misunderstood. We will also share practical information about available services, hearing devices, and simple strategies that can make communication easier. 

Presenters: Eduardo Cabrera  

Among evolution's most effective tools, "repurposing" (known as “exaptation”) is perhaps one of the most fascinating and counterintuitive. It challenges our natural perception of things, which might lead us to believe that, since every part of our body seems so efficient, nature originally designed it that way. But we would be wrong. Let's examine the origin of the lungs and other essential parts of our anatomy to discover how nature excels at the art of repurposing. 

Presenters: Romano DeSantis and Giovanna DeSantis  

Drawing on the experience gained from moderating several study groups concerning AI (artificial intelligence) — Introduction to Digital Art, From Creative Writing to Visual Art and Back, How Can AI Chatbots Help Lifelong Learners?, and Creative and Mundane Writing with AI Chatbots — this lecture will present concrete examples of how AI tools can support and enrich the learning experience of retired adults. 

Presenters: John Felvinci  

This lecture follows the unusual lives of the Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian (482-565) and his wife Theodora (490/500-548). Their rise from poverty to great power is exceptional. We will describe Justinian’s achievement in reconstituting the Roman Empire, his building program, his legal code and the plague which occurred during his reign. Some of the sources used include the controversial three books by Procopius, their contemporary.  

Presenters: Michael Moore

1995: In my initial involvement, I used artificial intelligence (AI) in simulations and in 3D spatial “walkthroughs”. Fast forward to 2025: I probed and practised the constructive use of AI in writing research; at the same time, as an educator, I was concerned about AI confusion. This lecture will provide a comparative review of state-of-the-art of current AI delivery vehicles and provide an update of what might come next. I will present visual examples of a variety of AI applications and challenges. 

Presenters: Alana Gowdy

Created after the 1066 Battle of Hastings, the Bayeux Tapestry has survived nearly a thousand years, enduring war, political upheaval, and the many hazards of history. This remarkable artifact remains one of our greatest cultural treasures. In 2026, it will once again draw international attention when France lends it to the British Museum — its first return to England since the 11th century. Join us to explore the tapestry’s extraordinary survival and the long, improbable journey that brought it to the present day.  

Presenters: Jean-Denis Gingras and Philip Ehrensaft 

The Genesis Paradox consists of balancing the immense promise of the biotech revolution with existential risks. Biotech simultaneously creates something wonderful but also inherent contradictions and dangers. Plus, biotech is inherently dual use: civilian benefits, and high impact military applications. 

Presenters: Robert N. Wilkins

From the burning of the Canadian Parliament Buildings in Youville Square, to the ominous threat of annexation to the USA, to the violent municipal election madness of 1851, to the Great Fire of July 1852 that lamentably destroyed nearly a quarter of the town, to the bloody Gavazzi Riot of 1853, this five-year period dramatically pushed Montreal to the breaking point. Not to be missed!!