Bridging Academia and Everyday Life

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Climate change is happening right now, and it's a Bad Thing. It's pushing us into uncharted territory for humans — but not for Earth. Throughout its history, our planet has undergone radical transformations far beyond anything humanity has ever experienced. This talk explores the different climates Earth has experienced across billions of years — from a frigid, completely frozen Snowball Earth, through the ice-age cycles of the last few million years, to a hot and wet super-greenhouse, and whether a runaway greenhouse could ultimately end life on our planet. Every Sip Smarter talk includes a 45-minute talk followed by an open Q&A over drinks.

Speaker

Dr. Colin Goldblatt, Ph.D.

Professor, School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria · Former NASA Ames Fellow

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Canada’s foremost popular military historian breaks down WWII combat at 19 — over drinks. On August 7, 1944, Private Charles “Chic” Goodman spent his 18th birthday advancing across an open battlefield in Normandy. He had lied about his age at 16 to join the army, and thousands of Canadian teenagers did the same. What was it like to face combat at nineteen? While some returned carrying deep physical and psychological scars, roughly 23,000 never came home. Join Order of Canada historian Mark Zuehlke to explore the raw, intimate stories of the young generation who went to war and came back indelibly marked. Every Sip Smarter talk includes a 45-minute talk followed by an open Q&A over drinks.

Speaker

Mark Zuehlke, C.M.

Member of the Order of Canada · Author, Canadian Battle Series

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When crime happens, most people ask: Who did it? Why did they do it? But what if we also asked: Why here? Research shows that crime doesn't randomly occur—it concentrates at a few places. Places are key to creating or reducing opportunities for crime. This talk explores everyday people behind the places and how they can help prevent crime.

Speaker

Dr. Shannon Linning

Associate Professor, School of Criminology, Simon Fraser University

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Tired of counting calories? Join UBC behavioural scientist Dr. Yann Cornil over drinks to discover why culinary pleasure is actually healthier than willpower. We’ll explore how brain chemistry, modern food marketing, and mindful enjoyment shape what we crave—and why embracing pleasure might be the secret to eating better.

Speaker

Dr. Yann Cornil

Division Chair & Associate Professor, Marketing and Behavioural Science Division | Alumni Professorship in Marketing, UBC Sauder School of Business

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The Pope in a puffer jacket wasn’t real. Neither was the video of Trump dressed as the Pope. You’ve probably seen a dozen more deepfakes without realizing it—and the technology behind them is only getting harder to catch. UBC historian who advises governments on digital policy walks us through how we got here, why the old rules for spotting fakes no longer work, and what public policy and everyday citizens can actually do about the explosion of AI-generated media. Followed by an open audience Q&A.

Speaker

Prof. Heidi Tworek

UBC — History & School of Public Policy and Global Affairs; Canada Research Chair; Director of the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions

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Explore the wild, tangled history of alcohol, altered consciousness, and artistic genius with art historian and curator Dr. Adrienne Fast—from ancient Greek symposia to 19th-century Parisian absinthe culture. Followed by open audience Q&A.

Speaker

Dr. Adrienne Fast

Curator, art historian, and arts worker, currently at the Vancouver Art Gallery

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Humans are eager to communicate with animals and understand what they are thinking. Yet so often, we miss their signals, misinterpret their behaviours, and ask entirely the wrong questions about animal cognition. A Langara psychologist and animal cognition researcher walks us through what field and lab work with great apes and urban wildlife reveal about cross-species communication—from sign-language-trained chimps and rehabilitated orangutans in Borneo, to how Vancouverites interact with our notorious local crows and companion pets at home. Followed by an open audience Q&A.

Speaker

Dr. Laura Adams

Langara College — Department of Psychology; Researcher in Animal Cognition, Behaviour & Human-Animal Interactions

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Why has religion become so closely intertwined with political power in contemporary America? In an increasingly unpredictable world, charismatic Christianity, Christian nationalism, and prophetic politics offer an undeniable sense of order, certainty, and control. Looking at how figures like Donald Trump court religious communities by offering political certainty in exchange for their loyalty, Dr. Michael Wilkinson examines the transactional nature of modern faith and politics: “Give me your faith, and I will give you what you want politically.” This talk explores whether the promise of political certainty can ever resolve our deepest anxieties and divisions—or if it inevitably deepens them.

Speaker

Dr. Michael Wilkinson

Dean of Humanities & Social Sciences, Professor of Sociology, Trinity Western University

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