On A Tangent

Why does the computing industry struggle with representing Canada’s diversity? In this episode, Dr. Preeti Raman, Computer Science professor and pedagogy researcher at TMU, highlights the critical issues surrounding the gender and diversity gap in computer science. It starts early – a lack of support or exposure to computing in grade school can leave women and underrepresented groups feeling unsupported in their career path, a trajectory commonly known as the "leaky pipeline." Leaning on her expertise in integrative analytics and care-centred pedagogies, she discusses why it is more critical than ever to make computer science accessible to all.

What is the diversity and gender gap? 1:38 | Why should we care about diversity? 3:10 | What does the data say? 4:12 | The “leaky pipeline” and its barriers 7:45 | How can we bridge the gap 15:22

While Indigenous Peoples can be considered the first scientists, the current Canadian curriculum is rooted in Euro-Western science, overlooking and excluding centuries of Indigenous Knowledges. In this episode, we sit down with Brooke Filsinger and Alacea Yerxa, two changemakers in the scientific and Indigenous community at TMU to learn about what decolonizing science education is and how they hope to change the system to include Indigenous perspectives.

What is Indigenous science? 2:55 | Inclusion, reconciliation, and decolonization: Indigenizing the Canadian Academy 6:22 | The future of Indigenous science education 11:23 | How they’re changing the system 12:51

Every year on the last Saturday of March, millions of people across the world turn off their lights for Earth Hour to raise awareness for the urgency of nature loss and climate change. But is ‘awareness’ enough? In this episode, we ask: Is it too late to change course? Are we headed towards environmental disaster? Whose responsibility is it to help save our planet? Our conversation with Dr. Bryan Koivisto takes an interesting approach as we explore this topic from different perspectives and consider how socio-economics, politics, and social media play a role in the mix. Bryan is an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biology and his research is in Organic-based Renewable Energy. He is also the Graduate Program Director for the Environmental Applied Science and Management Program and he is involved in mentorship in scientific discovery at the university.

What is Earth Hour? 3:10 | The Urgency of Climate Change 9:06 | Environmental Justice and Racialized Communities 11:01 | Can We Turn this Ship Around? 14:15 | Who’s Responsible: Individuals or Corporations? 16:31 | What We Can Do to Help 22:02

Every year on January 28th, Canada and many countries around the world participate in Data Privacy Day. On this day in 1981, the first legally binding international treaty dealing with privacy and data protection was signed. Today, we use the anniversary as an opportunity to bring forward discourse around the value of protecting personal privacy in our digital society. In this episode, Shadan Ghaffaripour, a PhD candidate in computer science, explains what data privacy is, why we should care, and how users and corporations can protect personal data. Shadan currently works in the Information and Computer Security lab under the supervision of Dr. Ali Miri and her research area is in privacy-preserving technologies.

What is data privacy and why should we care? 1:10 | How can users & corporations protect personal data? 7:30

As the world’s most popular drug, caffeine has been ritualized in daily routines all over the world. In this episode, Dr. Michael Olson chats about the effects of caffeine and its role in society. He also compares Canada’s coffee culture to what he observed while working and living in the UK. Dr. Olson studied Pharmacology in his PhD and is now a cell biologist and professor at Ryerson.

The Science of Caffeine 3:08 | Coffee Culture in Canada vs UK 13:39

By now, you’ve probably heard the hype surrounding Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Investors are profiting off the buzz of a “currency of the future” while corporations and governments are feeling pressure to acknowledge the growing technology. But do you really know what Bitcoin is and how it works? Computer Science alumna and blockchain expert Dr. Saeideh G. Motlagh gives us a crypto crash course with the rundown on Bitcoin and blockchain and what this means for the future of technology and finance.

Bitcoin Basics 02:00 | Blockchain Applications 08:28 | Are Cryptocurrencies the Currency of the Future? 12:40

Getting vaccinated is the first step to normalcy as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. While many people are more than eager to get vaxxed, others may feel hesitant due to misinformation, agendas, and conspiracies floating around. In this episode, Dr. Emily Agard, director of SciXchange at Ryerson, explains the science behind vaccines and busts COVID-19 vaccine misconceptions. Dr. Agard has her PhD in Immunology from the University of Toronto and now teaches immunology and advanced immunology at Ryerson.

How do Vaccines Work? 03:26 | Vaccines & Variants 10:06 | Busting COVID-19 Vaccine Misconceptions 13:04

How is good quality alcohol produced? Why do you get sleepy after a big meal? What is the science between pairing alcohol with foods? With a passion for distilling and a research focus on separation science and analytical chemistry, Dr. Eric Da Silva of the Department of Physics talks about the science of alcohol in time for the holiday season. Disclaimer: The information in today’s episode is strictly for educational purposes. When consuming alcohol, it is important to drink responsibly and in moderation.

About Dr. Da Silva’s Distillery 02:03 | Alcohol Production Process 3:14 | Why Big Meals Make You Sleepy 13:35 | Pairing Foods and Drinks 18:58