Free Science Events in Toronto for October 2016

The Business, Science and Technology Department of North York Central Library compiles a monthly calendar of free science and applied science events in Toronto. Applied science includes health, gardening, pets and food; all subjects found in the department's collection. Here is the October calendar (PDF).

October's highlights include:

October 2: Plant Exploration: The Search for Novel Floral Diversity – Spencer Barrett (University of Toronto) searches the world for novel flowers to understand their role in plant sexual reproduction.
October 19: Diabetes Without Limits – A discussion on diabetes with leading Sunnybrook experts.
October 23: Mosquitoes: How a Few Nasty Species Gave the Entire Family a Bad Name – This lecture will explore the beauty and behaviours of both "good" and "bad" species, with an emphasis on West Nile and Zika virus transmission.

Toronto Public Library also offers many free science and applied science events:

At the library, October's highlights include:

October 1: Harnessing Nature's Pharmacy, at Brentwood branch. Professor Kathi Hudak discusses an antiviral protein that protects plants and inhibits the replication of human retroviruses such as HIV.
October 6: The Science Behind Marijuana: The Good, the Bad and the Medicinal, at Dufferin/St. Clair branch. Ryerson professor Lesley Campbell talks about her research on marijuana and the underlying science.
October 20: Music Medicine: A New Frontier, at North York Central Library. Music and music therapy are powerful means to accomplish social and emotional effects in patients. But music can also act directly on the body, brain and mind to achieve results that are scientifically measurable. Learn more at this talk with scientist and musician Dr. Lee Bartel. This talk is part of The Cutting Edge series which explores new ideas at the intersection of health and technology.
October 24: Does Your Home Have Radon? at North York Central Library. Mainul Husain (Health Canada) and Bob Wood (past president of Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists) will explain the concern about radon in your home and workplace and what you can do about it.
October 27: Heritage Trees – Preserving Our Natural Roots, at Downsview branch. Edith George, Advisor to the Ontario Urban Forest Council, will explain the requirements that must be met in determining whether a tree is worthy of heritage tree recognition and how to help preserve them.