#5 Nerd Nite Hamilton – 8th January, 2024
Talk #1: The Personality Landscape & the Search for Meaning
What is human personality and why does it matter? I address this question in my talk by introducing the audience to some of the big ideas in contemporary personality psychology. I begin by reviewing what is arguably the most widely researched model of personality in all of psychology, the Big Five, along with the related notion of “personality traits.” Through a series of vignettes, I demonstrate some useful ways of thinking about personality traits and how these exist in our everyday lives. Backed by scientific research and clinical experience, this talk aims to highlight the importance of knowing one’s personality type in leading a meaningful life.
Speaker Info: Dr. Garri Hovhannisyan, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist in supervised practice at the Centre for Interpersonal Relationships and the Centre for Psychology and Emotional Health in downtown Toronto. Garri provides adult individual and couples psychotherapy services and psychological assessments for a wide range of difficulties. Garri’s clinical approach is grounded in the existential, humanistic, and psychoanalytic traditions, and his research is on the relationship between human personality and perception. You can learn more about Garri and his work in the world of psychology by visiting his webpage here: https://garrihovha.ca/
Talk #2: Feelings, Nothing More Than Feelings? Why Sensation Matters in an Age of Symbols
In our youth, we are taught to hold reason above ‘base’ visceral urges. As adults, we can paradoxically find ourselves feeling numb and joyless, languishing when to the outside eye we ought to content and happy. It seems like the modern understanding of mental life is missing a critical ingredient for happiness- the role of sensation in promoting mental balance. In this presentation, Prof. Farb will discuss a series of studies that recast feeling depressed as a state of sensory deactivation. Conversely, many evidence-based therapies including mindfulness training and cognitive therapy, appear to promote sensory engagement. This evidence raises the question: does a mature curriculum for living include practices in sense foraging and toggling between sensory and conceptual modes of being?
Speaker Info: Norman Farb, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto Mississauga, where he directs the Regulatory and Affective Dynamics laboratory (www.radlab.zone). He studies the psychology of well-being, focusing on mental habits, such as how we think about ourselves and interpret our emotions. He is particularly interested in why people differ in their resilience to stress, depression, and anxiety. Prof. Farb’s work currently explores online training to support wellbeing, as well as neuroimaging to understand how emotional reactions predict wellbeing across the lifespan.
Talk #3: Electric Power Grids: Facts, Myths and Sustainability.
Understanding the requirements of a power grid and its infrastructure. What are the sources of our
electrical power supplies and are they sustainable, clean and renewable. How electricity is actual made in abundance to supply a city’s needs and when demand goes up. Including the role of Ontario’s GA (Global Adjustment) policy to help supplement power demands. Energy recovery usage from prime power off grid facilities.
Speaker Info: Aurel Carina has a degree in Engineering from McMaster University, in addition to holding two professional journeymen licenses; mechanical and EPG (electric power generation). Aurel has worked in the energy sectors for approximately 30 years. He started his career on oil platforms and in various roles worldwide, until he took a role with the local Caterpillar dealership, (where he was a technical instructor). Throughout the last 15 years, he has been involved with the Power Systems group, where he has been installing, commissioning and maintaining electric power systems in both commercial marine, and land base.
#4 Nerd Nite Hamilton – 11th December, 2023
Talk #1: Breathing Like Crap: A No-Nonsense Guide to Fixing Your Respiratory Mess
Do you know if you breathe properly? Spoiler alert… you’re probably doing it wrong! Learn about the power of your breath with Orthopedic & Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist, Nicole Smith. From dribbling with a sneeze to chronic low back pain, learn how your breathing mechanics are the foundation of how well your body moves and feels.
Speaker Info: Nicole Smith is a Registered Physiotherapist with a demonstrated history of working in the health, wellness, and fitness industry, and additional training in Pelvic Health Physiotherapy. With an extensive background in Yoga and Mindfulness, Nicole is committed to providing holistic patient-centred care with an emphasis on functional movement, self-empowerment and healthful living. With her Master’s of Science in Physiotherapy (McMaster University) and Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology (University of Florida), you will be sure to gain a wealth of mind-body knowledge!
Talk #2: What a Mess… Striving to Untie the Knot of Structural Injustice
Many recent discussions on issues of injustice within social and political philosophy accept the claim that structural injustice is a serious threat to the pursuit of social equity. The more complex the systems and institutions that organize our societies become, the more nuanced and collaborative our approach to rectifying these injustices must be. This is thanks to the fact that injustice produced by structures is a result of collective participation within these structures. So where do we start? How do we start? Emerging theories for how we might understand the nature of this form of injustice (as well as our resulting responsibility to remedy it) have made many notable strides. But the question remains: how do we, as individuals, practically engage with a problem as complex and messy as this one? How do we become part of the solution, rather than contributing to the problem? I discuss some practical and integrative approaches for how we might set ourselves up for success when striving to work with others to untie the knot that is structural injustice.
Speaker Info: Alana Jolly is a doctoral candidate in social and political philosophy at McMaster University. Her research focuses on social justice issues, particularly structural injustice. She studies the nature of this form of injustice, how we might understand our political responsibility to address it, as well as the foundational changes we should consider making to support individuals as they endeavor to fulfill this shared responsibility.
Talk #3: Returning to Eden? A Psychological Exploration of Creation Myths
It’s easy to make fun of ancient cultures for believing in myths that clearly never happened. But what if believing in myths means something different? Myths should not be interpreted as though they literally occurred, but to see whether they point to some deeper truth about the world or human nature. Depth psychology, and Jungian psychology in particular, offers a framework for making sense of myths that does not depend on believing in them literally. In this talk, Alex Rose will provide a very brief introduction to this framework, and then use it to share a few depth psychological interpretations of the story of Adam and Eve’s Fall in the Garden of Eden.
Speaker Info: Alex Rose is a graduate student at the University of Toronto who has always been fascinated by world mythology. He is currently studying philosophy of science and cognitive science. He is interested in how agency arises from the way organisms interact with their environments, and how that applies to our social lives. He was formerly a reporter and podcaster with the Canadian Jewish News.
#3 Nerd Nite Hamilton – 13th November, 2023
Talk #1: Energy is a Place Description
The electricity we use every day comes from specific places — the remote hydroelectric dams of Quebec, the nuclear plants on the shore of the Great Lakes, gas-burning peaker plants — and paying attention to those places can be instructive as we think through transitioning away from fossil fuels. This talk traces the electrical grids in Ontario and Quebec, considering how our energy regimes have been shaped by our cultural values. Also, I will try to convince you that it’s a good idea to drive out into the middle of nowhere and visit power plants (or at least visit McMaster’s nuclear reactor).
Speaker Info: Hillary Predko, MES is a writer and researcher who is interested in infrastructure and society. Her work covers energy, waste, manufacturing, and industrial policy. She is the deputy general manager of Scope of Work (www.scopeofwork.net) and co-author of Extracting Reconciliation: Indigenous Lands, (In)human Wastes, and Colonial Reckoning with Dr. Myra Hird.
Talk #2: Tripping on nothing: How much of the psychedelic experience is caused by the placebo effect?
Can you have a psychedelic experience from a placebo alone? Are the benefits of microdosing mostly placebo effects? This talk will describe the first study focusing on placebo psychedelics, in which our team set up an elaborate (but fake) psychedelic party. Using confederates, security guards, a dozen research assistants, and deception techniques used by magicians, we convinced university students that the placebo pills they consumed actually contained a psychedelic drug. The majority of participants reported experiencing effects of the drug, including seeing paintings on the wall move on their own, feeling lighter or heavier in the head, and being unable to understand words or speak. These findings can help explain the effects of microdosing, inform psychedelic study design, and demonstrate the power of suggestion.
Speaker Info: Dr. Jay Olson is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto Mississauga. He studies a range of topics across psychology and medicine including smartphone addiction, placebo effects, sleep, creativity, and psychedelic drugs. He did his previous graduate and postdoctoral training at McGill University and Harvard University.
Talk #3: Moral Injury: An Existential Wound and Crisis of Meaning Description
Moral injury describes the set of psychological symptoms resulting from traumatic experiences that violate one’s moral presuppositions (e.g., anger, guilt, and shame). Such disruption occurs when an individual encounters information from the environment that cannot be reconciled with the fundamental beliefs about the world (e.g., that the world and the self are fundamentally good). Towards this end, we will consider moral injury as a form of “Existential Wound” leading to a disruption in one’s ability to make sense (or meaning) of the world. We will present two case studies from our pilot work, which examines moral injury in first responders and victims of torture. Our argument will adapt the writings of existential philosophers such as Kierkegaard, and current computational models (can be removed if you don’t think it’s appropriate), to understand and overcome moral injury.
Speaker Info: Konstantinos Xanthios is a doctoral candidate in Developmental Psychology and Education. He is based at a lab within University of Toronto, and studies progress in the science of wisdom. His research focuses on using qualitative methods of investigating theoretical change across wisdom research traditions. Pouria Saffaran is a doctoral candidate in Developmental Psychology and Education, and is interested in investigating the impacts of PTSD and moral injury on individuals’ fundamental beliefs about the world.
#2 Nerd Nite Hamilton – 16th October, 2023
Nerd Nite Hamilton is back this October with a Halloween treat! We have 4 incredible talks lined up, exploring local history, famous ghostly (Hamilton) encounters, cutting-edge research on bats, and what neuroscience says about the benefits of horror movies for our mental health.
Talk #1: Spirits Having Stayed: Lost Between Cootes Paradise and Eternal Paradise
Tonight, I will cover a few brief stories on well-documented hauntings around Dundas – and some not so well-known. I have always been fascinated with ghosts, spirits, spectres, or whatever you want to call them in the afterlife for as long as I can remember. My family’s history is checkered with spooky experiences, including a few of my own. Throughout my twenty-four years living in Dundas, I have picked up a few Valley Town ghost tales, but I really went full-speed in 2000, when I was asked to conduct my very first Ghost Walk and Scavenger Haunt for the Dundas Museum & Archives. By the conclusion of those Walks on Halloween night 2000 (with a full moon and everything!), I had a whole casketful of stories! Tonight, I will enlighten you all about a few of these souls caught between Cootes and Eternal Paradise and perhaps after tonight, you will be encouraged to go spectre-seeking yourself – unless they find you first!
Speaker Info: Stan Nowak is a co-founder, first and current President of the Dundas Valley Historical Society and has lived in Dundas with wife Sally since 1999. Stan has also served on the Dundas Community Council as Heritage Rep since 2006 and has written contributions to nine books on Dundas heritage. Stan is also strongly opposed to the proposed development slated for 71 Main Street and would like to sincerely thank all who are involved in this battle for the preservation of our small-town ambience!
Talk #2: Horror Movies Can Be Good For Your Mental Health
Starting from new views of brain function, I will explore a few of the many reasons why we might be attracted to horrifying materials (e.g. books, movies, games, etc.). The answer turns out to be complex – with some forms of attraction leading to significant benefits for agents like us, while others are less adaptive and even potentially dangerous. Casting a light on the computational mechanisms underlying our experience of, and attraction to, horror can help tease apart these varying modes of attraction, and so help us better understand the value and dangers of horror.
Speaker Info: Mark Miller, Ph.D. is a philosopher and cognitive scientist. His research explores what recent advances in neuroscience can tell us about happiness and well-being, and what it means to live well in our increasingly technologically-mediated world. Mark is currently the senior research fellow at Monash University’s Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies, and a research fellow in the Psychology Department at the University of Toronto.
Talk #3: Haunted Hamilton
History, Ghosts & Haunted Places, Mobsters, Murderers & Femme-Fatales… HAMILTON has it ALL! Stephanie “Spooky Steph” Dumbreck will share some of Hamilton’s most famous haunted places. She will also share what it was like to spend the night at the Lizzie Borden house, stand in front of the infamous Amityville house, and even take bus loads of paranormal enthusiasts on overnight bus trips to haunted places all across America including jails, asylums and old forts! We will then open the floor for personal ghost stories and experiences.
Speaker Info: Stephanie “Spooky Steph” Lechiak is Founder & Owner of Haunted Hamilton, a strangely unique business that has operated Haunted Tours and Bus Trips to spooky locations all over Canada and the US for the past 17 years. Stephanie has devoted her career to educating, enthralling and entertaining guests young and old in all aspects of the paranormal. An Award-Winning Columnist (urbanicity magazine), an avid history enthusiast, Paranormal Investigator, TV personality, Radio Show Host, Event Planner, artist, and most of all, “Spooky Steph” (as she’s known to her fans) is just a girl devoted to exploring the unknown in search of that missing piece… why are we all here and where do we go after we die?
Talk #4: Development of Hearing and Echolocation in Bats
Did you know that bats are the world’s only flying mammals and that female bats give birth to live young and nurse their pups with milk, just like humans? Come see what baby bats look like at birth and how pups grow, develop, learn how to fly, and echolocate. Also learn how the hearing develops so pups can use echolocation to orient and find food. Enjoy a presentation by Paul Faure, a professor from McMaster University, who studies bats and founded Canada’s first and only captive breeding colony of bats for research
Speaker Info: Paul Faure Ph.D. is a neuroethologist. His research interests are in animal bioacoustics (echolocation calls and other vocalizations ), neural mechanisms of hearing (electrophysiology) and acoustically-evoked behaviour (e.g. acoustic startle response), and integrative physiology (i.e. hormones and reproduction, cutaneous wound healing).
Event takes place 7-9pm at Shawn & Eds Brewery Co. As always it will be pay-what-you-can at the door, with all money going to our local Routes Youth Centre. Be there and be square!
#1 Nerd Nite Hamilton – 11th September, 2023
Nerd Nite Hamilton is proud to announce our inaugural show, featuring 3 absolutely amazing talks by researchers who not only lead their field of study, but who are bloody interesting human beings. Get ready to learn about the nature of your experience, how future technologies might help (rather than destroy us), and how to live a more meaningful life. Be there and be square!
Talk #1: You’re Hallucinating All The Time, Now What?
Have you ever wondered how our perception of reality can sometimes play tricks on us? In this talk, Mark Miller will explore what the latest theories in computational neuroscience tell us about how our brains construct the world around us – and what the hell we are supposed to do about the fact that we are always hallucinating our reality!
Speaker Info: Mark Miller, Ph.D. is a philosopher and cognitive scientist. His research explores what recent advances in neuroscience can tell us about happiness and well-being, and what it means to live well in our increasingly technologically-mediated world. Mark is currently the senior research fellow at Monash University’s Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies, and a research fellow in the Psychology Department at the University of Toronto.
Talk #2: Tech’s New Frontier: Your Space Transformed
Imagine your home as not just walls and furniture, but a dynamic world of smart possibilities. Ambient Smart Environments (ASEs) are places where smart tech isn’t just a gadget – it’s woven into the very fabric of your surroundings, creating seamless, invisible interactions that anticipate your needs. In this talk Ben White will explore some of the expected dangers and unexpected benefits of ASEs. Brace yourself for a mind-bending journey where tech transforms not just your space, but how you navigate life itself.
Speaker Info: Ben White is a a Leverhulme-funded doctoral candidate at the University of Sussex (UK), where his research will focus on neuroscience and digital technology.
Talk #3: Navigating The Meaning Crisis
Join us for a thought-provoking journey as world renowned cognitive scientist John Vervaeke delves into ‘The Meaning Crisis.’ In this captivating talk, Vervaeke unpacks his groundbreaking ideas that explore the challenges our modern world faces in finding and cultivating deep meaning in life. Drawing from psychology, philosophy, and cognitive science, he’ll illuminate the reasons behind the crisis and guide us toward a deeper understanding of how to navigate the complexities of meaning, purpose, and fulfillment. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain new insights into the fundamental questions that shape our existence.
Speaker Info: John Vervaeke, Ph.D. is an award-winning lecturer at the University of Toronto in Psychology, Cognitive Science and Buddhist Psychology. His academic interests include wisdom, mindfulness, meditation, relevance realization, general intelligence, and rationality. He is the author of Awakening from the Meaning Crisis Youtube series and co-author of Zombies in Western Culture: A 21st Century Crisis.
Event takes place 7-9pm at Shawn & Eds Brewery Co. As always it will be pay-what-you-can at the door, with all money going to our local Routes Youth Centre. Be there and be square!