Speaker Night – Dr John Percy, University of Toronto

October 28 Speaker Night: Prof. John Percy: Misconceptions about the Universe: From Everyday Life to the Big Bang

A misconception is a belief that is strongly held but actually incorrect. In this profusely illustrated, non-technical presentation, Prof. Percy will provide a gentle overview of astronomy by touching on a wide variety of common misconceptions from everyday life (e.g., the cause of the seasons), about our solar system, black holes, UFOs, and the Big Bang. Prof. Percy will emphasize the many causes of these misconceptions since these same causes are responsible for much of the other misinformation and “fake news” that is so rampant in today’s society.

Prof. Percy is an active Professor Emeritus in Astronomy & Astrophysics, and in Science Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE-UT). He was a founding faculty member of the University of Toronto Mississauga in 1967 and retired from there in 2007. His research deals with the nature and evolution of stars as deduced from variable stars, which change in brightness. He is a supervisor and mentor of undergraduate research students and is known internationally for encouraging and facilitating research in variable star astronomy by skilled amateur astronomers. Prof. Percy is deeply engaged in astronomy outreach: he gives courses for later-life learners and public lectures in libraries and other venues that explore the interdisciplinary nature of astronomy. He also promotes and supports the teaching of astronomy in schools. He was an inaugural recipient of the University of Toronto President’s Teaching Award in 2007 and the inaugural recipient of the Canadian Astronomical Society’s Qilak Award in 2012, for excellence in communicating astronomy in Canada. Prof. Percy served as RASC National President from 1978 to 1980 and RASC Honorary President from 2013 to 2017.