Leif Fitzsimmons Frey — Hypnotism, mesmerism, magnetism

Hypnosis is a fascinating phenomenon that is also one of the first psychological topics to be studied using the scientific method. I will talk about different understandings of hypnosis throughout history, how it has been studied, and what it can be used for.

Bio: Leif is an amateur hypnotist, a tinkerer, a writer, and generally a universal dilettante. He organizes tabletop RPG games, does various theatre projects, and runs educational outreach for the U of A satellite-building club AlbertaSat. In his spare time, he pursues an undergraduate degree in mathematics, with a minor in psychology.

Amanda Jorgensen — Nineteen-Hundred Kids and Counting: Nature's Best Bug Moms

Help us decide the best mom of the insect world! From carrion meal-preps to days of twerking, the insect world is full of unique and devoted parenting strategies.

Bio: Amanda Jorgensen is the provincial entomologist for Alberta Agriculture. Amanda has been a professional bug nerd for the past 13 years, including a master's degree at the University of Alberta. When not working with bugs, learning about bugs, or making bug art, they are out in the natural world with their two dogs.

Instagram: @Amandalikesbugs

Svetlana Komarova — Beyond the Horizon: How Space Rewrites the Rules of the Human Body

This talk focuses on how the weightless void of space triggers a profound biological transformation, reshaping our bones and heart in ways we are only beginning to understand. By connecting a decade of research on microgravity, it argues that surviving the stars requires us to stop viewing our organs in isolation and start treating the body as an interconnected system.

Bio: Dr. Svetlana Komarova is Professor and Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Alberta, Canada. Dr. Komarova's research focuses on bone physiology, examining how mechanical and biological signals regulate bone cell function and how bone cells, in turn, shape both local and systemic environments. Her work integrates experimental models with computational approaches, including mathematical modeling and data-driven methods, to study the adaptation of skeletal system to complex environments.