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Issues & Experts Archive > Education, Liberals, bio-terrorism and GMOs
Education, Liberals, bio-terrorism and GMOs
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Nov 12, 2003
Fictitious or factual math…It’s hard to know who’s math is fictitious or factual in the ongoing debate over whether B.C. school boards have extra money sitting in their coffers or not. Education Minister Christy Clark maintains B.C. school boards are crying poor while running one of the largest surpluses in recent memory. The president of the B.C. School Trustees Association (BSTA) says Clark’s math is fictitious — the so-called surplus, $50 million, is to cover an anticipated shortfall. Lee Southern, a limited term faculty member at SFU and BCSTA executive director, can comment further.
Low turnout for Liberals…The crowning of a new leader may be cause for celebration but many Liberal delegates are not registered for this weekend’s Toronto leadership convention, and that could result in the poorest turnout in history for any federal leadership event. SFU political scientist Patrick Smith can look at the impact a shoe-in leadership candidate like Paul Martin can have on a party and how low support at the convention is viewed among voters.
How okay are GMOs?…Genetically modified organisms and foods crop up in dinner and lab conversations a lot these days. A panel discussion about GMOs is also on the menu at an upcoming public forum connected to The Geee! In Genome exhibit at Science World. SFU award-winning author and bee researcher Mark Winston will be part of the panel discussion, helping to address questions such as, What are GMOs? How are they created? What foods in Canada contain them? What are their benefits? Their risks? Why have they created such a fuss in Europe? The panel discussion, part of a six part free forum series called The Gene Scene, takes place Wednesday, November 19 at Science World, 7 p.m. The traveling Geee! in Genome exhibit is a national show celebrating the 50th anniversary of the discovery of DNA.
Sculptures of mathematical proportions…Helaman Ferguson’s mathematical sculptures in stone and bronze celebrate ancient and modern mathematical discoveries, melding the universal languages of sculpture and math. He will bring them to SFU on Tuesday, November 18, when he gives a lecture on his creations, from initial concept and mathematical design to computer graphics, diamond cutting and final form. Ferguson is an internationally known sculptor and mathematician, whose algorithm has been listed as one of the top ten in the 20th century. His lecture is at 3:30 p.m. room AQ 3149. His sculpture exhibit will be in the south sciences complex room P8493.
- Lee Southern, 604.268.6858, lee_southern@sfu.ca
Low turnout for Liberals…The crowning of a new leader may be cause for celebration but many Liberal delegates are not registered for this weekend’s Toronto leadership convention, and that could result in the poorest turnout in history for any federal leadership event. SFU political scientist Patrick Smith can look at the impact a shoe-in leadership candidate like Paul Martin can have on a party and how low support at the convention is viewed among voters.
- Patrick Smith, 604.291.1544; patrick_smith@sfu.ca
How okay are GMOs?…Genetically modified organisms and foods crop up in dinner and lab conversations a lot these days. A panel discussion about GMOs is also on the menu at an upcoming public forum connected to The Geee! In Genome exhibit at Science World. SFU award-winning author and bee researcher Mark Winston will be part of the panel discussion, helping to address questions such as, What are GMOs? How are they created? What foods in Canada contain them? What are their benefits? Their risks? Why have they created such a fuss in Europe? The panel discussion, part of a six part free forum series called The Gene Scene, takes place Wednesday, November 19 at Science World, 7 p.m. The traveling Geee! in Genome exhibit is a national show celebrating the 50th anniversary of the discovery of DNA.
- Mark Winston, 604.291.4459, mark_winston@sfu.ca
Sculptures of mathematical proportions…Helaman Ferguson’s mathematical sculptures in stone and bronze celebrate ancient and modern mathematical discoveries, melding the universal languages of sculpture and math. He will bring them to SFU on Tuesday, November 18, when he gives a lecture on his creations, from initial concept and mathematical design to computer graphics, diamond cutting and final form. Ferguson is an internationally known sculptor and mathematician, whose algorithm has been listed as one of the top ten in the 20th century. His lecture is at 3:30 p.m. room AQ 3149. His sculpture exhibit will be in the south sciences complex room P8493.
- Jen Chang, centre for experimental and constructive math, 604.291.5615