What do you see in your energy future? To explore the future of energy, FES is offering seventeen events as part of our Science Odyssey planning. From experiments to storytimes to explorations of the exciting research experts are pioneering at the University of Alberta, there's something for everyone: every interest and every age group.
Some events are happening live, and you'll need to register for them to attend. Registration information is provided below.
Register here to attend any of our four live Science Odyssey events. Live events will take place on Zoom.
Don't miss out on reserving your spot!
| Event | Date and Time | Registration |
| Become an Earth Doctor | Tuesday, May 4 5:00-6:00 EST 3:00-4:00 MST |
Reserve your spot |
| How Big Is My Carbon Footprint? | Wednesday, May 5 7:00-8:00 EST 5:00-6:00 MST |
Reserve your spot |
| Become an Earth Doctor | Wednesday, May 12 7:00-8:00 EST 5:00-6:00 MST |
Reserve your spot |
| Become an Earth Doctor | Thursday, May 13 8:00-9:00 EST 6:00-7:00 MST |
Reserve your spot |
Do you want to be an Earth Doctor? Explore the steps of land reclamation with land reclamation scientists from Future Energy Systems and the Land Reclamation International Graduate School, University of Alberta.
By playing along with the Dungeons and Dragons style game, you will face the challenges of land reclamation and try to heal the Earth yourself.
This session is recommended for children age 11 to 15 and families, however everyone is welcome. The supplies you will need are: blank paper, pencil/pen, a dice (or random number generator).
We, as individuals, contribute towards global greenhouse gas emissions. Knowing how to measure your individual emissions, or footprint as it is sometimes called, is the first step towards managing and ultimately reducing it. In this project, you will join Dr. Neelakshi Joshi from the Urban Environment Observatory, University of Alberta, and explore ways of calculating our carbon footprint using an online tool and discuss ways of reducing it.
The aim of the project is for participants to experience some of the possibilities and challenges of reducing individual GHG footprints.
Many of our events will be offered in a pre-recorded format, to ensure your Science Odyssey is always ready when you're available. Check out our programming below!
Let’s explore solar energy with Future Energy Systems. In this series of clips, you will join Future Energy Systems’ Outreach Coordinator, Valerie Miller to learn the basics of solar energy, complete a craft to remind you of the power of the sun and then try and cook with it. If you want to stay around longer, you can meet two researchers who study how to explore and develop solar materials. Are you ready?
Premiering 1 May at 12:00-12:30 MST!
When we think of a future energy system or the energy transition, we may not think about oil and guess. Yet oil and gas have an important role in the energy transition. In this video, you will join Future Energy Systems’ Outreach Coordinator, Valerie Miller, as she introduces you to four researchers studying oil and gas, finding ways to reduce its impact and better understand it.
Premiering 2 May at 17:00-17:30 MST!
How many times a day do we turn on the lights or plug in our phones and computers? Most of us use electricity everyday, but how much do we know about it? In this series of videos, you will join Future Energy Systems’ Outreach Coordinator, Valerie Miller, to explore electricity and circuits through a series of experiments you can try at home.
Premiering 3 May at 16:00-16:30 MST!
Do you love to garden? Or watch the lawn come alive with grass and flowers as the weather warms up? None of this would be possible without plants. Plants are all around us and play an important role in our lives. In this series of videos, you will join Future Energy Systems’ Outreach Coordinator, Valerie Miller, to learn about the importance of plants, how to test how well the seeds grow and learn about growing without soil.
Premiering 6 May at 16:00-16:30 MST!
What do bacteria have to do with the energy transition? Meet the humble methanotrophs - this bacteria eats methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Methane has a global warming potential 25 times greater than carbon dioxide. In this series of videos, you will join Future Energy Systems’ Outreach Coordinator, Valerie Miller, to meet two researchers working with methanotrophs and head to the lab.
Premiering 7 May at 16:00-16:30 MST!
When we talk about the energy transition, what do you think about? Oil and gas technology, renewable energy? What about the people? People play a huge role in the energy transition. In this series of clips, you will meet four Future Energy Systems researchers who are studying energy and society.
Premiering 9 May at 17:00-17:30 MST!
When you think of a healthy Earth, what do you see? Animals, plants, clean water, the shining sun. And people. Yet many things that humans do can harm the Earth which is why we need land reclamation. In this series of videos, you will join Future Energy Systems’ Outreach Coordinator, Valerie Miller, to explore the basics of land reclamation, meet a researcher who is working in a peatland and then head to the lab to explore one way to clean up contaminants.
Premiering 10 May at 16:00-16:30 MST!
Energy. Climate change. The economy and environment. The future. All topics that make us ask so many questions. In this video, guided by Future Energy Systems’ Outreach Coordinator, Valerie Miller, we have a series of questions submitted by students in Grade 4 to 6 and answers by some of our researchers. So sit back and get ready to have your energy questions answered.
Premiering 11 May at 16:00-16:30 MST!
Do you consider yourself an expert in energy sources? What about sustainability? Well it’s time to test your knowledge! In this video, you will join Future Energy Systems’ Outreach Coordinator, Valerie Miller, as she guides you through the common sources of energy and you need to decide if it’s renewable or not. Then we will join members of the University of Alberta’s Sustain SU to test our sustainability knowledge.
Premiering 12 May at 16:00-16:30 MST!
Energy is all around us. From electrical energy which can turn on our lights to the chemical energy in the food we eat. But here we are going to explore thermal energy, the energy associated with a change in temperature. In this video, you will join Future Energy Systems’ Outreach Coordinator, Valerie Miller, to learn about thermal energy and visit a lab to explore Stirling Engines, a heat engine with potential use in geothermal energy. You can also try some heat energy experiments at home.
Premiering 14 May at 16:00-16:30 MST!
How many vehicles do you see everyday? Cars, trucks, vans, jeeps - the list is endless. In this series of videos, you will join Future Energy Systems’ Outreach Coordinator, Valerie Miller, to learn about efficiency and why it matters from the University of Alberta EcoCar team, learn how to build a car with some at home materials and meet a researcher who is studying how to reduce the environmental impacts of cars.
Premiering 15 May at 12:00-12:30 MST!
When you see food waste, what do you see? What about plants or agricultural waste? Well these researchers would probably see biofuels! Biofuels are fuels made from biomass, once living material. In this series of videos, you will join Future Energy Systems’ Outreach Coordinator, Valerie Miller, to meet three researchers looking at biofuels in different ways and with one of them, head to the lab.
Premiering 15 May at 16:00-16:30 MST!
In this video, you will join Future Energy Systems’ Outreach Coordinator, Valerie Miller, as she introduces you to four Future Energy Systems researchers who are studying energy and the economy, from the cost of energy in the NWT, getting biojet fuel off the ground, use of tax-refund policies to encourage habitat restoration and life cycle analysis of land reclamation strategies.
Premiering 16 May at 12:00-12:30 MST!
With so much to learn, there's always another adventure to take in your Science Odyssey!