iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Tomorrow at 3:30 PM ET, we will live-stream this month's HQP Seminar with recent PhD graduate Dr. James Page! Tune in and hear about Page's work on antineutrino oscillations with the SNO+ experiment at SNOLAB! www.youtube.com/@mcdonaldinstitute/…

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

A huge thank you to everyone who participated in this year's McDonald Institute Annual Community Meeting on July 27-29. This photo was taken on the last day, so is missing quite a few people who had to leave early. Thanks also to the members of our community who participated remotely!

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

A few pictures of yesterday's solar eclipse, taken by McDonald Institute Education and Public Outreach Officer Nik Arora. Nik was heavily involved in coordinating the Queen's University outreach events for the total solar eclipse in 2024.

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SNOLAB @snolabscience.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

How do physicists track the elusive neutrino? The answer isn’t found easily and understanding this particle is one of the biggest questions in modern physics. Learn more about this global effort here: www.quantamagazine.org/how-physicis...

quantamagazine.org

How Physicists Track and Trap the Elusive Neutrino | Quanta Magazine

The hunt for these ghostly particles has required some of the most audacious experimental setups ever built.

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SNOLAB @snolabscience.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Join the Doran Planetarium on August 4th at 7PM for a public event titled “Dark Matter and the Magic Numbers of the Universe”. This event is presented by Dr. Jason Holt from TRIUMF and will include and 30-minute showing of the night sky with Dr. Hoi Cheu.

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Join us this afternoon at 3:30 PM ET on YouTube for this month's HQP Seminar, from Benjamin Davis-Purcell, PhD, (TRIUMF), who will be talking about his experience working as an NSERC Policy Analyst! www.youtube.com/@mcdonaldins...

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Carbon to Metal Coating Institute (C2MCI) @c2mci.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

The Summer of Science program with @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social & C2MCI is officially underway at Queen’s University! Our future scientists are having a blast learning how research is conducted and discoveries are made. ➡️ Learn more about the Summer of Science program: bit.ly/3RdP3i9

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Join us tonight at 5:30 PM in the Stirling Hall foyer at Queen's University to celebrate the installation of a new mixed-reality art installation by artists Will Morin and Quinn Hopkins, exploring the past, present and future of Anishinaabe knowledge and astroparticle physics research.

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Join us on Monday, July 27th at 7:50 PM for a free screening of Messengers, a new documentary on neutrino research by filmmaker Jeffrey Zablotny. The film explores three subterranean telescopes in Canada, Japan, and Antarctica mcdonaldinstitute.ca/events/screeni…

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Celebrate the unveiling of a new collaborative mixed-reality artwork by artists Will Morin and Quinn Hopkins, that explores the past, present, and future of Anishinaabe knowledge and astroparticle physics research. The event begins with a reception at 5:30 and artist talks at 6:15 PM.

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SNOLAB @snolabscience.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

At SNOLAB, we rely on large teams with technical expertise to make our experiments a reality. It was a pleasure to host Deputy Minister, David Wai from MCURES at our facility to learn about the big questions we are working to answer and to meet some of the people driving innovation in Ontario.

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SNOLAB @snolabscience.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Do you have strong leadership skills and want to help oversee projects that push forward some of the most sensitive science in the world? SNOLAB is hiring for a Project Manager! Find details and apply here: www.snolab.ca/wp-content/u...

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Freya Blekman @freyablekman.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

This is a big one: the #CMSPaper summarising all precise Higgs boson measurements on data collected in 2016, 2017 and 2018. We agree with the standard model prediction for the total number of Higgs bosons, within 5-6% those are still big uncertainties for particle physics) arxiv.org/abs/2602.18611

Higgs-y summary plot. It compares whether the Higgs particle indeed interacts more strongly with particles depending on the particle mass. If the dat is on the red diagonal line, it agrees with the standard model prediction

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SNOLAB @snolabscience.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Last week, SNOLAB welcomed over 20 undergraduate students from the Canadian Astroparticle Physics Summer School (CAPSS) that is hosted jointly with @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social. This week-long summer school introduces students to current topics in the field of astroparticle physics. 🧵[1/2]

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Viktor Zacek, who has been named the 2026 CAP-TRIUMF Vogt Medalist. Dr. Zacek is an internationally recognized leader in developing dark matter direct detection detectors, and leader of the PICASSO and PICO collaborations. cap.ca/programs/rec...

cap.ca

Canadian Association of Physicists Recognitions Recipients by Year

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Thursday, May 28th, Yilda Boukhtouchen, PhD Candidate at Queen's University, will discuss "ultraheavy” dark matter composites and their detection prospects. Tune in live on YouTube at 3:30 PM ET www.youtube.com/@mcdonaldinstitute/…

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

The Summer of Science enrichment program is now open for applications from high school and middle school students! Space is limited, and Applications are due May 20th, with Teacher letters of support due May 13th! Visit mcdonaldinstitute.ca/summer-of-scie… for details

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Tomorrow at 12:30 PM ET, Wenzer Qin (Flatiron Institute) will give a McDonald Institute Seminar on "Not-quite primordial black holes! Tune in live on YouTube at www.youtube.com/@mcdonaldinstitute/…

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

Today, at 12:30 PM ET! Anna Suliga (NYU) will be giving a McDonald Institute Seminar talking about new neutrino interactions and core-collapse supernovae. Streaming live on YouTube

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

Dr. Spencer Pitcher's Cave Memorial Lecture on Wednesday provided an excellent overview of the exciting advances and research opportunities in fusion energy. Thanks to all who attended!

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Thanks to everyone who came out to Astronomy on Tap last month! It was a blast, as always! Huge thanks to our delightful speakers, Jessie, Yilda, and Connor, and congrats to Jean-Marie on winning the science trivia! See you all again soon!

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

This Wednesday, March 4th, Learn about the latest advancements and opportunities in Fusion Energy at the 2026 Cave Memorial Lecture presented by Dr. Spencer Pitcher. Free for all ages, no registration required. mcdonaldinstitute.ca/events/cave-le…

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

On Wednesday, March 4th, Dr. Spencer Pitcher will present the Cave Memorial Lecture on fusion energy, how it works, and the future of fusion energy in Canada. Register for free before this event sells out! mcdonaldinstitute.ca/events/cave-le…

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Prof. Geoffrey Hinton delivered a fantastic talk on the future of Artificial Intelligence at the 2026 Ewan Lecture last week. The recording is now live on our YouTube channel here: youtu.be/M8RogoEDsQQ?si=TBfcHsDFIVt…

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

Don't miss this month's Astronomy on Tap! Featuring physics researchers from Queen's University and University of Toronto! Join us next Tuesday at 6:30 PM at The Mansion, Kingston, for an evening of exciting physics talks and science trivia!

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

This Thursday's Ewan Lecture with Prof. Geoffrey Hinton is completely sold out! Due to the overwhelming response to the event and several requests, we will be recording Dr. Hinton's talk and posting it to our YouTube channel after the event. Follow us for more upcoming events!

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

The deadline to apply for CAPSS 2026 has been extended to FEB 15th! The Canadian Astroparticle Physics Summer School is an amazing opportunity for undergrads that covers current topics in astroparticle physics. Includes detector training at Queen's & SNOLAB! mcdonaldinstitute.ca/capss

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DEAP-3600 @deap3600.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Big congrats to our colleague Cheyanne Monk on the Undergraduate HQP Excellence Award granted through the McDonald Institute’s HQP Excellence Awards (HExA) program, recognizing her contributions in research (DEAP-3600), community building and science communication! 🎉 @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social

Person in a blue lab coat kneels beside an open electronics cabinet packed with multicolored wires, wearing clear safety glasses and an orange hard hat labeled “CHEYANNE,” holding a connector and looking at the camera.

Portrait of a person with short brown hair and a small nose ring, wearing a black pinstriped blazer over a burgundy top and a green pendant necklace, smiling slightly against a plain light-gray background.

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

There's still space left for our CV and Cover letter writing workshop this week with Profs Stephen Sekula (@snolabscience.bsky.social) and Miriam Diamond (@utoronto.ca). Join us in person at Queen’s or virtually on Zoom.

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

Know someone who might enjoy working with astroparticle physicists? The McDonald Institute Cross-Disciplinary Internship is open to non-physics students in any Canadian Post-Secondary program and includes a $12,000 salary reimbursement. Apply now for the Summer 2026 term!

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

Prof. Geoffrey Hinton is coming to Kingston! Join us on Thursday, Jan 29th, for the 2026 Ewan Lecture at the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts. Tickets are free, but are limited! Register now! mcdonaldinstitute.ca/events/hinton

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

Applications are now open for CAPSS 2026! The Canadian Astroparticle Physics Summer School is a unique opportunity for undergraduate physics students to visit SNOLAB and learn from researchers at Queen's University. Visit mcdonaldinstitute.ca/capss for more information.

mcdonaldinstitute.ca

CAPSS 2026 - McDonald Institute

The Canadian Astroparticle Physics Summer School (CAPSS) is a 1 week undergraduate program introducing astroparticle physics topics.

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Dr. Eden Hennessey @dredenhennessey.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

Curious about the demographics of physicists in Canada? Us too! Read our newest publication in @cdnsciencepub.com @facetsjournal.bsky.social 📏⚛️🌈How is your organization supporting the increasingly diverse group of future physicists? #equityinphysics #womeninstem 👇

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 28/11/2025

Thanks to everyone who came out to Astronomy on Tap Kingston on Tuesday! Nic, Nick, and Nik enjoyed talking about their scientific and engineering endeavours. See you all at the next one in February!

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Tomorrow, Nov 25 at 6:30 PM at The Mansion, Astronomy on Tap Kingston edition featuring Nik Arora to talk to you about WHY WE EXIST AT ALL!? Along with Nick Swidinsky and Nic Moss of Queen's University for this fun-filled evening of physics, engineering and science trivia!!

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IceCube Neutrino Observatory @icecubeneutrino.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Upgrade Update #4 Last week, IceCubers moved the drill tower and operations structures into place! The location is over hole 87, which will be the first Upgrade hole. Read more➡️https://icecube.wisc.edu/news/icecube-gen2/2025/11/upgrade-update-4/ 📸: Delia Tosi, IceCube/NSF

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

Next Tuesday, Nov 25, It's NICKVEMBER with Nik Arora, Nick Swidinsky, and Nic Moss as your speakers for Astronomy on Tap. Three different perspectives on the science and engineering around the theoretical phenomenon of Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay and the SNO+ experiment!

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

Next Thursday, Nov 20, at 1:30 PM ET, Zachary Picker (Queen's) will give a McDonald Institute Seminar on a theory of dark matter as large objects like quark nuggets, Fermi balls, or primordial black holes, how they could be formed, and how we might go about detecting them.

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IceCube Neutrino Observatory @icecubeneutrino.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

📍Five planes arrived at the South Pole Station—many of the new arrivals were IceCubers! Our two new winterovers, Camille and Alicia, were welcomed out on the ice by outgoing winterovers, Joe and Ilya. Read more about week 44 ➡️ tinyurl.com/IceCubeWeek44 📸: Jennifer Wang, IceCube/NSF

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DEAP-3600 @deap3600.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

🛡️⚔️ Four knights of #darkmatter from Queen’s team joined McDonald Institute for #DarkMatterDay on the 8 Nov, hosting a booth on #DEAP3600 & future liquid argon detectors 🔦✨ Our contribution to a global outreach initiative. @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social @queensuresearch.bsky.social

Four members of the DEAP-3600 Queen’s group stand smiling behind a table at the McDonald Institute. The table displays electronic equipment used for demonstrations. Next to them is a DEAP-3600 poster, and two members are holding 3D-printed models of the detector used to explain dark matter research.

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

The Deadline for the HQP Excellence Awards is Nov 15th! Check out the award categories and apply now to be considered! Full details at McDonaldInstitute.ca/news/hexawards

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Carbon to Metal Coating Institute (C2MCI) @c2mci.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

In this episode of the #EDIICatalyst, Dr. Alexandra Pedersen (@mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social) and Heidi Penning join us to discuss the creation of inclusive and accessible research environments. ➡️ Listen now: bit.ly/47N5BSd #ChemSky

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

This Saturday, dark matter theorist Joe Bramante gives you the #DarkMatterDay you've been searching for! Discover how the very early universe could have created gigantic dark matter detectors! Followed by a dark matter science fair and tour of the Queen's Observatory! Info at McDonaldinstitute.ca

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 01/11/2025

Next Saturday, Nov 8th, Join Dr. Joe Bramante for Dark Matter Day! Learn about how supernovae can be used to detect dark matter! A science fair will be set up in Stirling Hall, and a tour of the Queen's Observatory! Free for all ages. More info at mcdonaldinstitute.ca

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

Adriana Bariego, a new member of the Queen's University Astroparticle Physics Theory group, is giving the McDonald Institute HQP Seminar tomorrow, Wednesday, 29th at 3:00 PM ET. Watch live on our YouTube, or visit our webpage for a link to join the Zoom.

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McDonald Institute @mcdonaldinstitute.bsky.social · 26/10/2025

This Wednesday afternoon, Oct 29th at 3:00 PM ET. Adriana Bariego will give the monthly McDonald Institute HQP Seminar, live on YouTube and Zoom. Check mcdonaldinstitute.ca for details.

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