Will touching a toad give you warts? What is a polar vortex? How will Canada’s climate change in the next five years? When will the next comet fly by Earth?
These questions and more can be answered when York University hosts the Curiosity Shop, a booth where students, staff, faculty and members of the general public can stop by and ask the research questions they’ve always wanted to have answered, which in turn may be selected by an Ontario researcher and may be posted on the Curiosity Shop website.
The Curiosity Shop will be located in the Scott Library Atrium on Wednesday, March 26 from 10am to 2 pm. It’s part of the Research Matters campaign by the Council of Ontario Universities. Research Matters is a public outreach initiative that explores how Ontario university research affects everyday life and improves the way people live, work and play.
“Members of the York community are welcome to stop by the Curiosity Shop, share their research question on the Post-it wall and have their photo taken,” said Robert Haché, York’s vice-president research & innovation. “York University has two student ambassadors who have been helping with the Research Matters campaign. They will be onsite to help facilitate this project.”
Research questions can also be submitted online for consideration. To learn more about the Curiosity Shop or browse the responses to research questions that have been asked by others throughout the campaign, visit the Curiosity Shop website. The Curiosity Shop has travelled across the province and has been hosted at various universities and public events.