Movie Night: Hidden Figures

Fall movie nights return with Hidden Figures, the incredible story inspired by three brilliant African-American women whose groundbreaking work in math and engineering paved the way for the first American astronaut to orbit the planet. Set against the backdrop of the civil rights movement and the space race, this powerful film sheds light on the people who transformed history and science behind the scenes.

Stick around after the film to learn more about the history of the space race and what space research looks like today in a special conversation moderated by CBC journalist Nicole Mortillaro.

Filming and Photography Notice

RCIScience will be filming and photographing this event. By attending, you consent to the use of your image and likeness being used in promotional materials.

Please let us know if you do not wish to be photographed or filmed.

Cancellation Policy

If you are feeling unwell on the day of the event or have had a recent exposure to COVID-19, please cancel your ticket on Eventbrite or contact us so that it may be allocated to the waitlist.

About the Speakers

MODERATOR Nicole Mortillaro is an author, an award-winning science reporter with CBC News, and an amateur astronomer.

Adaeze Loretta Ibik is a final-year Ph.D. candidate in Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Toronto, Canada. Originally from Eastern Nigeria, she began her academic journey with a bachelor's and master's in physics from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Before starting her PhD, she spent five years teaching Physics and leading outreach programs aimed at inspiring young minds in Africa.

Her passion for astronomy ignited during her undergraduate years when she joined an amateur astronomy club and attended the Pan-African School for Emerging Astronomers (PASEA) in 2013 where she is now one of the instructors. This experience sparked her love for both science and science communication till date.

Her Ph.D. research focuses on studying bright cosmic explosions such as fast radio bursts and luminous supernovae, using telescope data to uncover their origins and characteristics. Alongside her research, she is actively involved in outreach programs to make science more accessible to all and to inspire future generations of scientists across Africa and Canada.

Professor Ellen Abrams is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology. Her research examines how different forms of mathematical knowledge are created, why they matter, and who gets to participate. She is currently working on a book project about mathematics and masculinity in the early-twentieth-century United States. Her interests also include global histories of data and data-based knowledges.