We loved talking science with award-winning science journalist Ziya Tong. She came to our office to share insight into her new bestselling book, The Reality Bubble, and how she infuses hope into her talks about the environment and the effects of climate change.
Ziya is best known as the co-host of Daily Planet, Discovery Canada’s flagship science program, which she anchored for a decade. She also recently participated in Canada Reads — CBC’s annual “battle of the books” as one of their five celebrity champions. After a national four-day debate, Ziya won for expertly defending Max Eisen’s By Chance Alone.
In her new book, Ziya illuminates the hidden world around us by exploring ten of humanity’s biggest blind spots — from where our food comes from to where our waste goes. Called “ground-breaking” and “wonder-filled”, The Reality Bubble has been compared to The Matrix!
“In the 21st century, there are cameras everywhere except where our food comes from, where our energy comes from, and where our waste goes. And I just thought that was really weird, because how did we get to become the most powerful species on earth when we don’t even know how we survive?”
Ziya is often called on by organizations to speak about the environment and how both individuals and companies can help turn around the effects of climate change. Her presentations are infused with optimism and hope, because even though these are dark times, we still have time to make big changes that will have an immediate impact on the health of our planet. Ziya calls her perspective a “doom and bloom” way of thinking.
“It’s called the reality bubble because everything looks okay. It’s kind of like being in a real estate bubble or being in a tech bubble or a stock bubble. It’s like ‘woo-hoo, good times’, but this is the Titanic and things are going to change and they’re going to change really quickly. So it’s very, very important — critical — to get out there and let people know how serious the situation is now while we still can do something, because we can.”
Ziya Tong brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm to the stage. She speaks on leadership, how to shift perspective, and the role of science and technology in society in her riveting and eye-opening talks.
Interested in learning more about Ziya and what she can bring to your next event? Email us at [email protected].