The Blue Hour — July and August 2026 Schedule
The Blue Hour – Summer Conversations, July and August 2026
A live, in-studio interview series, at the University of British Columbia, featuring conversations this July 2026 on theoretical physics, museum practice, curatorial research, and Northwest Coast Indigenous art.
In August, the series turns first to energy and trade, followed by several weeks devoted to rock climbing, psychology, exercise, well-being, identity, and the relationship between indoor and outdoor climbing.
Tuesdays at 2 p.m.
Broadcast from CiTR 101.9 FM and streaming live at CiTR.ca
Tuesday, July 7
Dr. Philip Stamp
Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, UBC; Director, Pacific Institute of Theoretical Physics
Quantum mechanics, cosmology, and the conceptual foundations of modern physics, from the scientific revolution to unanswered questions at the frontiers of contemporary research.
Tuesday, July 14
Dr. Sonia Del Re
Senior Curator of Prints and Drawings, National Gallery of Canada
Prints, drawings, curatorial research, and the stewardship and interpretation of works on paper within a national collection.
Tuesday, July 21
Dr. Curtis Collins
Executive Director, Audain Art Museum, Whistler
Museum leadership, exhibitions, collecting, and the relationship between art historical research and curatorial practice.
Tuesday, July 28
Dr. Jennifer Kramer
Curator, Pacific Northwest, Museum of Anthropology, and Associate Professor of Anthropology, UBC
Northwest Coast Indigenous art, Nuxalk cultural knowledge, museum collections, and the evolving relationships between museums and Indigenous communities.
Tuesday, August 4
Dr. Werner Antweiler
Professor, UBC Sauder School of Business
Carbon pricing, electric vehicle adoption in Canada, and research on energy, trade, technology, and public policy.
Tuesday, August 11
Sophie Alexander
Master’s student, University of Victoria
Rock climbing as a social intervention, with a focus on identity change, exercise, well-being, behaviour change, and how climbing may become part of a person’s everyday sense of self.
Tuesday, August 25
Federica Mingolla
Professional climber and alpine guide
Climbing, uncertainty and change, instinct and spontaneity, motherhood, ambition, and how our choices shape the way we live.
Thursday, August 27
Dr. Patrick Boudreau
Postdoctoral Fellow, Concordia University
Indoor and outdoor climbing, adventure recreation, nature-based physical activity, flow, performance, and the psychological differences between climbing environments.
Recent past interviews, podcasts, and selected transcripts can be found on The hour is blue blog.
For more interviews, transcripts, and information about The Blue Hour, visit The Blue Hour on CiTR 101.9 FM.
From years past, episodes of The Blue Hour:
Dr. Andrew H. Wallace — History / Heracleion and the Ancient World
Listen hereDr. Shari Forbes — Forensic Science / Taphonomy
Listen here