The Royal Canadian Institute for the Advancement of Science (RCI) has kicked off 2014 with a bang.

The RCI is hosting two upcoming lectures in partnership with the RASC Toronto and the RASC Mississauga Centres.

Here are the details:

Date/Time: February 9, 3 pm

Lecture: Dr. Peter Brown, Western University, explores the hazards of small asteroids. All eyes are on Russia’s Sochi Olympics, but this time last year, we watched stunning footage of a damaging meteorite strike in Chelyabinsk, reminding us of the dangers of living in a cluttered solar system. Explore what scientists learned from this event and what we know about the risk of future Earth impacts. Presented in partnership with the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Toronto Centre.

Location: JJR Macleod Auditorium, 1 Kings College Circle, University of Toronto

Date/Time: Thursday, March 6, 7:30 PM

Lecture: Dr. Ray Jayawardhana, University of Toronto explores the shadowy world of neutrino hunters. These scientists search for elusive particles that do not interact with normal matter but which may hold the key to many astrophysical puzzles, including why antimatter is rare, what our universe was shortly after the big bang, and what goes on deep inside our planet. Presented in partnership with the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Mississauga Centre.

Location: Noel Ryan Auditorium, Mississauga Central Library, 301 Burhamthorpe Rd

For a complete list of free public talks, please visit www.royalcanadianinstitute.org