Joseph Wilson is currently working towards a doctorate at the University of Toronto in the Department of Anthropology, Linguistic and Semiotic stream. His work examines how scientists use metaphor and other figurative language to communicate with one another in laboratory settings. His forthcoming book Humans of AI: Understanding the People Behind the Machines, is slated for release by U of T Press in Spring 2025.
He has written about science, culture, and education for CBC Parents, Anthropology News, Babel: The Language Magazine, American Scientist, Betakit, NOW Magazine, The Globe & Mail, Toronto Star, and Spacing, and has co-authored three books. He has spoken on topics of education, anthropology, language and entrepreneurship at conferences across North America and appeared on CBC’s Metro Morning, CityTV’s Breakfast Television, the Space Network and CTV.
Joseph has worked widely in education as a high-school teacher with the TDSB, and as Director of Business Development at Spongelab Interactive. At the MaRS Discovery District he co-founded the Education Cluster, designed the Future Leaders educational series for youth and produced and hosted conferences such as 2011’s Art, Science and the Brain: Pathways to Creative Learning in the 21st Century. He has worked in exhibit and curriculum design for the Ontario Science Centre, The Royal Ontario Museum and the American Museum of Natural History, Rose Center for Earth and Space.
He co-founded The Treehouse Group in 2007 to produce multidisciplinary workshops and conferences. They produced Toronto’s first Mini Maker Faire in 2011, several Idea Exchange workshops, the Grown-Up Science Fair, and the monthly Treehouse Talks speaker series at the Toronto Public Library from 2013 to 2017.