Events happening Monday

BOOKS

Life After Man: Art in the Age of the Post-Human In a time of “Jeopardy”-playing robots, zombie TV shows and 2012 superstitions, the notion of life after humans seems to be a popular preoccupation. Michael Ondaatje, author of “Anil’s Ghost” and “The English Patient,” will discuss how his work continues the long tradition of the arts being a means of contemplating what it means to be human and to express oneself and what the implications of a posthuman world might be. An audience Q&A, book signing and reception will follow. Bovard Auditorium, USC, 3551 Trousdale Parkway, L.A. 7 p.m. Free. https://www.usc.edu.

EVENTS

Mysteries of the Dark Universe Here’s a quietly mind-blowing statement: Ninety-five percent of the universe is missing, cosmologists say, and most of the missing pieces are apparently made up of dark matter and dark energy. What’s that? We’re betting that physicist Edward W. “Rocky” Kolb can help explain. The scientist will discuss new experiments and other technologies that are attempting to better understand the vast unknown. Huntington Library, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. 7:30 p.m. Free. (626) 405-2100.

POP MUSIC

Living Things The political provocateurs from St. Louis unleash their distinctive brand of punky song craft and fierce social consciousness at the club formerly known as Spaceland. The close-knit quartet will showcase material from their latest release, “Malocchio.” Supported by Kids of 88 and Iceland’s Bloodgroup. Satellite, 1717 Silver Lake Blvd., Silver Lake. 8:30 p.m. Free. (323) 661-4380. https://www.thesatellitela.com.

Girl Talk Gregg Gillis’ project has long outlived the novelty of his conceit — mashing up 40 years of pop, rap and rock into a recontextualizing blizzard. It works because he’s a skilled DJ and because his ear is equally droll and omnivorous toward the joys of hearing Rihanna and Black Sabbath share a tune. Hollywood Palladium, 6215 Sunset Blvd., L.A. 8 p.m. $25. https://www.livenation.com.