News and Events
Who's most likely to be swept away?
Posted:December 1, 2008
If you think the person most likely to be involved in an avalanche this winter will be a young hot-dogger who doesn't know any better, think again.
Maternal exposure to folic acid antagonists increases risks
Posted:December 1, 2008
Exposure to folic acid antagonists during pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of placenta-mediated adverse outcomes such as preeclampsia, placental abruption, fetal growth restriction or fetal death reports a retrospective cohort study published in CMAJ http://www.cmaj.ca/press/pg1263.pdf.
Canada has world's most advanced microscope
Posted:October 20, 2008
The most advanced and powerful electron microscope on the planet—capable of unprecedented resolution—has been installed in the new Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy at McMaster University. The lead researcher, Gianluigi Botton says it's like having a Hubble telescope for looking at things at the atomic level.
Canadian instrument detects falling snow on Mars
Posted:September 29, 2008
A Canadian-designed and manufactured laser instrument aboard the Mars lander has detected snow from clouds about 4 kilometers above the surface. Data show the snow vaporizing before reaching the ground. Canada's York University professor Jim Whiteway, the lead scientist for the Meteorological Station onboard the Phoenix Mars lander says, "Nothing like this view has ever been seen on Mars. We'll be looking for signs that the snow may even reach the ground." Read an interview with Jim Whiteway at the Canadian Space Agency website.
Oldest known rock on Earth discovered
Posted:September 26, 2008
Canadian bedrock more than 4 billion years old may be the oldest known section of the Earth's early crust.
NASA data show Arctic saw fastest August sea ice retreat on record
Posted:September 26, 2008
Following a record-breaking season of arctic sea ice decline in 2007, NASA scientists have kept a close watch on the 2008 melt season. Although the melt season did not break the record for ice loss, NASA data are showing that for a four-week period in August 2008, sea ice melted faster during that period than ever before.
When healing turns to scarring: Research reveals why it happens and how to stop it
Posted:September 18, 2008
For the first time, research from The University of Western Ontario has revealed the mechanisms involved in the origin of scarring or fibrotic diseases, as well as a way to control it. The study, led by Andrew Leask of the CIHR Group in Skeletal Development and Remodeling, is published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Canadian Scientists find first pregnant turtle fossil and eggs
Posted:August 27, 2008
A 75-million-year-old fossil of a pregnant turtle and a nest of fossilized eggs that were discovered in the badlands of southeastern Alberta by scientists and staff from the University of Calgary and the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology are yielding new ideas on the evolution of egg-laying and reproduction in turtles and tortoises. It is the first time the fossil of a pregnant turtle has been found and the description of this discovery was published today in the British journal Biology Letters. The mother carrying the eggs was found near Medicine Hat in 1999 by Tyrrell staff while the nest of eggs was discovered in 2005 by U of Calgary scientist Darla Zelenitsky.
Mucous breakthrough in mice holds promise for cystic fibrosis
Posted:July 29, 2008
A London, Canada scientist studying cystic fibrosis (CF) has successfully corrected the defect which causes the overproduction of intestinal mucous in mice. This discovery by Dr. Richard Rozmahel, a scientist with the Lawson Health Research Institute, affiliated with The University of Western Ontario, has clear implications to understanding and treating this facet of the disease in humans. CF is a fatal, genetic disease characterized by an overproduction of mucous in the lungs and digestive system. More about CF on our page about Lap Chee Tsui.
Researchers find key to saving the world's lakes
Posted:July 21, 2008
After completing one of the longest running experiments ever done on a lake, researchers from the University of Alberta, University of Minnesota and the Freshwater Institute, contend that nitrogen control, in which the European Union and many other jurisdictions around the world are investing millions of dollars, is not effective and in fact, may actually increase the problem of cultural eutrophication. It turns out that phosphate may be more likely to cause the problem. Visit the Experimental Lakes Project.
In unique stellar laboratory, Einstein's theory passes strict, new test
Posted:July 3, 2008
Taking advantage of a unique cosmic configuration, astronomers have measured an effect predicted by Albert Einstein's theory of General Relativity in the extremely strong gravity of a pair of superdense neutron stars. Essentially, the famed physicist's 93-year-old theory passed yet another test.
Asteroid-hunting satellite a world first
Posted:June 26, 2008
Canada is building the world's first space telescope designed to detect and track asteroids as well as satellites. Called NEOSSat (Near Earth Object Surveillance Satellite), this spacecraft will provide a significant improvement in surveillance of asteroids that pose a collision hazard with Earth and innovative technologies for tracking satellites in orbit high above our planet.
UBC physicists develop 'impossible' technique to study and develop superconductors
Posted:June 23, 2008
A team of University of British Columbia researchers has developed a technique that controls the number of electrons on the surface of high-temperature superconductors, a procedure considered impossible for the past two decades.
New discovery proves 'selfish gene' exists
Posted:June 20, 2008
A new discovery by a scientist from The University of Western Ontario provides conclusive evidence which supports decades-old evolutionary doctrines long accepted as fact.
Identifying Canadian freshwater fish through DNA barcodes
Posted:June 18, 2008
New research by Canadian scientists, led by Nicolas Hubert at the Université Laval in Québec and published in this week's PLoS ONE brings some good news for those interested in the conservation of a number of highly-endangered species of Canadian fish.
Aging brains do become wiser
Posted:June 12, 2008
A University of Alberta researcher in collaboration with researchers from Duke University has proven that wisdom really does come with age, at least when it comes to your emotions.
Save $1 billion and 800 lives
Posted:June 11, 2008
The economic burden of alcohol abuse costs each Canadian $463 per year. In fact, the direct health care costs for alcohol abuse in Canada exceed those of cancer. Released today by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), the Avoidable Cost of Alcohol Abuse in Canada 2002 report estimates that, even under very conservative assumptions, implementing six reviewed interventions would result in cost savings of about $1 billion per year and a savings of about 800 lives, close to 26,000 years of life lost to premature death and more than 88,000 acute care hospital days in Canada per year. This pioneering study is Canada's first systematic estimate of the avoidable costs of alcohol abuse, and the first study of its kind worldwide.
Siminovitch and Taylor inducted into hall of fame
Posted:April 21, 2008
Louis Siminovitch and Richard Taylor are inducted into the Canadian Science and Engineering Hall of Fame on April 24, 2008. Siminovitch is a Canadian research pioneer in human genetics of muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis. Taylor won the Nobel prize in 1990 for verifying the quark theory.
Vogt Day 2008 at UBC
Posted:March 28, 2008
On Sunday, May 4, 2008, a symposium will be held to honour Erich Vogt at UBC's Hebb Theatre, featuring talks by Physics Nobel Laureates and leaders in Canadian science & technology, with a reception to follow. Vogt is one of the giants of Canadian science, having served as (among other things) a founder and later Director of the TRIUMF accelerator laboratory, as UBC's Vice President for Faculty and Student Affairs and as the first chair of the Science Council of B.C. Vogt played a leading role in the development of Science World BC, the Vancouver Institute and the B.C. Cancer Foundation. However, perhaps his greatest contribution was four decades of teaching first year Physics to enthralled students at UBC. Everyone is welcome. For details, and to RSVP online, visit http://vogt.physics.ubc.ca.
New Canadian robot arm added to space station
Posted:March 18, 2008
Astronauts on the space shuttle Endeavor have completed the assembly of a giant Canadian robot arm called Dextre outside the International Space Station. They attached a 1.5 m metal boom to its front for holding equipment and tools. The robot’s 3 m arms will be used for experiments and for maintenance of the space station. The astronauts added a holder for three tools under the 3,400-pound robot’s right arm and a pan-and-tilt color camera on its body so operators can observe its work. The $209 million robot, which has passed initial operating tests, will be attached to the station’s Destiny laboratory module. More at the Wikipedia entry on Dextre.