News
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35 new gravitational wave observations bring researchers closer to uncovering the secrets of how stars live and die
November 8, 2021
A global team of scientists, including researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC), have detected thirty-five new gravitational wave events, including colliding black holes and neutron stars. The new events, detailed in today’s paper, bring the total number of observed events to… read more
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Heatwaves like ‘the Blob’ could decrease role of ocean as carbon sink
October 28, 2021
Researchers have found the two-year heatwave known as ‘the Blob’ may have temporarily dampened the Pacific’s ‘biological pump,’ which shuttles carbon from the surface ocean to the deep sea where it can be stored for millennia. Canadian and European researchers, in… read more
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New paper lays out agenda for the next generation of biodiversity research
October 14, 2021
Weather and climate disasters in the United States have cost more than $100 billion this year, according to reports from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. British Columbia’s late June heat dome claimed between 500 and 600 lives—and the resulting wildfires will cost… read more
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No shortage of prey for southern resident killer whales in Canadian waters during summer
October 12, 2021
A popular belief that there are fewer Chinook salmon during the summer in Canadian waters for southern resident killer whales, compared to an abundance of fish for northern resident killer whales, has been debunked by a study led by scientists at the University of British Columbia. In a paper… read more
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Marine heatwaves could wipe out an extra six per cent of a country’s fish catches, costing millions their jobs
October 1, 2021
Extremely hot years will wipe out hundreds of thousands of tonnes of fish available for catch in a country’s waters in this century, on top of projected decreases to fish stocks from long-term climate change, a new UBC study projects. Researchers from the UBC Institute for the Oceans and… read more
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Astronomers uncover six massive galaxies that ‘died’ young
September 23, 2021
When the Universe was three billion years old, it experienced the most prolific period of star birth in its history. But when astronomers at the University of Massachusetts, UBC and the University of Toronto used NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array … read more
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New book pays homage to North America’s rivers, including the 'soul of BC'
September 22, 2021
Dr. Eric Taylor’s (PhD ‘89) research focuses on the evolution and conservation of freshwater fishes. The UBC zoologist is also an avid angler. His new book, Rivers Run Through Us: A Natural and Human History of Great Rivers of North America, weaves together the social and ecological… read more
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Coral reefs are 50% less able to provide food, jobs, and climate protection than in 1950s, putting millions at risk
September 17, 2021
The capacity of coral reefs to provide ecosystem services relied on by millions of people worldwide has declined by half since the 1950s, according to a new University of British Columbia-led study. The study offers the first comprehensive look at what climate change, overfishing, and habitat… read more
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Megaconstellations of satellites will cause most light pollution at 50 degrees latitude
September 13, 2021
The planned launch of thousands of communications satellites over the next few years is expected to have the most impact on our view of the night sky over many cities in Canada including Calgary, Regina, Vancouver and Winnipeg. Researchers at the University of Regina, UBC and University of… read more
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UBC launches new options in data, computational sciences
September 9, 2021
Undergraduate students at UBC Vancouver have two new options to pursue studies in data and computational science this fall with the launch of new minor and first-year cohort programs. UBC Vancouver’s new Data Science Minor is an interdisciplinary program offered jointly via the departments… read more