News
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Shark-bitten orcas in the Northeastern Pacific could be a new population of killer whale
March 15, 2024
UBC researchers believe a group of killer whales observed hunting marine mammals including sperm whales, as well as a sea turtle, in the open ocean off California and Oregon could be a new population. Based on available evidence, the researchers posit in a new study published in Aquatic Mammals… read more
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Government investments set to boost new quantum materials facility at UBC
March 13, 2024
Government funding announced today will help advance UBC research into quantum materials, biopolymer synthesis, CO2 conversion, nearshore marine conservation, rural healthcare diagnostics, RNA vaccines, and additional critical areas. The $17 million in funding to UBC Science researchers&mdash… read more
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New CRCs focus on human health
March 13, 2024
Five new Canada Research Chairs (CRC) are joining UBC Science, with foci that span gene therapies, air pollution policy, natural product derivatives, applying new computational approaches to the experimental sciences, and microbiota health. Three Chairs within the Faculty have also been renewed. … read more
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Researchers uncover source rocks of the first real continents
January 31, 2024
Geoscientists have uncovered a missing link in the enigmatic story of how the continents developed—a revised origin story that doesn’t require the start of plate tectonics or any external factor to explain their formation. Instead, the findings published last week in Nature… read more
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How to conduct scientific research with Indigenous Peoples and Lands in a good way
January 16, 2024
In the name of “research,” science has often harmed Indigenous Peoples around the world. How can researchers ensure they are conducting their scientific work in a good way, that serves the Indigenous Peoples involved and does not burden Indigenous scholars? In a comment published in… read more
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ChatGPT has read almost the whole internet. That hasn't solved its diversity issues
January 11, 2024
AI language models are booming. The current frontrunner is ChatGPT, which can do everything from taking a bar exam, to creating an HR policy, to writing a movie script. But it and other models still can’t reason like a human. In this Q&A, Dr. Vered Shwartz (she/her), assistant professor… read more
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Need for speed: How hummingbirds switch mental gears in flight
January 10, 2024
Hummingbirds use two distinct sensory strategies to control their flight, depending on whether they’re hovering or in forward motion, according to new research by University of British Columbia (UBC) zoologists. “When in forward fight, hummingbirds rely on what we call an &lsquo… read more
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Toxic chemicals found in oil spills and wildfire smoke detected in killer whales
December 19, 2023
Toxic chemicals produced from oil emissions and wildfire smoke have been found in muscle and liver samples from Southern Resident killer whales and Bigg’s killer whales. A study published today in Scientific Reports is the first to find polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in orcas off… read more
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Dr. Jeremy Heyl appointed head, Physics and Astronomy
December 14, 2023
Dr. Jeremy Heyl, a leading expert on the dynamics of neutron stars and black holes, has been appointed head of UBC’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. His term begins January 1, 2024. The department is one of the largest and most diverse physics and astronomy units in Canada, teaching… read more
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All-woman crew of marine scientists rowing 5,000 km non-stop for ocean conservation
December 7, 2023
Four marine scientists are rowing 5,000 kilometres across the Atlantic to raise half a million dollars for ocean conservation. The all-woman ‘Salty Science’ crew is taking part in the World’s Toughest Row - Atlantic 2023, where teams row without stopping and without support from… read more