News
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Scientists discover the heaviest neutron star, or lightest black hole, ever observed
June 23, 2020
An international team of astrophysicists, including researchers at UBC, have detected the ‘extremely loud’ merger of a black hole with a mystery compact object—the most asymmetric gravitational-wave source yet observed. GW190814, the merger of a heavy black hole with an… read more
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As many as six billion Earth-like planets in our galaxy, according to new estimates
June 16, 2020
There may be as many as one Earth-like planet for every five Sun-like stars in the Milky way Galaxy, according to new estimates by University of British Columbia astronomers using data from NASA’s Kepler mission. To be considered Earth-like, a planet must be rocky, roughly Earth-sized and… read more
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Hummingbirds see colours humans can only imagine
June 15, 2020
Thanks to a fourth retinal colour cone that can detect ultraviolet light, hummingbirds see an array of combination colours involving UV that humans are blind to, according to new research by Princeton and UBC zoologists. “Humans are colour-blind compared to birds and many other animals,… read more
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Recovery of sea otter populations yields more benefits than costs
June 10, 2020
Since their reintroduction to the Pacific coast in the 1970s, the sea otters’ rapid recovery and voracious appetite for tasty shellfish such as urchins, clams and crabs has brought them into conflict with coastal communities and fishers, who rely on the same valuable fisheries for food and… read more
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Statement in support of Black Lives Matter and #ShutDownSTEM
June 9, 2020
UBC Science stands in solidarity with the Black community. We support our colleagues around the world participating in #ShutDownSTEM on June 10, 2020, and like-minded actions across academia. Recent anti-Black, anti-Asian and anti-Indigenous violence and discrimination in communities across North… read more
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Amplifying BC’s COVID-19 testing capacity
June 3, 2020
Public health authorities around the world are facing a significant challenge: ensuring a large enough supply of reagents to scale-up diagnostic testing for COVID-19. Researchers at UBC, Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre at BC Cancer (GSC) and the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC)… read more
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Climate change an imminent threat to B.C.’s ‘living dinosaurs’
June 1, 2020
Warming ocean temperatures and acidification drastically reduce the skeletal strength and filter-feeding capacity of glass sponges, according to new UBC research. The findings, published in Scientific Reports, indicate that ongoing climate change could have serious, irreversible impacts on the… read more
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UBC seahorse expert wins world’s top animal conservation award
May 12, 2020
University of British Columbia marine biologist Amanda Vincent has won the 2020 Indianapolis Prize, the world’s foremost award for animal conservation, for her trailblazing work to protect seahorses and other marine life. The influential prize recognizes conservationists who have… read more
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UBC researchers establish new timeline for ancient magnetic field on Mars
May 1, 2020
Mars had a global magnetic field much earlier—and much later—in the planet's history than scientists have previously known. A planet’s global magnetic field arises from what scientists call a dynamo: a flow of molten metal within the planet’s core that produces an… read more
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Honey bees could help monitor fertility loss in insects due to climate change
April 27, 2020
New research from the University of British Columbia and North Carolina State University could help scientists track how climate change is impacting the birds and the bees… of honey bees. Heat can kill sperm cells across the animal kingdom, yet there are few ways to monitor the impact of… read more