News
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Recycling may be confusing but volunteers help get it right
June 13, 2018
Trained volunteers at large-scale public events and festivals are the most effective way to ensure people recycle correctly, suggests new UBC research. Researchers used data from the annual Apple Festival, held at the UBC Botanical Garden and attended by more than 10,000 people, to compare the… read more
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One company owns half the patents for genes from marine species
June 6, 2018
A single corporation has registered nearly half of all existing patents associated with genes from marine organisms, according to a new study. Researchers from the University of British Columbia and the Stockholm Resilience Centre examined the patents associated with marine species and found that… read more
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Hey Alexa: Amazon’s virtual assistant becomes a personal assistant to software developers
May 24, 2018
UBC computer scientists have turned Amazon Alexa into a tool for software engineers, tasking the virtual assistant to take care of mundane programming tasks, helping increase productivity and speed up workflow. Software engineers use many different tools for any one project. They work with… read more
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Three UBC physicists receive national honours
May 15, 2018
The Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) awarded medals to three UBC physicists today, recognizing their work in quantum materials, particle physics, and theoretical high energy physics. It’s the largest number of CAP medal recipients the University has enjoyed in any one year. Andrea… read more
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437 million tonnes of fish, $560 billion wasted due to destructive fishing operations
May 15, 2018
Industrial fisheries that rely on bottom trawling wasted 437 million tonnes of fish and missed out on $560 billion in revenue over the past 65 years, new UBC research has found. The study, carried out by UBC’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries (IOF), documents the growth of bottom… read more
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New environmental assessment law is an opportunity to put public trust back into the process: UBC researchers
May 11, 2018
A new study by UBC researchers offers insights on how to improve environmental assessment reviews. The research examined the conclusions of 10 recent assessments for major projects in B.C., including the Northern Gateway pipeline, and found that while environmental thresholds were often surpassed,… read more
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UBC researchers track the ultrafast emergence of superconductivity
May 10, 2018
UBC researchers have captured an unprecedented glimpse into the birth of high-temperature superconductivity in cuprates, settling a scientific debate and uncovering new avenues to explore the potential of other unconventional superconductors. For this study, researchers studied cuprate… read more
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Genetics help make a weed a weed
May 8, 2018
New University of British Columbia research finds that the success of weedy and invasive plants like the Jerusalem artichoke lies in their genes. The tasty tubers, or root vegetables, of the Jerusalem artichoke may make for a nice side dish, but the plant is considered a major invasive species… read more
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Mission to Mars: UBC professor part of NASA team launching lander this week
May 4, 2018
Media can watch live coverage of the Mars InSight landing alongside a member of NASA’s research team at UBC Vancouver. Monday, November 26 at 11 AM. NASA plans to launch its Mars InSight lander from California on May 5 and UBC professor Catherine Johnson will be there in… read more
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Texas A&M physicist appointed dean of UBC Science
May 4, 2018
U.S. physicist Meigan Aronson will take on the leadership of the UBC Faculty of Science this fall. Currently Dean of the Texas A&M College of Science, Aronson succeeds Simon M Peacock, who has served as Dean of Science at UBC since 2006. She will begin her five-year term between July 1 and… read more