News
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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
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Wide distribution of opioid antidote kits can slash overdose deaths during epidemics
April 18, 2018
British Columbia’s Take Home Naloxone program significantly reduced the number of fentanyl-related overdose deaths in 2016, according to new research from the BC Centre for Disease Control and University of British Columbia. The study, published in the Lancet Public Health, used a new… read more
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What’s in a niche? Time to rethink microbial ecology, say researchers
April 16, 2018
Scientists in Canada, the United States and Europe are looking to rewrite the textbook on microbial ecology, advocating a new approach to studying the most abundant form of life on Earth. When it comes to microbe species, they argue, niche is much more important than names. "Traditional ecology… read more
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Student-centred science classes flourishing at UBC, despite slow adoption across North America
April 9, 2018
A new study in Science is highlighting the University of British Columbia's success in adopting student-centred teaching in science classes. The analysis of more than 2,000 classes at colleges and universities across North America found that 55 per cent of science classes continue to be dominated… read more
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UBC and BCIT launch Western Canada's first degree in forensic sciences
March 29, 2018
UBC and BCIT are teaming up to train B.C.’s next generation of forensic scientists. Future graduates of the new combined honours program will receive a bachelor of science in biochemistry and forensic science from UBC and BCIT. It will be the only program of its kind in Western Canada. … read more