News
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Quantum mechanics runs hot in a cold plasma: UBC research
March 14, 2018
University of British Columbia researchers have found a new system that could help yield ‘warmer’ quantum technologies. Quantum technologies such as quantum computers have the potential to process information much more quickly and powerfully than conventional computers. That prospect… read more
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UBC researchers invent new method to create self-tinting windows
March 8, 2018
UBC chemistry researchers have developed a simple, cost-effective technique for making smart windows that could lead the way for wide-scale adoption of this energy-saving technology. Smart windows conserve building energy by switching from clear to tinted, dynamically controlling heat and light… read more
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UBC, partners launch groundwater monitoring project in Northeast BC
March 7, 2018
Thirty new groundwater monitoring wells will be installed across the Peace Region in northeast B.C. as part of a collaboration between UBC researchers, the BC Oil and Gas Commission, Geoscience BC, Simon Fraser University, and the University of Calgary. “The Commission oversees the… read more
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How a common virus might trigger multiple sclerosis
February 23, 2018
UBC immunologist Marc Steven Horwitz investigates how viruses can induce complex diseases like diabetes and lupus. Now he’s studying a cat and mouse game—how a common virus might be related to the onset of multiple sclerosis (MS). What is Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) and how common is it?… read more
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Evolution—and skill—help hefty hummingbirds stay spry
February 8, 2018
Evolved differences in muscle power and wing size—along with a touch of skill—govern hummingbirds’ inflight agility, according to new research in Science. The findings by University of British Columbia biologists show that larger species of hummingbirds, despite their increased… read more
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Viruses-lots of them-are falling from the sky
February 6, 2018
An astonishing number of viruses are circulating around the Earth’s atmosphere – and falling from it – according to new research from scientists in Canada, Spain and the U.S. The study marks the first time scientists have quantified the viruses being swept up from the Earth… read more
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UBC researchers use drones to track jellyfish blooms
February 5, 2018
Jellyfish blooms are becoming more widespread and scientists are looking for ways to understand them better, including their impact on species like salmon that compete with them for food sources. Now, researchers at the University of British Columbia have enlisted aerial drones to track these… read more
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Ecohydrologist wins award for young faculty members
January 31, 2018
UBC water sustainability expert Mark Johnson has been awarded the university’s Charles A. McDowell award for excellence in pure or applied scientific research by a young faculty member. Johnson holds a Canada Research Chair in Ecohydrology, his research seeks to develop more… read more
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Warming climate shrinks B.C. beetles
January 30, 2018
Some of B.C.’s beetles are shrinking as their habitats get warmer, according to new UBC research. The study provides evidence that climate change is affecting the size of organisms. “In nature, there is so much going on that can affect body size so we weren’t sure we were going… read more
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Mammals and birds could have best shot at surviving climate change
January 29, 2018
New research that analyzed more than 270 million years of data on animals shows that mammals and birds – both warm-blooded animals – may have a better chance of evolving and adapting to the Earth’s rapidly changing climate than their cold-blooded peers, reptiles and amphibians. … read more