News
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New Canadian telescope will map largest volume of space ever surveyed
September 7, 2017
A Canadian effort to build one of the most innovative radio telescopes in the world will open the universe to a new dimension of scientific study. The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science, today installed the final piece of this new radio telescope, which will act as a time machine… read more
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Two UBC Science researchers elected to Royal Society of Canada
September 7, 2017
The Royal Society of Canada has elected 89 new Fellows, including a UBC physicist and a chemist. Astronomer and astrophysicist Gary Hinshaw is an expert in cosmology and cosmic background radiation. His work at UBC focuses on exploring the large scale properties of the Universe: its origin,… read more
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Award-winning teaching prof appointed AD Academic at UBC Science
September 1, 2017
Sara Harris—a 2015 3M National Teaching Fellow and professor of teaching at UBC—has been appointed Associate Dean Academic, effective September 1, 2017. "Sara is one of Canada's very best teachers, and has been an outstanding educational leader at UBC," said Dean Simon Peacock in… read more
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Incoming UBC Science students receive Canada’s largest STEM scholarship
August 23, 2017
First-year UBC Science students Miranda Andersen and Andrew Tong have been named Schulich Leader Scholars. They were among 1,300 nominees across Canada vying for 50 scholarships, valued at up to $100,000 each. Andersen, 18, is a recipient of a $80,000 scholarship. A graduate of Burnaby Mountain… read more
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Warmer waters from climate change will leave fish shrinking, gasping for air
August 22, 2017
Fish are expected to shrink in size by 20 to 30 per cent if ocean temperatures continue to climb due to climate change. A new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia provides a deeper explanation of why fish are expected to decline in size. “Fish, as cold-blooded animals… read more
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A guide to the August 21 total solar eclipse: UBC hosts viewing
August 16, 2017
A total solar eclipse over the United States on August 21, visible partially across North America, has people excited. Here in the Lower Mainland, at eclipse maximum, we’ll see 87% of the Sun obscured by the Moon. UBC astronomers are inviting members of the public to the Point Grey campus… read more
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New materials researchers receive funding boost from JELF
August 15, 2017
A UBC quantum materials expert and a photonic and electronic materials researcher have received $935,000 in funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF). Sarah Burke, a researcher with UBC’s Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute, received … read more
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Why UBC Herbarium’s vast genetic library is more important than ever
August 8, 2017
The UBC Herbarium, established in 1916, holds more than 695,000 dried alga, fungus and plant specimens. Although herbaria may have a certain Victorian connotation, curator Linda Jennings explains how climate change and DNA sequencing are making the collection invaluable to research. What is the… read more
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Isotope fingerprints in feathers reveal songbirds' secret breeding grounds
August 3, 2017
Using isotope fingerprints in feathers, researchers have pinpointed the northern breeding grounds of a small, colourful songbird. Myrtle warblers breed across much of Canada and the eastern United States, but winter in two distinct groups—one along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, another… read more
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Algorithms that can sketch, recreate 3D shapes
August 1, 2017
A University of British Columbia computer scientist has created a new software that can create a design sketch of an everyday object, addressing the challenge of accurately describing shapes. The program, called FlowRep, was designed by computer science professor Alla Sheffer, in cooperation with… read more