News
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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
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Canadian-led study akin to antimatter forensics
August 1, 2017
A Canadian-led investigation has opened a new chapter in antimatter research. In a study published today in Nature, the ALPHA Collaboration, which includes 50 physicists from 17 institutions including UBC, reports the first detailed observation of spectral lines from an antimatter atom. … read more
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Software teaches computer characters to walk, run, play soccer
July 31, 2017
Computer characters and eventually robots could learn complex motor skills like walking and running through trial and error, thanks to a milestone algorithm developed by a University of British Columbia researcher. “We’re creating physically-simulated humans that learn to move with… read more
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UBC research unearths Canadian sapphires fit for a queen
July 27, 2017
New research from UBC mineralogists could make it easier to find high-quality Canadian sapphires, the same sparkling blue gems that adorn Queen Elizabeth II’s Sapphire Jubilee Snowflake Brooch. The so-called Beluga sapphires were discovered near Kimmirut, Baffin Island, Nunavut by brothers… read more
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Hostage situation or harmony? Researchers rethink symbiosis
July 27, 2017
Relationships where two organisms depend on each other, known as symbiosis, evoke images of partnership and cooperation. But a new study in Nature Ecology and Evolution shows that, when it comes to certain microorganisms, symbiotic partners are actually being held “hostage”. The… read more