News
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Hummingbirds see motion in an unexpected way
January 5, 2017
According to new research from UBC zoologists, a key area of a hummingbird's brain processes visual signals in a unique and unexpected way. “In all four-limbed vertebrates studied to date, most of the neurons in this [motion-detecting] brain area are tuned to detect motion coming from… read more
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Global climate target could net additional six million tons of fish annually
December 20, 2016
If countries abide by the Paris Agreement global warming target of 1.5 degrees Celsius, potential fish catches could increase by six million metric tons per year, according to a new study published in Science. The researchers also found that some oceans are more sensitive to changes in… read more
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ALPHA shines light on antimatter question
December 19, 2016
The ALPHA Collaboration, an international team of researchers from 15 institutions including UBC and TRIUMF, has released the first spectroscopic measurement of an atom of antimatter using lasers. This work represents a major step towards developing a very precise test of whether antimatter… read more
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Safe solution for dangerous mine waste puts UBC researcher in running for $20-million prize
December 14, 2016
UBC mineralogist Lee Groat wants to combine two common yet dangerous byproducts of mining — acidic drainage and carbon dioxide emissions — to make one stable byproduct that won’t hurt the environment. Groat is working with Terra CO2 Technologies Ltd. to make mining operations… read more
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High altitudes hamper hummingbirds' ability to manoeuvre: UBC research
December 8, 2016
Hummingbirds’ ability to accelerate and turn diminishes at high altitudes, but it isn’t a lack of oxygen to the body that limits the birds’ performance -- it’s physics. “It appears the mechanics of high-altitude flight slow down the birds well before their… read more
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Seafood consumption 15 times higher among Indigenous than non-Indigenous people
November 30, 2016
Coastal Indigenous people eat on average 15 times more seafood per person than non-Indigenous people in the same country, according to new research from the University of British Columbia. The findings highlight the need to consider food sovereignty and cultural identity as part of fisheries… read more
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UBC launches 10-month, interdisciplinary data science program
November 29, 2016
A new 10-month master’s program in data science launched this fall at UBC is designed to give students the skills they need to turn messy data into insights in health care, industry, research and beyond. But the program isn’t all about tech skills. “We’re focused on… read more
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Researchers capture first glimpse of important, abundant ocean microbe
November 22, 2016
A rare microbe that was once thought to be insignificant has turned out to be one of the most abundant single-celled hunters in the ocean, and a team of researchers led by UBC have captured the first glimpse of these elusive predators. Diplonemids are tiny cells that have more or less been… read more
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Ocean acidification study offers warnings for marine life, habitats
November 21, 2016
Acidification of the world’s oceans could drive a cascading loss of biodiversity in some marine habitats, according to research published today in Nature Climate Change. The work by biodiversity researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and colleagues in the U.S., Europe,… read more
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Open textbooks save Math students up to $1 million this year
November 17, 2016
In an effort to customize materials for their courses and save students money on rising textbook fees, instructors in the Math department at UBC have adopted open or freely accessible textbooks in all first-year courses and most second-year courses. 7,000 students are enrolled in these courses so… read more