News
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Researchers Catch Nature in the Act of 'Recycling' a Star
May 21, 2009
UBC astronomer Ingrid Stairs is part of the first international team to observe the transformation of an ordinary, slow-rotating pulsar into a superfast millisecond pulsar—a star with an almost infinitely extended lifespan. The discovery was made during a large radio sky survey by… read more
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UBC researchers adapt open source software to crunch planck data
May 15, 2009
UBC researchers led by cosmologist Douglas Scott are adapting open source software to help analyse the reams of data set to be produced by the recently launched Planck satellite. Canadian scientists helped develop the rapid interpretation software for both the low and high frequency cameras… read more
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UBC Researchers Uncover Mechanics of Promising Cardiovascular Treatment
May 8, 2009
UBC researchers have identified a range of blood platelet proteins that are modified by Nitroxyl, a chemical compound that shows great promise as a cardiovascular drug and treatment for alcoholism. The use of advanced mass spectrometric techniques enabled UBC Chemistry associate professor Juergen… read more
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Four UBC Science Doctoral Students Named Vanier Scholars
May 4, 2009
Four UBC Science doctoral students have received prestigious Vanier Canada Scholarships--Canada's equivalent of Britain's Rhodes scholarship--to study biodiversity, nuclear physics, cell sequencing for cancer research, and the mathematical sciences. The four scholarships are among 17 awarded at… read more
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UBC Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences appoints new head
April 28, 2009
An internationally recognized expert on fluid-rock interactions who is studying how to use mining residue to soak up green house gases has been named head of the UBC Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences. Professor Greg Dipple will assume the appointment effective July 1, 2009. "I… read more
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UBC physicists help shoot neutrino beam 300 kilometres across Japan
April 24, 2009
Canadian researchers, including three physicists from UBC, have played a key role in an international project that has shot a beam of neutrinos from the eastern shore of Japan toward a detector 300 km away in the Japanese Alps. The Tokai to Kamioka (T2K) long baseline neutrino oscillation… read more
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Stats, Physics shine in UBC Science service awards
April 22, 2009
The Faculty of Science is pleased to announce the winners of its 2009 Achievement Awards, a roster that includes eight representatives from the departments of Statistics and Physics and Astronomy. The accolade, awarded annually, recognizes the exceptional service contributions of UBC Science… read more
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Battle Between Altruistic and Selfish Behaviour in Nature Boosts Biodiversity
April 20, 2009
The interplay between altruistic and selfish behaviour in biological populations may play a major role in habitat diversification and biodiversity, according to UBC researchers. Mathematicians have long used evolutionary 'game theory' to investigate why organisms appear to act in ways that benefit… read more
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UBC researchers put a new spin on electrons, could advance 'spintronic' circuits
April 15, 2009
In the first demonstration of its kind, researchers at the University of British Columbia have controlled the spin of electrons using a ballistic technique--bouncing electrons through a microscopic channel of precisely constructed, two-dimensional layer of semiconductor. It's the first time the… read more
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Government funds to renew 50-Year-Old UBC bioscience buildings
April 8, 2009
A major investment of Federal and provincial funds will help bring about much needed upgrades to the Biological Sciences West and South buildings at UBC's Vancouver campus. The $65 million in funding will renovate research facilities and classrooms originally built more than 50 years ago, while… read more