Arts and Humanities

Study finds gamblers ignore important information when placing bets

People with gambling problems are less likely to consider important information that could prevent them from losing, according to new research published today from the UBC’s Centre for Gambling Research.

Dec 3, 2020

Half a billion bets teach UBC algorithm how to identify problem gamblers

UBC researchers have successfully used machine learning to identify online gamblers whose betting behaviour could indicate a gambling problem.

Nov 9, 2020

UBC experts on Remembrance Day

UBC experts are available to comment on topics related to Remembrance Day.

Nov 8, 2020

UBC experts on 2020 U.S. presidential election

UBC experts are available to comment on various topics related to the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 3.

Nov 3, 2020

UBC experts roundtable on B.C. election

UBC political science experts will be available to media via a Zoom panel to share their insights after the B.C. provincial election.

Oct 23, 2020

UBC experts on 2020 B.C. provincial election

British Columbians will go to the polls to elect a new government on Oct. 24. UBC experts are available to comment on a variety of election issues.

Oct 13, 2020

Ancient texts show Jesus had little in common with Republican Jesus

The Christian Right is a powerful political force in the U.S., and it’s no coincidence that its members believe in a Jesus who aligns with their political views. Right-wing influencers have weaponized the Bible as a political tool, according to a new book by UBC’s Tony Keddie.

Oct 6, 2020

When people slept less than usual, they responded to these stressful events with a greater loss of positive emotions.

New research finds people react better to both negative and positive events with more sleep

New research from UBC finds that after a night of shorter sleep, people react more emotionally to stressful events the next day—and they don’t find as much joy in the good things.

Sep 15, 2020

Don’t be fooled by the corporation’s ‘makeover,’ documentary warns

The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel premieres on Sunday at the Toronto International Film Festival. It’s based on Professor Joel Bakan’s new book, The New Corporation: How “Good” Corporations are Bad for Democracy.

Sep 10, 2020

Nigel Howard, an adjunct professor in the linguistics department and Language Sciences member, has attracted media attention (and a fan following) for his expressive interpretation of provincial health officer Bonnie Henry's COVID-19 updates.

Are you a fan of COVID-19 briefings interpreter Nigel Howard? You can take his ASL courses this fall at UBC

You’ve likely seen Nigel Howard interpreting at the provincial COVID-19 briefings. You might even have joined his Facebook fan club. And this week, students will be taking American Sign Language (ASL) as an official credit course with him at UBC.

Sep 8, 2020

Importance of humour in online dating could exclude new Canadians

In a world where having “a good sense of humour” can improve your prospects of landing everything from a date to a job, are immigrants being penalized for not getting the joke? Siqi Xiao, a UBC Master’s student in sociology, looked at this question through the lens of online dating.

Sep 3, 2020

Screenshot from the 2020 live action version of Mulan. Credit: Walt Disney Studios

UBC prof translates earliest surviving live-action Mulan film

UBC Asian studies professor Christopher Rea, who recently translated the earliest surviving Mulan film, Hua Mu Lan (1939), talks about why Mulan remains a significant cultural icon.

Sep 1, 2020

UBC experts on back-to-school season

UBC experts are available to comment on various education-related topics as children and families begin the school year under unusual circumstances.

Aug 25, 2020

D'Arcy Island lies 18 kilometres from Victoria off the Saanich Peninsula.

How a tiny island off Victoria became part of B.C.’s racist history

British Columbians who spent the spring locked down due to COVID-19 are now making up for lost time by getting outdoors and enjoying B.C.’s parks.

Jul 27, 2020

Researchers found that all levels of physical activity declined between nine and 12.6 per cent shortly after physical distancing was introduced, and the trend was reversed only for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

Canadians’ physical activity dwindles despite resumption of harder workouts

Canadians’ physical activity declined as expected following declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, but moderate-to-vigorous physical activity rebounded over the first six weeks of the pandemic. However, lighter and more incidental physical activity did not.

Jul 27, 2020

One billion tweet dataset investigates impact of COVID-19 on human communication

Researchers from a number of disciplines can now use a billion-scale dataset of tweets from around the world to answer their research questions about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jul 23, 2020

UBC expert on federal ruling about Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement

The Federal Court ruled today that the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA), which allows Canada to send certain refugee claimants back to the U.S., is unconstitutional because the U.S. is no longer a safe country for refugees.

Jul 22, 2020

New UBC study reveals older adults coped with pandemic best

Adults aged 60 and up have fared better emotionally compared to younger adults (18–39) and middle-aged adults (40–59) amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jul 22, 2020

UBC expands research into historical Indigenous art through $6 million endowment

UBC alumnus, Michael Audain, OC, OBC, one of B.C.’s most ardent champions of the visual arts has donated $3 million to UBC to create the Audain Chair in Historical Indigenous Art. The gift, supported through the Audain Foundation, will be matched by the university to create a $6 million endowment. Recruitment of an internationally recognized scholar will begin shortly.

Jul 21, 2020

UBC research shows hearing persists at end of life

Hearing is widely thought to be the last sense to go in the dying process. Now UBC researchers have evidence that some people may still be able to hear while in an unresponsive state at the end of their life.

Jul 8, 2020