Arts and Humanities

How globalization stoked fear of disease during the Romantic era

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the word “communication” had several meanings. People used it to talk about both media and the spread of disease, as we do today, but also to describe transport—via carriages, canals and shipping.

Mar 25, 2020

UBC health psychologists Anita DeLongis and Nancy Sin have launched a new study that will explore the effects of coronavirus on our mental and physical health. Credit: Iz zy/Unsplash

UBC psychology study to examine how people worldwide cope with COVID-19 outbreak

The COVID-19 outbreak has impacted everyone in Canada and around the world. Health officials are asking people to practice social distancing to slow the spread of the virus, and this unprecedented series of events has dramatically changed our social landscape.

Mar 20, 2020

Why we need to live in social quilts, not echo chambers in times of COVID-19

Fake news is a growing phenomenon, and its impact on people, politics and public health, seems greater than ever before. With the advent of social media, misinformation about COVID-19, can reach huge audiences and circulate very quickly.

Mar 19, 2020

Meet the UBC master’s grad who watched Cats four times—all in the name of scholarship

This Saturday, the 40th annual Golden Raspberry Awards, or the Razzies, will honour the worst films of 2019. Jared Aronoff wrote his master’s thesis on bad cinema to earn an M.A. in cinema and media studies from UBC’s department of theatre and film.

Mar 11, 2020

UBC experts on International Women’s Day

UBC experts are available to comment on topics related to International Women’s Day.

Mar 5, 2020

UBC News spoke with Heidi Tworek about the complicated history of race and disease. Credit: Unsplash

When a virus is the cause, racism is often the symptom

A virus is a virus, but humans have a long history of turning their fear of disease into unwarranted panic about people and places.

Feb 25, 2020

Smelling your lover’s shirt could improve your sleep

The scent of a romantic partner can improve sleep, suggests new psychology research from the University of British Columbia.

Feb 13, 2020

Got a moody teenager? Cows can relate

Dairy cattle undergo personality changes during puberty much like humans do, according to new UBC research published this week in the Royal Society Open Science.

Feb 12, 2020

What this year’s Oscar nominees say about our times

The financing, distribution and promotion of Oscar-worthy films has entered new territory in recent years thanks to the rise of online streaming services, but the films themselves—particularly in 2020—explore territory that seems familiar.

Feb 7, 2020

UBC experts on Trans Mountain pipeline decision

The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion will proceed after the Federal Court of Appeal dismissed the court challenge against it on Tuesday.

Feb 4, 2020

Government grants deliver highest returns for college financing, says study

Merit-based grants are a government’s best bet for providing effective student aid for long-term economic growth – increasing both welfare (measured in terms of long-term well-being outcomes) and efficiency, according to a new joint study from the University of British Columbia, Queen’s, Princeton and Yale.

Feb 3, 2020

Young children prefer to learn from people who are consistently accurate and confident

At a time when scams seem all around us and fake news appears to be on the rise, you might be relieved to know that even young children show some impressive skills when it comes to identifying poor sources of information, suggests new research from the University of British Columbia.

Jan 29, 2020

Auschwitz, Poland. Credit: Jean Carlo Emer/Unsplash

UBC marks 75th anniversary of liberation of Auschwitz

Monday is the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. UBC will mark the anniversary with a four-day Auschwitz 75 symposium featuring lectures, panel discussions, a library exhibit, and UBC Opera’s production of the Holocaust-themed opera Pasazerka (The Passenger).

Jan 23, 2020

UBC experts available for comment on Huawei CFO extradition hearing

The extradition hearing for Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou begins Monday in Vancouver. UBC experts are available to comment.

Jan 17, 2020

U.S. President Donald Trump. Credit: Gage Skidmore/Flickr

UBC experts on impeachment of U.S. President Donald Trump

The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote Wednesday to send two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate, which will set Trump’s impeachment trial in motion.

Jan 14, 2020

UBC expert on the death of Rush drummer Neil Peart

Neil Peart, legendary drummer of the Canadian rock band Rush, has died from brain cancer at the age of 67. A UBC music expert is available to comment.

Jan 10, 2020

UBC experts on impeachment against Trump

The House Judiciary Committee has passed two articles of impeachment against U.S. President Donald Trump: abuse of power and obstructing Congress.

Dec 13, 2019

UBC experts on Andrew Scheer resignation

Andrew Scheer has resigned as leader of the federal Conservative Party. UBC experts are available to comment.

Dec 12, 2019

Study of Canadian sexual assault cases deflates ‘statutory rape’ myth

A study of three years of Canadian case law involving sexual offences against adolescent girls from the ages of 12 to 17 demonstrated that men accused in these cases were, on average, 19 years older than the complainant. Almost half the girls reported sexual abuse by a male family member.