Science, Health and Technology

A woman holding a bottle of pills

People who use alternative medicine favour risk and novelty, and distrust science

Over 40 per cent of Canadians have used at least one risk-associated alternative health-care treatment in the past 12 months, according to a new UBC study.

Sep 28, 2023

A TRIUMF physicist makes an adjustment to the Radial Time Projection Chamber, a position-sensitive particle detector that surrounds the antihydrogen trap. Credit: TRIUMF

Does antimatter fall up or down? Physicists observe the first gravitational free-fall of antimatter

In the world’s first observation of the effect of gravity on antimatter, a group of researchers from Canada and around the world have made an important confirmation: like matter, antimatter does indeed ‘fall downwards’.

Sep 27, 2023

Credit: Anthony Tran/Unsplash

Depression, anxiety may be among early signs of MS

New research is painting a clearer picture of the early signs of multiple sclerosis (MS), showing that people are nearly twice as likely to experience mental illness in the years leading up to the onset of the diseases. 

Sep 26, 2023

Photo credit: UBC School of Nursing

Can social robots be used in elder care? UBC study aims to find out

Dr. Lillian Hung is leading a study on how social robots interact with older adults and what this could mean for senior care.

Sep 18, 2023

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New tool reveals inequitable distribution of ‘healing’ green spaces in Vancouver

Learn how restorative nature is distributed in Vancouver, as revealed by a new tool that evaluates spaces for qualities that promote mental well-being.

Sep 14, 2023

Credit: CDC via Unsplash

New variants, new vaccines. Here’s what you should know about COVID-19 going into fall.

Dr. Horacio Bach, a clinical assistant professor with UBC’s division of infectious diseases, answers key questions about the new COVID-19 variants and vaccines.

Sep 14, 2023

Over half a million Canadians are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of dementia. Credit: Sergiu Vălenaș/Unsplash.

New action guide empowers people with dementia

One group of people living with dementia collaborated with UBC researchers to develop an anti-stigma toolkit, offering an action guide to bolster community engagement and bridge healthcare support gaps.

Sep 13, 2023

Photo: Towfiqu barbhuiya / Unsplash

UBC experts on approval of updated COVID-19 vaccine

Health Canada has approved Moderna’s updated COVID-19 vaccine for people six months and older this fall season. UBC experts are available to comment.

Sep 12, 2023

From chalkboards to chatbots: How to use artificial intelligence in the K-12 classroom

From chalkboards to chatbots: How to use artificial intelligence in the K-12 classroom

Dr. Ron Darvin, an assistant professor in the faculty of education, discussed how artificial intelligence is changing how we teach students and how they learn.

Sep 7, 2023

Fish buffered from recent marine heatwaves, showing there’s still time to act on climate change

Fish buffered from recent marine heatwaves, showing there’s still time to act on climate change

Fish were surprisingly resilient to marine heatwaves before 2019, highlighting the need to keep seas from warming further, according to new research

Aug 30, 2023

Salmon bones confirm sustainable chum fishery for 2,500 years under Tsleil-Waututh Nation

Salmon bones confirm sustainable chum fishery for 2,500 years under Tsleil-Waututh Nation

New research confirms that Tsleil-Waututh Nation has consistently and sustainably fished for chum salmon for 1,200 years longer than the archaeological record had previously demonstrated.

Aug 30, 2023

Photo by Riccardo from Pexels

B.C. split on safety of self-driving cars – gradual introduction needed to build comfort among all road users

New UBC research suggests British Columbians are not quite ready to embrace self-driving cars wholeheartedly – and will need a period of gradual transition before adoption.

Aug 30, 2023

Jeswin Thomas / Unsplash

Here’s how to conquer math anxiety and succeed this semester

So many people struggle with mathematics that there’s a term for the dread you feel when faced with a calculation: math anxiety. But the good news is, math doesn’t have to be scary.

Dr. Lindsey Daniels (she/hers), an assistant professor of teaching in the UBC department of mathematics, has some tips for high school and beyond to help students overcome their fear of fractions and succeed in the classroom.

Aug 29, 2023

Researchers discover common origin behind major childhood allergies

Researchers discover common origin behind major childhood allergies

Several major childhood allergies may all stem from the community of bacteria living in our gut, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital.

Aug 29, 2023

Dr. Roger Wong (left) speaks with one of his patients and their daughter.

Supporting older adults displaced by wildfires

Many older adults have been evacuated from long term care homes during the wildfires in B.C. and the Northwest Territories. Dr. Roger Wong discuss the impacts—and how to support.

Aug 24, 2023

UBC experts on wildfires and associated issues

UBC experts on wildfires and associated issues

Wildfires are burning in the Northwest Territories and the Okanagan. UBC experts are available to comment.

Aug 18, 2023

Photo credit: Rick Wicker, Denver Museum of Nature & Science

You’re reading this because an asteroid killed the dinosaurs, allowing mammals to dominate the Earth. But why?

But just how did we evolve from rat-like creatures running between the feet of dinosaurs to take over their ecological niches? Dr. Kendra Chritz, assistant professor in the UBC department of earth, ocean and atmospheric sciences, aims to find out.

Aug 17, 2023

UBC postdoctoral researcher Dr. Tianyu Guo is part of a team that developed a wood dust-based filter for removing microplastics from water. Photo: UBC Forestry/Jillian van der Geest

Microplastic pollution: Plants could be the answer

UBC scientists create device that uses wood dust to trap up to 99.9 per cent of microplastics in water.

Aug 16, 2023

UBC's Dr. Hubert Chao (second from left) and Dr. Luba Butska (third from right) with the Canadian Medical Assistance Team in May 2022. The team was deployed to provide volunteer medical care in northwestern Ukraine, where thousands of people were displaced following the Russian invasion.

Ordinary care in extraordinary times

How two UBC health-care workers are lending their support to Ukraine.

Aug 15, 2023

Credit: UBC Urban Wildlife Project

Just how smart are ‘trash pandas’? Volunteer your backyard to help scientists find out

This summer, you can turn your backyard into a raccoon IQ test to help researchers figure out just how brainy your average ‘trash panda’ is.

Aug 14, 2023