Science, Health and Technology

Robotic sailboat back in B.C. after a year drifting at sea

A self-navigating robotic sailboat built by University of British Columbia students is back in Vancouver following its successful rescue at sea. The 5.5-metre-long, solar-powered “sailbot” started out on a planned journey to Ireland in August 2016, but was blown off course by strong winds and eventually lost at sea.

Mar 2, 2018

For the study, researchers analyzed the race and skin tone of more than 4,000 human images in four medical textbooks. The proportion of dark skin tones represented in all four books was very small.

More diversity needed in medical school textbooks: study

Depictions of race and skin tone in anatomy textbooks widely used in North American medical schools could be contributing to racial bias in medical treatment, new research suggests.

Mar 1, 2018

Warmer, wetter weather can increase the intensity of insect and pathogen outbreaks, including needle blight as shown on these pine needles. Credit: Robert L. James/U.S. Forest Service/Bugwood.org

As summers get warmer, more rain may not be better than less

Warm, wet summers are historically unusual and could bring unexpected disruptions to ecosystems and society, according to new research from the University of British Columbia.

Feb 28, 2018

Premier John Horgan. Credit: BC NDP

UBC experts on B.C. budget

The B.C. NDP government is introducing its full budget on Tuesday, Feb. 20.

Feb 19, 2018

Epidural stimulation involves surgically inserting electrodes permanently above the spinal cord and then stimulating the nerve cells in the spinal cord with electrical currents.

Electrical implant could improve daily activities for people with spinal cord injuries: study

An experimental treatment that sends electrical currents through the spinal cord has improved “invisible” yet debilitating side effects for a B.C. man with a spinal cord injury.

Feb 19, 2018

The top three reasons cited for screen time included needing time to complete household chores, coping with a busy workday, and the belief that it helped with their child's speech and language development. Credit: Richard Leeming/Flickr

Toddlers getting screen time, despite guidelines to the contrary

More than half of Vancouver parents surveyed in a new study reported allowing their children to use electronic devices like smartphones and tablets, despite guidelines from the Canadian Pediatric Society recommending against screen time for children aged two and under.

Feb 14, 2018

A simple water treatment system has helped lift water advisories in two B.C. First Nations communities. Credit: UBC/Res'eau WaterNet

First Nations communities lift water advisories with simple treatment system

For the first time in decades, two remote First Nations communities in Lytton, B.C. have access to safe drinking water – thanks to a point-of-entry treatment system designed by UBC engineers in collaboration with the communities, industry and government.

Feb 14, 2018

The study estimated that 730,000 Canadians reduced their spending on food and 238,000 reduced their spending on home heating due to the cost of prescription drugs. Credit: Charles Williams/Flickr

Canadians giving up food, heat to pay for prescription drugs: UBC study

More than 900,000 Canadians reduced their spending on basic necessities like food and heat to pay for prescription drugs in 2016, according to new research by a team from the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, McMaster University, and The University of Toronto.

Feb 13, 2018

Investigators found that April 20 was associated with a 12 per cent increase in the risk of a fatal traffic crash.

Risk of fatal traffic crash higher during annual 4/20 cannabis celebration

Drivers in the United States are more likely to be in a fatal traffic crash during the annual April 20 cannabis celebration, according to new research from the University of British Columbia.

Feb 13, 2018

Some cows are more bullish than others: UBC study

Some cows are more bullish than others: UBC study

Some calves are inherently optimistic or pessimistic, just as humans are, a new University of British Columbia study has found.

Feb 8, 2018

PyeongChang, Gangwon-Do. Credit: Republic of Korea

UBC experts available on 2018 Winter Olympics

UBC researchers are available to comment on the 2018 Winter Olympics, which will take place in PyeongChang, South Korea, from Feb. 9 to 25.

Feb 8, 2018

Jellyfish blooms

UBC researchers use drones to track jellyfish blooms

Jellyfish blooms are becoming more widespread and scientists are looking for ways to understand them better, including their impact on species like salmon that compete with them for food sources.

Feb 5, 2018

A man pulls a shopping cart along in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Credit: Kennedy Goodkey/Flickr

Fentanyl overwhelms opioid drug market in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside

The proportion of opioid users in the Downtown Eastside who tested positive for fentanyl jumped to 100 per cent from 45 in just five months last year, according to new research published today.

Feb 1, 2018

Indigenous people in B.C. suffer transportation-related injuries at a higher rate than the total population, a new UBC study has found.

Indigenous people face higher risk of transportation injuries in British Columbia

Indigenous people in British Columbia suffered transportation-related injuries at a rate 1.89 times higher than the province’s total population between 1991 and 2010, a new University of B.C. study has found.

Jan 31, 2018

Students selected eight species of beetles from the Lower Mainland and Okanagan, and photographed more than 6,500 beetles.

Warming climate shrinks B.C. beetles

Some of B.C.’s beetles are shrinking as their habitats get warmer, according to new UBC research. The study provides evidence that climate change is affecting the size of organisms.

Jan 30, 2018

Trimeresurus vogeli, Vogel's Pit Viper, Khao Yai National Park, Thailand. Credit: Thai National Parks

Mammals and birds could have best shot at surviving climate change

New research that analyzed more than 270 million years of data on animals shows that mammals and birds – both warm-blooded animals – may have a better chance of evolving and adapting to the Earth’s rapidly changing climate than their cold-blooded peers, reptiles and amphibians.

Jan 29, 2018

UBC experts available on 2018 Winter Olympics

UBC experts available on 2018 Winter Olympics

UBC researchers are available to comment on the 2018 Winter Olympics, which will take place in PyeongChang, South Korea, from Feb. 9 to 25.

Jan 24, 2018

UBC students compete in locomotive design challenge

UBC students compete in locomotive design challenge

UBC students will demonstrate locomotives they have designed as part of their mechanical engineering second-year course.

Jan 24, 2018

Christine Nesbitt in downtown Vancouver.

Olympic speed skating champion now going for academic gold

Vancouver, Calgary and Sochi. Beijing, London and Rio. How does an Olympic host city fare after the fanfare fades and the stars and their adoring crowds go home? It’s a question that has fascinated Canadian long-track speed skating champion Christine Nesbitt for years.

Jan 18, 2018

The trial could involve about 10 or more people in Vancouver with a severe form of type 1 diabetes, in which a person’s immune system attacks the pancreas, degrading or eliminating its ability to produce insulin.

Potential new diabetes treatment being tested in Vancouver

The University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health are testing a possible diabetes cure that replaces a person’s damaged pancreatic cells with new ones grown in the lab.

Jan 16, 2018