Faculty of Science

Why we live on Earth and not Venus

Compared to its celestial neighbours Venus and Mars, Earth is a pretty habitable place. So how did we get so lucky? A new study sheds light on the improbable evolutionary path that enabled Earth to sustain life.

Jul 21, 2015

New physicist hits the ground running

Ultra-marathoner and quantum physicist Jennifer Hoffman joins UBC as new CERC.

Jun 26, 2015

NSERC awards UBC $3.3 million to train young researchers of tomorrow

UBC students and postdoctoral fellows in the fields of biological engineering and bioinformatics have received $3.3 million in grants from NSERC.

May 20, 2015

MESSENGER reveals Mercury’s ancient magnetic field secrets

New data from MESSENGER, the spacecraft that orbited Mercury for four years before crashing into the planet a week ago, reveals Mercury’s magnetic field is almost four billion years old.

May 7, 2015

Spring surprise: UBC expert on the effects of this year’s early spring

While most of Canada spent February and March buried under snowdrifts, the west coast has been enjoying cherry blossoms and balmy breezes for weeks.

Apr 21, 2015

High seas fishing ban could boost global catches, equality

Closing the high seas to commercial fishing could distribute fisheries income more equitably among the world’s maritime nations.

Feb 12, 2015

Cracking the gender imbalance code

A UBC expert discusses why there has been a rapid decline in women entering computer science.

Dec 11, 2014

The enigmatic man behind the code

A UBC mathematician talks about some of British cryptologist Alan Turing’s lesser-known work ahead of a new biopic.

Nov 19, 2014

Countries with poor marine safety records linked to oil spill vessels

More than half of ships involved in the 100 largest oil spills of the past three decades were registered in states with poor marine safety records.

Nov 3, 2014

Red blood cells. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Rapid test to diagnose severe sepsis

A new test could help physicians predict within an hour if a patient will develop severe sepsis so they can begin treatment immediately.

Oct 23, 2014

Sea stars under attack

If a mysterious disease keeps spreading, we may no longer see sea stars along the seashore

Oct 20, 2014

Loss of big predators could leave herbivores in a thorny situation

Global declines in carnivore populations could embolden plant eaters to increasingly dine on succulent vegetation, driving losses in plant and tree biodiversity.

Oct 16, 2014

Fish moving poleward at rate of 26 kilometres per decade

Large numbers of fish will disappear from the tropics by 2050, finds a new UBC study that examined the impact of climate change on fish stocks.

Oct 10, 2014

First-in-Canada university program offers bachelor plus grad business degree in 4.5 years

UBC students will be the first in Canada to be able to study toward a bachelor degree in arts and sciences while also earning a Master of Management.

Oct 2, 2014

Powerful math creates 3-D shapes from simple sketches

UBC computer scientists unveil a new graphics system that can easily produce complex 3-D shapes from simple professional sketches.

Aug 13, 2014

Eye of the beholder

Using chisels, blowtorches and cameras, three UBC researchers turn their passion for science into objets d’art.

Aug 5, 2014 - by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

‘Microbe sniffer’ could point the way to next-generation bio-refining

A new biosensor invented at UBC could help optimize bio-refining processes that produce fuels, fine chemicals and advanced materials.

Jul 2, 2014

Co-ops can be a ‘golden ticket’ for career success

Whether at Facebook, Google or local charities, students are discovering work they love through UBC’s co-op program.

Jun 25, 2014 - by Basil Waugh

Taking girls and IT back to the future

Since the halcyon days of the early 80s’ PC revolution, the number of females studying computer science has declined steeply. This summer, a band of dedicated UBC student volunteers is partnering with software giant SAP to reverse the trend.

May 28, 2014 - by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

‘Sticky synapses’ can impair new memories by holding on to old ones

UBC researchers have discovered that so-called ‘sticky synapses’ in the brain can impair new learning by excessively hard-wiring old memories and inhibiting our ability to adapt to our changing environment.

May 26, 2014