This is Why … Animal Magnetism is More Important than You Might Think!

November 5, 2023 jomeara Communication, Education and Outreach, General Science, Physics and Astronomy

Imagine if people had their own built-in compasses – this would be hugely helpful to us in navigating around in Earth’s magnetic field. Unfortunately, humans can’t innately sense Earth’s field, but a particular type of bacterium can and puts its internal compass to good use in orienting itself in its environment. This magneto-sensing trait is...

How Science and Innovations from Canada Impact Us: Reflections from the NSERC 2023 Prizes Ceremony

November 2, 2023 Vikas Nath Communication, Education and Outreach, Physics and Astronomy

Arushi Nath. Grade 9 Student. Toronto On 1 November 2023, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) awarded this year’s top NSERC Awards at a ceremony held at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa. As a back-to-back winner of the top awards of the 2023 and 2022 Canada-Wide Science Fair, I...

Posthaste

October 31, 2023 jeremy Communication, Education and Outreach, Mathematics and Statistics, Physics and Astronomy

Seamen hurry near the harbour, making final preparations for their vessel. They crunch through a blanket of red, orange, and yellow leaves. Their destination: Europe. A cool wind reminds them to keep working, anything to keep warm against the falling temperatures of autumn. It’s October 15th, 1657, and it’s departure day for the ship docked...

Cybersecurity within the Internet of Things Devices

October 30, 2023 STEM Fellowship General Science, Physics and Astronomy, Science in Society

By Akhil Shastry In today’s interconnected world, the Internet of Things (IoT) has revolutionized the way we live and work. IoT devices have become an integral part of our daily lives, from smart thermostats and wearable fitness trackers to autonomous vehicles and industrial sensors. However, as our reliance on these devices grows, so do the...

Unlocking the Creative Mind: Art Therapy for Enhanced Cognition in Seniors

October 30, 2023 STEM Fellowship General Science, Physics and Astronomy, Science in Society

Unlocking the Creative Mind Art Therapy for Enhanced Cognition in Seniors By Surabhi and Sumedha Shastry, Rachel Ni, and Abigail Chao Pristine white canvases, dollops of paint composed of the primary colors, and chairs waiting to be occupied. The scene was set, and all that was left was for the seniors to enter the room....

Infrastructure is the Concealed Wiring of Our Civilization

October 24, 2023 jeremy Communication, Education and Outreach, Mathematics and Statistics, Physics and Astronomy

Each winter, I set a goal of not slipping on ice during my runs. Each winter, I’ve failed. Bruised hips and scraped knees tell those tales. Darkness is the primary factor. A typical run begins long before there’s even a hint of morning light. My steps are never fully confident, the snow concealing potential danger...

Reach Out

October 17, 2023 jeremy Communication, Education and Outreach, Mathematics and Statistics, Physics and Astronomy

Amidst the deluge of useless emails came a gem that made my day. It was December 30, 2020, in that liminal week where everything seems to stand still as we transition from one year to the next. I was in my own transition period. After completing an unorthodox master’s degree in theoretical physics, I was...

Underwater Acoustics Data Challenge Workshop 2023: Using Machine Learning to Identify Bioacoustic Signals

October 15, 2023 Vikas Nath Communication, Education and Outreach, Physics and Astronomy

Artash Nath, Grade 12 Student. Toronto. A two-day residential Underwater Acoustics Data Challenge Workshop 2023 was organized by the “Special Interest Group for Underwater Acoustics (SIGUA)” of the UK Acoustics Network on 11-12 September 2023 at Guyers House, near Bath, UK. The workshop objectives were to explore solutions to research challenges set by industry. 30...

Getting the Conditions Right for Progress in Weather Forecasting

October 10, 2023 jeremy Communication, Education and Outreach, Mathematics and Statistics, Physics and Astronomy

The first thing I do each morning is check the weather forecast. As a morning runner in Québec, Canada, I can be in for the full spectrum of conditions: rain, blizzards, ice, darkness, sunshine, wind, and anything between 25 and -30 degrees Celsius (77 to -22 degrees Fahrenheit). And to top it off, 2023 seems...

Vampires

September 24, 2023 jeremy Communication, Education and Outreach, Mathematics and Statistics, Physics and Astronomy

Austin Kleon writes about the “vampire test”: avoid people who suck your creative energy and leave you with nothing. We should often steer clear of these people, he says, or else we risk not having enough in the tank for our own work. This got me thinking about the perspective of the vampire. They must...

Physics and Astronomy