From Our Own Borealis Blog

Three lessons about nature from your old Christmas tree

Dan Kraus, Nature Conservancy of Canada, guest contributor People living in the Northern Hemisphere have brought trees and boughs into […]

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Even in winter the Gord Edgar Downie Pier remains a beacon

January 17, 2019 ruby Communication, Education and Outreach, Environmental and Earth Sciences, Policy and Politics

Photo by Shane Schofield Six months after its public opening, the Gord Edgar Downie Pier remains a beacon for swimmable, drinkable, fishable water across the Great Lakes. My recent trip to Kingston with Mark Mattson reminded me of this. This pier helps people reimagine their connection to Lake Ontario and is shaping a new generation of water leaders.While the summertime crowds hibernate, the swimming pier's magic remains. The breeze, the view, the pier’s connection to…

Diving into winter hibernation

January 17, 2019 Nature Conservancy of Canada staff Biology and Life Sciences, Environmental and Earth Sciences

It’s official: winter has made its way across Canada and isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Humans layer up to brave the cold and migratory birds make their way to warmer climates, but turtles have their own way of toughing out the cold, Canadian winters.

“Legends of the Lost” Stays Lost

January 17, 2019 Steph Halmhofer Biology and Life Sciences, Environmental and Earth Sciences, General Science

Pic: A screenshot of the opening sequence of Legends of the Lost In December 2018, the Travel Channel aired a 4-episode special (ratings were so low that I highly doubt a second season will be ordered, so I’m calling it a ‘special’ for now) titled “Legends of the Lost”. Hosted by actress Megan Fox, each episode examined a different archaeological topic and featured Fox travelling to various sites and institutions to talk to experts about whatever topic she was exploring in that particular…

The Other Side

January 16, 2019 Graham Young Biology and Life Sciences, Communication, Education and Outreach, Environmental and Earth Sciences

Saint Andrews, New Brunswick: August, 2018 Basalt and seaweed at Bar Road, Saint Andrews If you travel in the natural world, you have probably noticed places where the bedrock seems to vary drastically and dramatically over a short distance. Perhaps you have seen a place where rocks of different colours are abutted against one another, or where bedrock textures and lineations change. In some cases, this may represent a variation in the deposition of ancient sediments…

Ageism in biotech

January 16, 2019 David Kent General Science, Policy and Politics

Without question, ageism exists in biotech. Recently, a feature in Forbes (Gray Hair in the C-Suite: Experience, Age and IPOs in Biotech) highlighted that the median age of biopharma CEOs at IPO was 54 years, and 75 percent were 48 or older. I’ve experienced ageism. At 37 years, I am more than 15 years younger than the median biotech CEO. The average age of first-time CEOs at IPO is 51. While this should be surprising…

Happy… Middle of January

January 16, 2019 L. E. Carmichael Biology and Life Sciences, Communication, Education and Outreach, General Science

2019, huh. So far, gotta say, not lovin’ it. To be fair, it’s been an especially challenging two weeks. We opened the year with a funeral for Tech Support’s mother, a wonderful woman who is already deeply missed. Air travel and stress led to illness, which led to cancelling my first school visits of the year… and also attempting to write while my brain was cocooned in bubble wrap, thanks to manuscript revisions that had…

The Pet People to Follow in 2019

January 16, 2019January 16, 2019 Zazie Todd Biology and Life Sciences, Health, Medicine and Veterinary Science

The canine and feline scientists, pet professionals, bloggers, and organizations to follow on social media in 2019.Are you looking for some new pet-related accounts to follow in 2019? I’ve updated my list of some of the best people and organizations to follow on Twitter and Facebook if you’re interested in companion animals, science, and the human-animal bond.These are people or groups who produce great content of their own AND also have a varied feed that…

How scientists and planners work together to keep winter roads safe

January 16, 2019 UBC Faculty of Science General Science

UBC scientists generate weather models which are then used by local transportation authorities. (Istockphoto)Tucked away at UBC’s Vancouver campus, atmospheric scientists armed with computer clusters are helping smooth out British Columbian’s winter commute.By Timothy Chui and Rosie Howard, UBC Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric SciencesFew things bring Vancouverites together more quickly than collectively grumbling over a centimetre or two of snow. It’s an occurrence that that can bring the city — and its vehicles — to a screeching halt.…

Art. Science. Optics. A Collider Café event in Vancouver (Canada) on January 23, 2019

January 16, 2019 Maryse de la Giroday Science in Society, Technology and Engineering

The Curiosity Collider folks have decided to ring in the new year with an event focused on optics. Here’s more from their January 15, 2019 announcement (received via email), FROM CONTEMPORARY ART TO SCIENCE ILLUSTRATION, IS “SEEING” REALLY “BELIEVING”? OR IS THERE MORE TO IT THAN THERE SEEMS? HOW CAN WE EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITIES THROUGH ART AND SCIENCE? OUR #COLLIDERCAFE IS A SPACE FOR ARTISTS, SCIENTISTS, MAKERS, AND ANYONE INTERESTED IN ART+SCIENCE. MEET, DISCOVER, CONNECT,…

Who is today’s Rachel Carson?

January 16, 2019 Sarah Boon Biology and Life Sciences, Environmental and Earth Sciences

Rachel Carson is often seen as the driver of the modern environmental movement. But who stands in her shoes today?

From the latest SciBor Newsletter

Llama drama:
Research into the mechanics of llama ovulation reveals a rare tumour

Veterinary researchers seek clues to more effective treatment for deadly dog disease

Lessons learned at the Canadian Science Policy Conference 2018

Cannabis is NOT a dog’s best friend

Residencies for the science-minded artist