“The important thing is to never stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” – Albert Einstein, LIFE magazine, May 2, 1955. Science is everywhere. For many of us, our curiosity of how the world works started early in our childhood: ‘Why do we get sick?’, ‘How does a computer work?’, or ‘Where does the meat I eat come from?’ As we enter adulthood, these questions have transformed into: ‘What lifestyle and nutritional choices…

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Women have made significant academic strides in the past few decades, evident in the climb of female doctorates from 11% to 40% in 1970 and 2010, respectively. The retention of women in academia, however, is not similarly observed, even in countries that appear to emphasize gender parity. The percentage of women in academic positions drops most notably during the postdoc-to-faculty transition: in a typical open faculty search in biology, women constitute 45% of postdoctoral positions but only 25% of assistant professor applicants, resulting in disproportionately fewer women in high-ranking academic positions. These numbers are reflected at the University of Toronto, where women account for 27% of all full professors. Reasons underlying this reduction are multi-faceted, and contributing factors are attributed to field-specific culture, the structure of academic recruitment, and the attribution of…

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Increasing attention is being paid to the pervasiveness and ubiquity of “fake news”, unverified sources feeding misinformation with the intention to push agendas and spread paranoia and fear. Now, more than ever, seeds of distrust and skepticism in science and medicine are being sown into the public. Many people often find themselves on one side or the other in the hotly debated topic of vaccinations, and many people find themselves teetering in the middle, unsure…

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Amid the continuous discourse of climate change denial and vaccine distrust, a recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center based in Washington, D.C. found that, in general, the American public’s trust in science is actually rising. The majority of respondents believed that scientific research and medical innovations are making a positive impact on society and people’s quality of life. However, the study also found great disparities in the level of public trust on specific…

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Without mathematics and civil engineering, the construction of the CN Tower would not have been possible. Similarly, advances in biomedicine have significantly improved our quality of life and longevity, while technological prowess has empowered global business and connectivity. Moreover, epidemiologic data and environmental science are important drivers in the generation of effective and ethical governmental policies. Indeed, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) are integrated into our community. As such, science misinformation can bring severe…

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