Plastics have allowed a revolution in material science that has vastly improved our quality of life
By now, most everyone has seen the memes of Dr. Evil ordering a change of focus in his campaign to maintain global fear: “Fear of [the last crisis] is no longer working. Release the murder hornets!” To judge from recent news articles, the meme should read: “Fear of COVID-19 is no longer working. Restart the…
Just because your life isn’t perfect right now doesn’t mean it will be like this forever
Are you having financial troubles? Perhaps you’re going through a divorce? Does it feel like your life is falling apart? Don’t despair! A positive attitude can go a long way toward creating happiness. Everyone has problems at some point. Over 12.5 million work days were lost in the United Kingdom alone in 2017 due to…
Searching for a better solution to a clinical problem facing many patients with skin cancer
A team of University of Alberta researchers has discovered a way to use 3-D bioprinting technology to create custom-shaped cartilage for use in surgical procedures. The work aims to make it easier for surgeons to safely restore the features of skin cancer patients living with nasal cartilage defects after surgery. The researchers used a specially…When regulators threaten doctors for engaging in public debate, doctors go quiet and patients suffer
“Call for help.” This is one of the first rules in every advanced life-saving course. When you see someone collapse, rush over to assess and call for help. Raise the alarm. Let people know. Doctors and nurses do this all the time in hospitals across Canada. It would be professional misconduct to do otherwise. What…
We find it hard to let go of the past because that is where we've experienced personal success
Change is difficult — and we have plenty of reasons to resist it! No one likes to contemplate letting go of the skills and behaviours that "got us here." As individuals, we become psychologically attached to the status quo because it is familiar and comfortable. But even more difficult than fighting off the inertia of…
What we need are carefully targeted programs specifically aimed at dealing with the issues that keeps people in poverty
In a country as rich as Canada, no one should have to be hungry or homeless. We do have people who can’t provide for themselves and we rely on the government to provide a floor below which Canadians can’t fall. We have to remember that this support comes from us, the taxpayers, so we need…
Taxpayers from so-called have provinces can no longer afford to subsidize the Atlantic provinces
For many years, there has been debate about equalization and other transfer programs and their impact on Atlantic Canada and other regions. Much of this discussion has been technical and difficult to follow. The debate has also been misleading because it focused on equalization even though equalization is only about a quarter of the net…
To introduce new varieties of earlier-maturing, higher-yielding wheat for Western Canadian growers
University of Alberta research to develop earlier-maturing, more disease-resistant wheat for Western Canadian growers is being boosted, thanks to $2 million in support from the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition. A five-year agreement between CWRC and the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences (ALES) supports the development of up to five new wheat varieties for use by farmers…
Want the power to direct, regulate and shut down social media platforms
Freedom of speech has long been a cherished principle in most Western democracies. While Canadians don’t have the same passion for free speech that our American friends do, we’ve always recognized the importance of preserving and protecting this value in times of war and peace. Until recently, that is. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his…
Master’s research reveals clues into the lives of four people who perished in a fire in the late Bronze Age
More than 3,000 years ago, four people were incinerated and crushed in a blazing fire in the south central city of Azekah, Israel. Their remains were trapped in rubble until discovered by Tel Aviv University archeologists in 2012. That’s when Karl Berendt began volunteering at the excavation site as an undergraduate student at the University…