Planetary scientists have learned much about Mars from the various robotic missions that have landed on the Martian surface. However, rovers and landers can only carry a limited set of instruments and there are many things yet to be learned about Mars – like whether...
Research & Innovation
New testing method allows for more effective diagnosis of genetically-based high cholesterol
A new genetic testing method developed at Western University called LipidSeq can identify a genetic basis for high-cholesterol in almost 70 per cent of a targeted patient population. Using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology, researchers were able to pinpoint...
New life hack for ‘de-blurring’ visual images without glasses
An international team of neuroscientists has shown that a person's ability to see fine visual detail can be sharpened by simply staring for a few seconds at a rapidly flickering display. These counter-intuitive findings of Derek Arnold from the University of...
Study finds visible minorities significantly under-represented in senior leadership positions in London and Ottawa
A new study led by Western University researchers Stelian Medianu and Victoria Esses has found that visible minorities are significantly underrepresented in senior leadership positions in the non-profit and municipal public sectors in the cities of London and...
Western University astronomers predict possible birthplace of Rosetta-probed comet 67P
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCSB1l8UHgA&feature=youtu.be When the Rosetta spacecraft successfully touched down on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on September 30, 2016, the news was shared globally via Twitter in dozens of languages. Citizens the world over...
Western University scientists develop game-changing ‘ultrathin’ flash memory device
At 10 nanometers (nm), the sleek new polymer material that scientists at Western University have developed for use in flash memory devices is 10,000 times thinner than a single human hair and a fraction of the 30-80 nm minimum of a typical flash drive. The organic,...
International 15-year study shows most dominant HIV subtype is also ‘wimpiest’
An international study 15 years in the making has shown that it's 'survival of the wimpiest' among subtypes and strains when it comes to understanding the spread of HIV/AIDS around the world, a virus that has killed an estimated 35 million people since the 1970s....
Western University cameras capture fireball in the sky over Georgian Bay
https://youtu.be/_tav_aU303Q Researchers from Western University have released footage of a basketball-sized fireball that was seen widely by observers throughout southern Ontario and adjacent areas early Friday morning (Oct. 7). Peter Brown, Canada Research Chair in...
Wild Weather touches down at Ontario Science Centre
New interactive exhibition developed and produced in Ontario explores the power and impact of severe weather TORONTO (October 5, 2016) – Warning: extreme weather alert in effect at the Ontario Science Centre! Track a tornado, step into a storm and look into a...
Early marijuana use associated with abnormal brain function, study reveals
In a new study, scientists in London, Ontario have discovered that early marijuana use may result in abnormal brain function and lower IQ. Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal substance in the world. Previous studies have suggested that frequent marijuana...
Western student wins major international award for study with autistic children
Strengthening parents' ability to communicate with their autistic children has not only greatly benefited a number of Ontario families but it's also landed a Western University student a major international prize. Mary Wang, a fourth-year Medical Sciences student, was...
Pacific Ocean’s response to greenhouse gases could extend California drought for centuries
Warming forces have caused millennia of dryness in California's prehistory, and greenhouses gases could do the same. Clues from prehistoric arid periods in California show that today's increasing greenhouse gas levels could lock the state into drought for centuries,...