What Data Can Teach Us about Cities
Four examples of how researchers are harnessing technology to improve urban life and make cities smarter
Research & Ideas
The High Price of Pills
More than two million Canadians don’t take their full dose of medications because of the cost. How can they be helped?
Priced Out of the Housing Market
Owning a home is becoming a fantasy for all but the wealthiest families. Better urban planning is part of the solution. Adjusting our expectations may be another
AI and the MD
Doctors will soon use artificial intelligence to help diagnose and treat patients, opening up new possibilities for better health
Six Questions We Need to Ask about Using Artificial Intelligence in Health Care
A U of T research team is examining ethical issues raised by the new technology
Alexa, Compose Me a Song
So far, machines are not very good at creating original art, such as pop tunes and short stories. Could it be they’re missing something uniquely human?
A Robot That Cheers Up Kids
Meet MEDi the robot, who sings, dances and helps young cancer patients feel less afraid
Artificial Intelligence Is Here. Is It Time to Rethink Your Business Strategy?
To answer this question, consider this thought experiment
A New Generation of Spacecraft, Powered by Light
Solar sails could propel ships to other planets – and even stars – with much less fuel
Tiny Robots, and the Future of Drug Delivery
Microscopic machines may soon swim through our bodies, delivering cancer drugs to tumours and assisting with difficult surgeries
Scientists Can’t Read Your Mind. But They’re Working on It
Prof. Tom Chau’s lab can already tell what word you’re thinking of, or if you’re singing a song to yourself
Surfing the Net Is Old School. Soon, We May Inhabit It
A computer science alum has created a technology that turns the web into a virtual world
Suppressing Our Most Fearful Memories
Research on mice reveals that specific memories can be weakened. Could this one day help treat the effects of trauma in humans?
With Damaged Organs, a Chance for “Regrowth”
Prof. Michael Sefton imagines being able to treat diabetes with a single injection
A Way to Make Things Disappear
Prof. George Eleftheriades is developing a radar-evading technology that he thinks could be used one day to make anything invisible
Many Medicines Are Considered Essential. Not All Are Effective
A U of T doctor is leading efforts to review the medical evidence for more than 2,200 commonly prescribed drugs
One of Canada’s Mightiest Computers Tackles a Very Complex Question
A U of T professor is using serious processing power to understand what role the world’s oceans play in climate change
Predicting Where Infectious Diseases Will Strike Next
Climate change adds a new wrinkle in the quest to get out in front of epidemics
Dark Data
The usefulness of “steps per day” and other information our devices help us track
Could This Palm-Sized Cube Replace an Entire Lab?
Spartan Bioscience, founded by three alumni, aims to make DNA testing more accessible
Ready Student One
English class gets an update with a new kind of “text”
All In on Gutenberg
Students in Prof. Paolo Granata’s book and media studies class learn print culture terms while playing poker
Greener Pastures
Can a simple high-tech tool for farmers boost crop yields in developing countries?
A Professional “Safe Space” in the #MeToo Era
U of T alumni created #GoSponsorHer to advance women’s careers
“Everything in Life Requires Confidence”
How a U of T prof taught Alison Wiley the art of negotiation
After the Shooting, a Search for Salvation
I spent two years with people who had been shot, and recorded how their lives had changed. For many, the church offered a powerful source of hope
What Does an Ethnographer Do?
The goal is to get “an intimate and authentic representation of the person’s life,” says U of T prof Jooyoung Lee
Make No Mistake
Can a group of Toronto hospitals eliminate medical errors?
Business Threats Can Arise at Any Time. Are You Ready?
It’s easy to say “be prepared.” Scouts learn it. Even Scar in The Lion King sang it. So why do executives so often avoid it?
Ghost Effects
Social psychologist Michael Inzlicht launched his academic career on the study of “ego depletion.” His research suggested it was real. Then came doubts
What Does It Mean to Replicate a Study?
Replication studies put researchers’ conclusions to the test by creating new versions of the original experiment
What Will Solve the Replication Crisis?
U of T scholars and others are calling for four major changes to how research is conducted
Why We Sometimes Make Bad Decisions
Economists have long known that consumers can make confounding choices when presented with too much selection. But they’ve never agreed on why. Enter neuroscience
With Restored Sight Comes Opportunity and Hope
A gift from the Nanji family to U of T will help people “see the light of all the world”
The Big Bang
Life on Earth exploded about 540 million years ago. Scientists are now beginning to understand why
A Distinctive Look?
English-Canadians are pretty good at identifying French-Canadian faces but the reverse isn’t true
Save Your Money
An app from Vicis Labs aims to help millennials and the precariously employed manage their cash
Seniors Want to Know Whom They Can Trust Online
U of T study finds older Canadians are highly concerned about digital security – sometimes to their disadvantage
Bringing Smiles to Uganda
On a two-week visit to remote villages, a U of T dental team fixes teeth – and changes lives
Finger on the Button
Could a war of words lead to an actual war between the U.S. and North Korea?
Antifa
An anti-fascist movement that started in 1930s Europe is making headlines again
Yoga Is Good for You
But just what are the health benefits?
The Struggle Is Real
Filmmaker Maureen Judge’s latest project captures stories of millennials venturing out on their own
The Day the Stars Collided
It was all hands on deck for U of T astronomers during a rare cosmic event that led to the first sighting of a new object
How Did the Universe Begin?
Prof. Barth Netterfield’s lifelong journey into faith, physics and astronomy
10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know Were Invented by U of T Alumni
These include everything from life-saving innovations to everyday conveniences
Teaching Kids How to Code
U of T undergrads are bringing the language of computers to youth in Toronto’s low-income neighbourhoods. Will it “future-proof” them?
A Refuge from the Streets
Having spent time homeless herself, Prof. Suzanne Stewart envisions a new kind of shelter – one that truly understands and cares for Indigenous women
When Getting a Job Is Mission Impossible
Laws to end workplace discrimination against people with disabilities have mostly failed to boost employment. Sociologist David Pettinicchio wants to know why
AI’s Quantum Leap
In combining two of computing’s hottest trends, the Creative Destruction Lab sees new opportunities for startups
Astroturfing
The practice of faking a grassroots movement gets an update in the age of social media
Some Forgetfulness? It’s a Good Thing
Researchers discover that our brain erases certain memories for a reason
Among Syrian Refugees, a Need for Insulin and Heart Meds
As the media share images of wounded migrants, some of the biggest medical threats go almost unmentioned
How a Verbal Test Can Reveal Your Brain Health
WinterLight Labs analyzes speech for evidence of even mild dementia. All patients need to do is describe a picture
What Canada Got Right
An acceptance of diversity may be the country’s defining strength
How Much Methane?
A U of T study aims to create the most accurate estimate yet of Toronto’s greenhouse gas emissions
3D Movies in the Sky
A U of T startup is developing a whole new kind of night-time entertainment
So You Want to Build a Startup?
10 tips from some of Canada’s top entrepreneurs
Lost Words
Dozens of Indigenous languages in Canada are in danger of disappearing. What will it take to save them?
How to Type in Inuktitut
A U of T PhD student is making fonts and keyboard layouts for Indigenous languages available for free