Research & Ideas

Illustration of the sun shining down on solar panels on vines/stalks.

Power Plants

A blueprint for an “artificial leaf” could lead to solar cells that generate a lot more power

Eggplants

Roadside Harvest

Toxic elements in most city-grown vegetables are at acceptable levels, according to a new study. But be careful of the eggplant!

Image of solar ship in a desert

Solar-Powered Flight

A new kind of aircraft could fly 1,000 km powered only by the sunlight that shines on its back

Peer Pressure

A nursing prof is using social networks to help reduce the spread of HIV-AIDS in Ghana

Bev Bradley

Breath of Life

Bev Bradley is developing technology to give hospitals in low-income countries a more reliable supply of medical oxygen

Image of a Canadian $100 bill under a microscope

Business Boot Camp

U of T’s “technopreneur” program gives scientists such as Mallika Das a crash course in running their own company

Photo of music notes on a screen.

Is That Mozart, or a Machine?

Software developed at U of T can compose music in classical, pop or jazz styles – and as a solo or an ensemble of different instruments

Bad Drivers?

U of T study shatters myth that recent immigrants cause more car accidents than other Canadians

McLuhan at the CBC in Toronto, January 1966 Photo: Henri Daumain, for Life Magazine, Courtesy of The Estate of Marshall McLuhan

Marshall’s Laws

Fifty years after the publication of his most famous works, we’re still making sense of all Marshall McLuhan had to say

Illustration of a face made of puzzle pieces.

Mind Games

Doctors have been trying for decades to classify mental illnesses. So why do precise definitions still elude us?

Photo by Dave Brosha

Timing is Everything

Modern life is 24-7, but there may be negative consequences to defying our body's internal clock

Photo: Keith Beaty/Getstock.com

Ode to Joy

Master’s student Eric Wan helped develop software that allows anyone, including people with severe physical disabilities, to make music

Photo of Aakash Sahney and Alexander Levy by Brent Lewin

Say the Right Thing

Student-developed app helps people with speech problems express themselves – at a fraction of the cost of other devices

Photo of Alexandra Lysova

Always the Victim?

A criminology student questions long-standing assumptions about women and domestic violence

Image of a tower behind a Euro symbol covered in stars

Europe’s Debt Troubles

With the markets betting on a Greek default, and the situation in Spain deteriorating, a second global financial crisis looms

Caring for the Elderly

Women often look after their older relatives – for no pay. As populations age, this may have to change

Seeing Red

Colours affect our emotional state, and maybe our motor control as well, new research has found

Samer Muscati.

The Watchman

Human rights researcher Samer Muscati helps Iraqis find justice in a nation beginning to rebuild

Illustration of an elderly person's face in puzzle pieces.

Defeating Dementia

Mark Tanz’s $5-million gift will support research into Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases

Photo of a nurse with a child in a dental practice

Fighting Tooth Decay

A new way of peering inside teeth could find lesions before they become cavities and eliminate the need for “drilling and filling”

B&W photo of a buck

Still Life

Pictures of animals through history reveal how our thinking about them has changed

Photo of Arab Spring

Arab Spring

Will the uprisings across North Africa and the Middle East usher in lasting change?

What Is Sacred?

Two U of T thinkers debate whether we can ever know what is truly "right" or "wrong"

Photo by Chris Granger

Bar Brawls

It seems young men fight primarily to gain the approval of … other men

Illustration of a person on a maple-leaf shaped block of ice, separated from a group of people on an icy shore.

True North

What does Canada stand for now? Have we lost our international reputation as a nature-loving, peacekeeping haven for newcomers?

Tom Rachman

The Debut

How do you write a bestselling first novel? If you're Tom Rachman, you start by majoring in film

Illustration of a figure of a child with square shapes around them.

Understanding Autism

Scientist Stephen Scherer aims to uncover the genetic causes of an incurable neural disorder

The ABCs of Autism

Contrary to stereotypes, most autistic children don’t bang their heads, and fewer than one per cent are brilliant savants

Photo of a person swimming.

Don’t Overdo It!

Women who exercise strenuously may be at greater risk of developing dementia later in life, study finds

Image of Bible in Arabic

Islam and the Bible

What do Arabic translations of Christianity’s holy book reveal about three of the world’s great religions?

Illustration of a figure using a laptop computer.

Funemployment

Sometimes, being unemployed can be positive - it depends on who you ask

Photo of laptops

The End of Moore’s Law?

For almost half a century, computer chips have doubled in power every 18 months. But this may not hold true for much longer, says Eugene Fiume