Which Plants Work Best to Keep Cities Cool?
U of T Scarborough researchers are using thermal cameras, drones and AI to learn more about how urban parks affect the climate
Research & Ideas
For Greener Buildings, We Need to Rethink How We Construct Them
To meet its pledge to be carbon neutral by 2050, Canada needs to cut emissions from the construction industry. Here’s how
Solving a Climate Puzzle, One Tree Ring at a Time
A natural archive reveals how Canada’s arctic climate has changed over the past 1,000 years
Cities Are Driving Evolution
Globally crowdsourced study shows that white clovers are biologically adapting to city life, demonstrating the profound impact of urbanization
What Is the Future of Urban Farming?
Researchers at U of T Scarborough are testing which crops fare best on city roofs
Picking Up the Pace of Scientific Discovery
Prof. Alán Aspuru-Guzik is using AI and robotics to help create new, more sustainable materials in a fraction of the usual time
The Power of Information
The world produces mountains of data every day. A new U of T institute will help us make better sense of it all
A Nudge in the Right Direction
Insights from psychology and business can steer people toward better decisions – for themselves and society
Which Bees Are the Best Pollinators?
A U of T Scarborough biologist is using high-resolution cameras to find out
Ontario’s Growing Goldfish Problem
Pets that were released into ponds are becoming ‘super-invaders’ that could wreak havoc with the ecosystem
What the Zebrafish Can Tell Us
How this tiny animal is helping scientists investigate disorders of the human brain
The Search for a Vaccine
U of T scientists are pursuing a made-in-Canada solution to end the pandemic
Alán Aspuru-Guzik Has Seen the Lab of The Future, and It’s Very, Very Fast
By bringing artificial intelligence into chemistry, Prof. Aspuru-Guzik aims to vastly shrink the time it takes to develop new drugs – and almost everything else
Sea of Troubles
Prof. Chelsea Rochman explores how plastic is breaking down – and where it’s ending up
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
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
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
The Big Bang
Life on Earth exploded about 540 million years ago. Scientists are now beginning to understand why
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
Some Forgetfulness? It’s a Good Thing
Researchers discover that our brain erases certain memories for a reason
How Much Methane?
A U of T study aims to create the most accurate estimate yet of Toronto’s greenhouse gas emissions
How Do You Eat in Space?
UTM students design educational games about life on the International Space Station
Out of the Depths
Royal Ontario Museum exhibit tells the story of the world’s largest mammal
The War of Currents
U of T startup ARDA Power is looking to change people’s ideas about where electricity should come from
Giving Younger Academics a Boost
The Hart Professorships support the next generation of engineering research pioneers
Looking for a Good Wine and Cheese Pairing?
A U of T scientist uses data to find the perfect match
Hungry for Hazardous Waste
How pollution-eating microbes could help clean up toxic sites
When Memory Fails
Understanding how we learn and make memories will lead to better treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, says Brain Prize winner Graham Collingridge
The Gene Editors
U of T scientists are using a powerful new technology to alter DNA and possibly cure disease
How CRISPR Works
Proteins and RNA all play a part in this age-old defense against invading viruses
The Ethics of Gene Editing
Drawing the line at “designer babies”
Could Carbon Dioxide Be the Solution to Climate Change?
Greenhouse gas could be harvested from the atmosphere and recycled into renewable fuel, says researcher
Data in Search of Scientists
With the U.S. facing a shortage of data analysts, a company led by a U of T grad is looking to bridge the gap
Why Do Tornadoes Form?
UTSC researcher uses 30 years of climate data to understand what causes these devastating storms
New Centre to Fight Cancer
A U of T Mississauga team is tackling some of the most fatal forms of the disease
Science Goes Social
Research2Reality, a new social media campaign, digests science for the public
The Hidden Lives of Cells
Novel protein “map” developed at U of T could yield better treatments for many diseases
Engineering a Human Liver
Liver tissue created in a U of T lab could help reduce the time and cost of drug development
The Dark Corners of Our DNA
A “deep-learning” algorithm shines a light on mutations in once-obscure areas of the genome
The North’s Vanishing Past
Max Friesen is racing against time to preserve the cultural history of Canada’s western arctic people
Biochar
Agriculture scientists have become interested in this potential environmental champion
When Time Began
A new telescope may shed light on the universe’s first moments
Bringing the Universe Down to Earth
Student scientists at Astronomy Summer School learn how to design the instruments that show us the cosmos
9 Incredible Science Facts about the University of Toronto
A celebration of unique, extraordinary and record-breaking feats and facts from the U of T's 187-year history of learning and discovery
Honest Lying
Brain dysfunction can cause us to make false statements that we believe to be true
Fighting Math Anxiety
U of T’s Math Outreach instructors are changing hearts and minds about an often-feared subject
The World’s Worst Greenhouse Gas
Widely used industrial chemical has 7,100 times the potential climate impact of carbon dioxide
Arctic Sea Ice in Century-Long Decline
U of T scientist uses long-lived algae to track annual changes in northern climate back to 1300s
An Urban Science Partnership in New York City
New York’s applied sciences research hub inspires new thinking in higher education
The Geography of Pollution
A PhD candidate’s low-cost sensors could be deployed across cities to gather highly local air-quality data
First Contact
A professor at the Dunlap Institute is trying to answer one of the biggest questions in all of science: Is there intelligent life beyond Earth?
Garbage into Gas
An idea developed at U of T would help turn polluting oilsands waste into clean-burning hydrogen gas
Into the Wild
U of T partners with the Jane Goodall Institute to send students to Uganda to study endangered wildlife
The Glutamate Riddle
Grad student Christina Nona seeks to unlock the role of an important brain chemical in Alzheimer’s and addiction
Goodbye to Plastic?
Emma Master imagines a world with much less garbage, thanks to new organic materials she’s researching