Autumn 2023

Electric cars are coming. As U of T experts warn in this issue’s cover story, though, to achieve a truly low-carbon future we can’t place all our bets on electrification. Elsewhere in this issue, we look at research into new kinds of treatments for addiction, and visit a U of T technology lab that is working with actors, writers and directors to generate new experiences for theatre audiences.

Featured Posts

The back half of an electric car, with its charging cable plugged into a large inflated Earth globe

Can Electric Vehicles Save the Planet?

Eliminating gas-powered cars and trucks may help avert a climate catastrophe. But they are only part of the solution Read More

David Rokeby in glasses and a black T-shirt, standing in front of a screen, with multiple colours in various patterns projected on the screen

The Theatre of Tomorrow

A U of T lab is working with actors, writers and directors on how they could harness AI and other emerging technologies to generate new ideas and – just maybe – reinvent theatre Read More

Digital illustration, primarily in blue tones, depicting street lights on either side, shining down on fragmented pieces of a person

New Paths to Recovery

Every year, thousands of Canadians seek help for addiction. Which treatments work best? Read More

Black and white photo of astronomers Clarence Chant and Reynold Young kneeling and sitting, respectively, on the ground. Young is looking through the eyepiece of a long cylindrical-shaped camera positioned perpendicular to the ground and attached to a square tube covered with a cloth-like material. Chant is holding a black rectangular board underneath the tube.

The Einstein Camera

A century ago, a U of T astronomer led a small group of Canadians on a daring expedition to remote Australia. Their mission? To prove the Theory of General Relativity Read More

In This Issue

A bald man in a lab coat with black glasses and a beard looks at a machine with many wires emerging from it.

The Lab That (Almost) Runs Itself

Robots and AI are changing how we do science, making it faster, cheaper and more productive Read More

First-year student Reva Birla, in a black shirt, mauve hoodie and ripped blue jeans, is sitting on the side of her bed next to a large, black suitcase and looking out the window of her dorm room.

Living in Harmony

For Reva Birla, a cozy new home. For U of T Scarborough, a student residence that meets one of the most energy-efficient design standards in the world Read More

Building engineer Gurtaj Bajwa is writing on a small notepad in a room with large white pipes running parallel to the walls and ceilings, housing the geothermal system at U of T Scarborough's Instruction Centre

Clean Machine

Geothermal systems like this one will help U of T Mississauga meet its goal of becoming carbon neutral by mid-century Read More

Coloured graphite drawing of the front and side of the 905 Eglinton East Express bus

What Is the Biggest Challenge Facing the Toronto Area?

We asked 100 U of T students. It seems they share the concerns of many residents Read More

A bald man in a white lab coat stands mid frame. He's talking to someone next to him, but we can only see his purple lab gloves. To their left is a large blue container and a glass covering. There are three large oval shaped openings with black edges that allow researchers to get inside the container, presumably to do experiments

Accelerating Progress

A global consortium based at U of T has received the largest ever Canadian research grant, worth $200 million Read More

Digitally illustrated collage depicting a group of racially diverse students around a table in discussion at the centre bottom; a Black student typing on a computer keyboard with an online chat screen behind her and blue chat bubbles reflecting off her sunglasses at centre top; a man looking at an online map on the left; and a hand holding a magnifying glass over a portion of the map on the right. Several dotted online chat bubbles appear scattered throughout.

Education Is Evolving in the Age of AI

As ChatGPT disrupts conventional teaching and learning, U of T is helping instructors and students to adapt and innovate Read More

Coloured graphite drawing of a woman asleep in bed under a green and yellow leaf-patterned blanket, next to a blue alarm clock and a blue-shaded lamp.

Improving Your Shuteye

Anthropologist and sleep expert David Samson offers five useful ideas for getting a better night’s rest Read More

Professor Thy Phu, with thick blue-framed glasses and the front strands of her black hair dyed in red, stands with one hand on her hips and the other resting against a tall grey wooden fence. Behind and above her is a tree branch laden with leaves and white flowers.

Unseen Stories

The American perspective dominates our understanding of the Vietnam War. In her new book, Professor Thy Phu offers a glimpse from the other side Read More

Black and white graphite drawing of Robarts Library, with surrounding trees coloured in green.

How Robarts Library Got Its Distinctive Look

A huge, concrete triangle wasn’t an obvious design, but there were reasons for it Read More

Chelsea, wearing a white tank top and red cardigan, with the top half of her face out of frame and both hands clasping a small orange dress cutout

Missing or Murdered – and Dismissed

U of T Mississauga researchers examine the barriers family and friends face – often from police – when searching for Indigenous women and girls Read More