With the global El Niño weather system continuing through this spring, forecasts suggest 2024 could be even hotter — prompting wildfire and public policy experts to call for more wildfire prevention efforts now. Low snowpack and higher temperatures forecast for El Niño year already raising wildfire concerns. The first week …
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How artificial intelligence can help beavers fight floods, droughts and wildfires
A few years ago, a couple of Google employees reached out to a Minnesota scientist with an unusual proposal: What if they could teach computers to spot beaver habitats from space? EEAGER, a new machine learning algorithm, identities beaver dams from satellite and aerial images. A few years ago, a …
Read More »Furnace or heat pump? Why not heat your home with both?
Can’t decide whether to ditch your furnace for a heat pump? Having a hybrid system with both kinds of heating comes with advantages, say researchers and those in the HVAC industry. Here’s a closer look at the pros and cons, and whether this is the right choice for your home. …
Read More »Cold plunges are all the rage. But what does the science say?
The cold plunge has entered the mainstream in recent years, along with lofty claims about supposed health benefits, from reducing inflammation and boosting immunity to alleviating depression and anxiety. But is there any science behind it? Or is this just a lot of hype? Experts weigh in on the purported …
Read More »Moon missions, meteors, a solar eclipse and more: Reasons to keep your eyes on the skies in 2024
2024 will be an eventful one in space, from the launch of the Europa Clipper to one of Jupiter’s enigmatic moon, a Canadian expected to orbit our moon and a total solar eclipse that will be visible across eastern Canada. In one celestial highlight, parts of eastern Canada will experience …
Read More »B.C. bat experts say the ‘misrepresented’ mammals need ‘condos,’ not rooms
Scientist Cori Lausen says climate change and disease are killing off bats — but humans can play a role building them temperature-stable homes. That includes roosts with multiple rooms. Climate change and diseases are killing the furry flyers. But people can help them, starting with better homes. Small wooden tree-mounted …
Read More »This UBC grad has discovered thousands of likely planets across our cosmos
Michelle Kunimoto has more than 3,000 planetary candidates under her belt. After a stint at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology working with NASA, the B.C. astronomer is about to return to her alma mater, University of British Columbia — this time as a faculty member. Michelle Kunimoto dreams of discovering …
Read More »Why scientists are looking to landscaping gravel to help restore Nova Scotia’s kelp
A group of scientists, conservationists and a west coast seaweed company are testing an approach to “seaforestation” that they hope could help protect the future of Nova Scotia’s kelp. Researchers are testing ‘green gravel’ in Mahone Bay. In a converted shipping container perched oceanside in Ketch Harbour, N.S., a group …
Read More »Why scientists are hoping landscaping gravel can help restore Nova Scotia’s kelp
A group of scientists, conservationists and a west coast seaweed company are testing an approach to “seaforestation” that they hope could help protect the future of Nova Scotia’s kelp. Researchers are testing ‘green gravel’ in Mahone Bay. In a converted shipping container perched oceanside in Ketch Harbour, N.S., a group …
Read More »Meet Oscar, the Canadian-built, AI-driven recycling system helping governments go green
As the federal government begins to embrace artificial intelligence, the Oscar Sort recycling station is one of the more unconventional ways the government is using AI. The system is popping up in federal government buildings and changing how people talk about trash. Technology developed in Canada is improving recycling in …
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