Speeds up search to observe collisions in first hours when scientists can learn most
University of Alberta physicists have created a new, simpler way to model collisions between neutron stars. The model will enable scientists to predict the brightness of early neutron star mergers more reliably than before – allowing telescopes to gain more information from these events. “Studying the light and electromagnetic waves emitted from these collisions allows…
The ‘snake with four legs’ is instead a long-bodied marine lizard
Filling in the links of the evolutionary chain with a fossil record of a “snake with four legs” connecting lizards and early snakes would be a dream come true for paleontologists. But a specimen formerly thought to fit the bill is not the missing piece of the puzzle, according to a new study led by…
An international team of researchers is using artificial intelligence to predict new illegal drugs before they hit the streets – which could help save lives and fight crime. “We are anticipating what street drugs, or novel psychoactive substances, will appear before they are made or before they enter communities,” said team member David Wishart, University…
Computing scientists developing AI to combat pandemic by taking advantage of health data
How many new COVID-19 cases will be in the ICU three weeks from today? University of Alberta scientists are using the wealth of public health data on COVID-19 to build AI-powered tools to help project and combat the pandemic. “Our team is using ideas from epidemiology and machine learning to develop tools to forecast the…
Balancing physical and social needs key to ensuring equity in affected communities
As our world adapts to climate change, a renewed focus on social vulnerability is critical to supporting affected communities, according to a study by University of Alberta urban planning experts. “Our research shows we must expand our thinking beyond solely the physical aspects of climate change, and to instead design for the social effects of…
Paves the way for potential new drugs for viruses including dengue, yellow fever and West Nile
A new study by University of Alberta biophysicists has revealed how a rare structure forms within RNA from the Zika virus that makes it resistant to our bodies’ immune systems. The results provide a potential target for new drug therapies to combat the virus and others like it. “Due to the structure formed within the…
By observing the building techniques of other birds
Like archeologists learning how past humans built their homes, birds can learn construction techniques by observing unoccupied nests, according to a new study. University of Alberta scientists found that zebra finches learn about nest building by observing an empty nest – but only if they first learn what a nest is. “We gave half our…
Discovery means the nationally threatened Gibson’s big sand tiger beetle is more at risk than previously thought
An undergraduate research study has found that a threatened type of beetle found in Saskatchewan and Colorado is, in fact, made up of two genetically distinct subspecies. The discovery has important implications for conservation efforts for the insects and shows that both populations of Gibson’s big sand tiger beetle are more threatened than previously thought.…
Computing scientist lost in Flight PS752 contributed to the study
A new deep learning model can learn to identify diseases from medical scans faster and more accurately, according to new research by a team of University of Alberta computing scientists and the U of A spinoff company MEDO. The breakthrough model is the work of a team of researchers in the Faculty of Science – including Pouneh…
Geoscientist sheds new light on permafrost thaw in the geologic past and what it could mean for our future
Geoscientists have uncovered surprising results that reveal a complex history of ancient permafrost thaw – with implications for understanding the effects of permafrost thawing and climate change in the Canadian Arctic today. “Permafrost is really a geological expression of climate, so permafrost response to past periods of global warming is like a natural experiment for…
University of Alberta physicists have created a new, simpler way to model collisions between neutron stars. The model will enable scientists to predict the brightness of early neutron star mergers more reliably than before – allowing telescopes to gain more information from these events. “Studying the light and electromagnetic waves emitted from these collisions allows…
