by Esme Symons, Technology & Engineering editor Washing can be hard on clothes. It removes dirt but can also remove tiny strands of clothing. These microfibres then go down the drain and into the environment. As the “micro” prefix suggests, each fibre is at most 5 mm long. Together, the impact of these fibres is […]
Esme Symons
Plastic recycling in Canada
Esme Symons and Sri Ray-Chauduri, Technology & Engineering editors Plastic items, including single-use plastics, are ubiquitous throughout Canada. When we’re done with a disposable water bottle, many of us will spot a recycling symbol and throw it in a recycling bin, believing we’ve given the material a new lease on life. However, with Canada recycling […]
Coded Bias: How algorithmic biases affect all of us
Sri Ray-Chauduri and Esme Symons, Technology and Engineering editors If you think the documentary Coded Bias sounds like it’s only for technology or engineering enthusiasts, think again. If you have ever used social media, bought something online or walked down a street of a big city, then you need to watch this film! The documentary […]
Better disposal for disposable masks
Esme Symons, Technology & Engineering editor They are appearing everywhere like dandelions in spring: disposable masks. But while dandelions are a natural phenomenon that heralds warmer weather, disposable masks on the sidewalk or in the street are just garbage. Uptick in disposable mask usage Disposable mask usage has increased dramatically due to the COVID-19 […]
Superhydrophobicity, from leaf to lab
Esme Symons, Technology & Engineering editor When we’re outside in the rain, we use raincoats and umbrellas to keep us dry. They are made of waterproof materials that have surface chemistries that are unfriendly to water. It takes less energy for the water molecules to be attracted to each than to the waterproof surface, so […]