By Michael Limmena, Health, Medicine & Veterinary Science editor The year 2021 was one of British Columbia’s biggest wildfire seasons in our lifetimes. Between April and September of that year, the province saw about 1,600 wildfires that burned approximately 8,700 square kilometres. Although the wildfires occurred in BC, the smoke from the wildfires spread throughout […]
health
The chemistry behind antioxidants: Are they the real deal?
By Zahra Nasser, Chemistry editor They say: an apple a day keeps the doctor away. But is this phrase as true today as when it was coined in 1922? Researchers in Nova Scotia found that today’s apples, although bigger and sweeter, contain fewer health benefits than they did in the past. Specifically, the levels of […]
Are we what we eat? The link between gut microbiota, antibiotic use and health
Overuse of antibiotics might be making us more vulnerable to disease Sunitha Chari, Biology and Life Sciences co-editor Our gastro-intestinal tract is home to about 100 trillion (1014)) micro-organisms – bacteria, viruses and fungi – that together are called the gut microbiota. If that seems like a mind boggling number consider this: the human body […]
Science and society: 1867 vs 2017
Robert Gooding-Townsend and Katrina Wong, Science in Society co-editors This year we celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday. While this is a big moment in Canadian history, it is also a big moment for Canadian science. The history of Canada is so seamlessly intertwined with developments in science and technology that the two are practically indistinguishable. […]
Top 10 Borealis Blog Posts of 2015
It’s that time of year, when organizations share the top stories that engaged their readers over the twelve months of 2015. We’re happy to share the top 10 posts on the Borealis Blog in 2015, written by our fantastic team of volunteer editors. The posts cover everything from science blogging to animal testing, and from […]