More than just directions: maps and society throughout Canadian history

By Mary Anne Schoenhardt, Science and Society co-editor What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of maps? An old, rolled up piece of paper? An app on your phone? A piece of cultural identity? A map is a symbolic representation of selected characteristics of a place, usually drawn on a flat […]

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Building a better future: the youth climate movement in Canada

A crowded rally in Berlin.

By Mary Anne Schoenhardt, Science in Society editor “You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words”. These were the words Greta Thunberg used at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York in 2019. “The young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon […]

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Science writing behind the scenes: An interview with the winner of the Canadian Blood Services Lay Writing Competition

By Mary Anne Schoenhardt, Science and Society editor Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a science communicator? Here at Science Borealis, our goal is to tell stories about Canadian science and help our fellow citizens understand the role that science plays in society. We’re a group of communicators from a variety of […]

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Traditional Ecological Knowledge and science: a path forward

By Mary Anne Schoenhardt, Science in Society editor “A foot in both worlds” is how Ph.D. student Enooyaq Sudlovenick describes her work. An Inuk studying the health of beluga whales at the University of Manitoba, she uses a combination of the scientific method and traditional Inuit knowledge in her research. She monitors environmental contaminants and […]

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The history of science: The story of humanity’s pursuit of knowledge

University of Toronto laboratory where insulin was discovered. Photo from University of Toronto Archives. Public domain.

Mary Anne Schoenhardt, Science & Society editor The summer of 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin, which is credited to the two Canadian scientists Frederick Banting and Charles Best. Insulin has saved the lives of millions of people who have diabetes. This discovery won the Noble Prize in Physiology and Medicine […]

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