Ghost Effects
Social psychologist Michael Inzlicht launched his academic career on the study of “ego depletion.” His research suggested it was real. Then came doubts
Research & Ideas
What Does It Mean to Replicate a Study?
Replication studies put researchers’ conclusions to the test by creating new versions of the original experiment
What Will Solve the Replication Crisis?
U of T scholars and others are calling for four major changes to how research is conducted
Why We Sometimes Make Bad Decisions
Economists have long known that consumers can make confounding choices when presented with too much selection. But they’ve never agreed on why. Enter neuroscience
With Restored Sight Comes Opportunity and Hope
A gift from the Nanji family to U of T will help people “see the light of all the world”
The Big Bang
Life on Earth exploded about 540 million years ago. Scientists are now beginning to understand why
A Distinctive Look?
English-Canadians are pretty good at identifying French-Canadian faces but the reverse isn’t true
Save Your Money
An app from Vicis Labs aims to help millennials and the precariously employed manage their cash
Seniors Want to Know Whom They Can Trust Online
U of T study finds older Canadians are highly concerned about digital security – sometimes to their disadvantage
Bringing Smiles to Uganda
On a two-week visit to remote villages, a U of T dental team fixes teeth – and changes lives
Finger on the Button
Could a war of words lead to an actual war between the U.S. and North Korea?
Antifa
An anti-fascist movement that started in 1930s Europe is making headlines again
Yoga Is Good for You
But just what are the health benefits?
The Struggle Is Real
Filmmaker Maureen Judge’s latest project captures stories of millennials venturing out on their own
The Day the Stars Collided
It was all hands on deck for U of T astronomers during a rare cosmic event that led to the first sighting of a new object
How Did the Universe Begin?
Prof. Barth Netterfield’s lifelong journey into faith, physics and astronomy
10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know Were Invented by U of T Alumni
These include everything from life-saving innovations to everyday conveniences
Teaching Kids How to Code
U of T undergrads are bringing the language of computers to youth in Toronto’s low-income neighbourhoods. Will it “future-proof” them?
A Refuge from the Streets
Having spent time homeless herself, Prof. Suzanne Stewart envisions a new kind of shelter – one that truly understands and cares for Indigenous women
When Getting a Job Is Mission Impossible
Laws to end workplace discrimination against people with disabilities have mostly failed to boost employment. Sociologist David Pettinicchio wants to know why
AI’s Quantum Leap
In combining two of computing’s hottest trends, the Creative Destruction Lab sees new opportunities for startups
Astroturfing
The practice of faking a grassroots movement gets an update in the age of social media
Some Forgetfulness? It’s a Good Thing
Researchers discover that our brain erases certain memories for a reason
Among Syrian Refugees, a Need for Insulin and Heart Meds
As the media share images of wounded migrants, some of the biggest medical threats go almost unmentioned
How a Verbal Test Can Reveal Your Brain Health
WinterLight Labs analyzes speech for evidence of even mild dementia. All patients need to do is describe a picture
What Canada Got Right
An acceptance of diversity may be the country’s defining strength
How Much Methane?
A U of T study aims to create the most accurate estimate yet of Toronto’s greenhouse gas emissions
3D Movies in the Sky
A U of T startup is developing a whole new kind of night-time entertainment
So You Want to Build a Startup?
10 tips from some of Canada’s top entrepreneurs
Lost Words
Dozens of Indigenous languages in Canada are in danger of disappearing. What will it take to save them?
How to Type in Inuktitut
A U of T PhD student is making fonts and keyboard layouts for Indigenous languages available for free
ICUBE UTM
The name of this U of T Mississauga business accelerator refers to three “i” words central to entrepreneurship
How Do You Eat in Space?
UTM students design educational games about life on the International Space Station
U of T Doctors Keep Patient Alive Without Lungs for Six Days
The procedure allowed Melissa Benoit to have a life-saving transplant
Data Minding
A mathematician offers ideas on how to protect ourselves from hackers without making our digital devices impossibly complex to use
Woke
The term emerges from African-American vernacular as a call to action, says U of T prof Cassandra Lord
A Stronger Safety Net
Can a minimum income guarantee help lift people out of poverty? Ontario is about to find out
Reimagining Toronto’s Ravines
Daniels students’ projects find new uses for the the city’s neglected river valleys
Revealing the True You
New model for assessing personality traits could benefit employers
Music to the Ears
Margaret Lam’s company aims to reduce ticket prices for concertgoers
Out of the Depths
Royal Ontario Museum exhibit tells the story of the world’s largest mammal
The War of Currents
U of T startup ARDA Power is looking to change people’s ideas about where electricity should come from
Making the World Unsafe Again?
Donald Trump’s presidency is raising the risk of violent conflict among the world’s great powers
“Instagram for Doctors” Helps Physicians Solve Medical Puzzlers
A smartphone app co-created by a U of T alum allows health professionals to share images of unusual cases
A Better Life for Children with Heart Defects
Research at the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research could one day eliminate the need for infants with heart problems to have more than one surgery
Big Data, Genetics and Personal Medicine Will Soon Transform Health Care
But there’s a gap between all the medical data being gathered and the ability to translate this into therapies for individual patients
Healing Hearts at Home
Apps such as Medly are expected to reduce hospital admission rates for heart patients while also helping them recover
A Community Grapples with Cancer
Researchers at the Waakebiness-Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health have teamed up with a First Nation in northwestern Ontario to solve a generation-old medical mystery
Advancing Drugs to Fight Cancer and Other Diseases
A research centre at U of T Mississauga aims to speed up the development of new life-saving cancer medications
Facing Up to Canada’s Past
Scholars at the Jackman Humanities Institute find optimism amidst the pain in Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Giving Younger Academics a Boost
The Hart Professorships support the next generation of engineering research pioneers
Forensic Accountants Fight Back Against Fraud
U of T Mississauga aims to create global champions in the battle against white-collar crime
Helping Machine-Learning Startups Succeed
Artificial intelligence could soon transform almost everything. The Rotman School’s Creative Destruction Lab will place U of T entrepreneurs at the forefront
Overcoming Bias with Teaching
Professor Shafique Virani says the key to countering Islamophobia is education
The Beauty of Language
Reading Canadian fiction and poetry helps us understand our own experience and that of others
The English of a Millennium Ago
Now at “H,” the Dictionary of Old English aims to define every word from the language’s earliest days
Lowering Barriers to Higher Ed
Helping high school students apply to college and university leads to higher enrolment, study finds
Post-Truth Politics
When lying becomes an acceptable political strategy
Can Artificial Intelligence Solve the Mystery of Genetic Disease?
Prof. Brendan Frey and his team are harnessing machine learning to figure out what makes us sick
Making Money Out of Thin Air
U of T startup Exact Media finds a way to turn excess space into a business