News for Media

Friday, February 3, 2023

Prof. Chris Yakymchuk discusses rare earth mining on Global News

Split screen of Anthony Robart and Chris Yakymchuk

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's recent visit to Saskatoon's rare earths element processing facility has sparked conversations about rare earth elements and the environmental impact of mining them. Waterloo's Dr. Chris Yakymchuk appeared on Global News Morning Toronto to discuss rare earth mining in Canada.

Thursday, January 19, 2023

Dean of Science writes three-part series in support of basic research

Liquid crystal

Dr. Bob Lemieux, our Dean of Science, has written a three-part series to demonstrate why conducting basic research is critical to our ongoing quest to innovate. The first article was published today on LinkedIn.

Thursday, May 12, 2022

Finding our galactic centre

A bright orange ring with three very bright spots almost equally spaced along the ring

Three years ago, history was made when the first image of a black hole inspired wonder and awe around the world as we glimpsed the shadow of light escaping from the supermassive black hole M87*. Today, history is being made again as the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration releases the image of a second black hole — Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) — the one at the centre of our own Milky Way galaxy.

Thursday, February 24, 2022

Linda Nazar discovers new electrolyte for solid-state lithium-ion batteries

In the quest for the perfect battery, scientists have two primary goals: create a device that can store a great deal of energy and do it safely. Many batteries contain liquid electrolytes, which are potentially flammable.

As a result, solid-state lithium-ion batteries, which consist of entirely solid components, have become increasingly attractive to scientists because they offer an enticing combination of higher safety and increased energy density — which is how much energy the battery can store for a given volume.

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Study recommends six steps to improve our water quality

A farmer uses specialized equipment to fertilize his raspberry field

Nitrogen fertilizers are critical for growing crops to feed the world, yet when applied in excess can pollute our water for decades. A new study provides six steps to address nitrogen pollution and improve water quality.