At first glance, astrophysics may not seem to have much in common with tracking and predicting the spread of a global virus. But to Professor Niayesh Afshordi, the link was clear – even early last year as our collective reaction to COVID-19 played out in real time.
The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), which started its main survey of the Universe on May 17 this year will allow researchers, including astrophysicists at the University of Waterloo, to study dark energy in ways that have not been possible before.
Plastics pollution is a global environmental hazard with potentially harmful impacts on wildlife, ecosystem services, and human health and wellbeing. Microplastics in particular are of great concern because of their ability to be transported over great distances and absorb and disperse contaminants widely.
To a scientist, trial and error is common in laboratories to refine new tests and methods, and look for potential problems on the small scale. But what happens when these techniques are meant for human tissues, such as for surgeries, medical tests, and treatments, where multiple different trials are not possible?
A twenty-minute saliva-based COVID-19 test may be coming soon to a pharmacy near you, thanks to researchers at the University of Waterloo.
On Monday, Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced funding for almost $3M to study the effects of contaminants on aquatic ecosystems across Canada.
The black hole at the centre of the M87 galaxy is like a giant fire-breathing dragon that spews enormous jets of energetic particles at near light speeds across some 5,000 light years of space.
A new view of this black hole in polarized light, released today by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration, will help astrophysicists understand just how those jets are launched by this monstrous black hole.
Since the early days of the pandemic, Professor Mark Servos and his team have been applying their knowledge of measuring water contamination to help public health officials understand the movement of SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19 – within municipal wastewater.
From the smallest of nanomaterials to the edges of our known galaxy, and every water droplet in between, researchers in the Faculty of Science are pushing the boundaries of knowledge.