Research & Innovation

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Health & Medicine

Don’t keep it simple: Study finds lab beeps don’t reflect what we actually hear

How complex sounds can improve healthcare, navigation and research into how we hear.
People's silhouettes are shadowed on a wall.

Thousands of Canadian children growing up with incarcerated parents, study finds

The first-of-its-kind study provides a credible estimate for a group that has been “statistically invisible” in policy and service planning.
A group of people pose for a picture indoors, against a wall of windows.

Two local community research partnerships receive $10K each  

The EMBOLDEN study with older adults and a project on local 2SLGBTQ+ histories were recognized at the Community-Engaged Research Awards. 

Energy & Sustainability

three people in hip waders kneel on a river bank doing research.

World Water Day: McMaster researchers advance global water solutions

Meet some of the researchers exploring ways to conserve water, safeguard waterways and protect aquatic life.
Two pictures side by side, each with two smiling researchers. At left are two people holding vials of orange liquid; at right are two people in the McMaster Greenhouse with a tall cucumber plant towering behind them.

Full circle: Researchers turn food waste into energy, use the process water to grow food

Researchers from the faculties of Engineering and Science are teaming up to convert agricultural food waste into energy-dense solid fuel, then use the water left over from the process as an eco-friendly pesticide and fertilizer.
A close-up image of a yellow charging cord plugged into a blue electric vehicle.

Analysis: Will your electric car burst into flames? A solid-state battery would reduce the risk

Replacing the flammable liquid in EV batteries with a solid electrolyte would reduce the risk of spontaneous combustion from damaged or overheated batteries, writes Taiana Emmanuel Pereira.

Canada & The World

Students hold up protest signs, one reading 'F Your Fascism.'

Analysis: The war on DEI reflects the quiet normalization of white nationalism — in the U.S. and beyond

The backlash against DEI initiatives casts diversity itself as a threat. Here’s why that’s so dangerous in an era of rising authoritarianism, writes expert Henry Giroux.
Musician Bad Bunny performs at the Super Bowl, followed by others holding flags.

Analysis: What Bad Bunny meant when he said ‘Canadá’ — and why we’re still talking about it

The moment highlights that Canada is not adjacent to the Americas — it is part of it, and Latin American and Latinx people are active participants in shaping the cultural, linguistic and political lives of this country, write Rodrigo Narro Pérez and Stacy Creech de Castro.
illustration of currency with percentage marks and bar charts to illustrate financial data

How Trump's tariffs far surpassed a critical tipping point

Other countries should have presented a united front in retaliating to steep U.S. tariffs, economist Pau Pujolas’ research shows.

Science & Technology

An aerial photo of a beach with trees and inlets and mountains in the background.

Analysis: The Cascadia Subduction zone isn’t shutting down – but it’s more complicated than we thought

The interpretation that the subduction zone is winding down gets ahead of the science. What the new research actually shows is far more complex and interesting, writes Alexander Lewis Peace.
A grid of headshots of four researchers.

Four McMaster researchers awarded $960,000 to lead studies on small modular reactors

The Faculty of Engineering projects cover a range of topics, from SMR safety and the performance and life cycle of materials to the secure remote operation of SMRs and spent fuel management.
A rocket ship launches amidst large clouds.

To the moon: The mechanical engineering behind the Artemis II launch

Professor Andrew Gadsden breaks down how mechanical engineers are key to rocket launches and why the Artemis II mission is so important to space travel.

Leadership, Culture, & Society

A group of people pose for a picture indoors, against a wall of windows.

Two local community research partnerships receive $10K each  

The EMBOLDEN study with older adults and a project on local 2SLGBTQ+ histories were recognized at the Community-Engaged Research Awards. 
The giant letters outside Hamilton City Hall spelling out the word Hamilton.

Analysis: Talk matters: How municipal council debates can enhance democracy

At a time of increased polarization and online toxicity, the quality of local democratic conversations may matter as much as the policies they produce, writes Karen Bird.
Six panellists sit on stage at an event.

Wilson College and People for Education explore the vital role of public education

Professor Kristina Llewellyn delivered a keynote speech and joined a panel discussion with education advocates.  

Business & The Economy

The opening ceremony of the Vancouver Olympic games, with a graphic of five Olympic rings in the corner.

Analysis: Does hosting the Olympics make economic sense?

We asked economist Colin Mang why most Games lose money and how taxpayers usually end up footing the bill. 

Analysis: Lower tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles could boost adoption and diversify Canada’s trade

Canada’s move to reduce tariffs on electric vehicles imported from China aims to make EVs more affordable and diversity trade away from the U.S, writes expert Addisu Lashitew.
The toronto skyline, seen from Lake Ontario

How much does personal preference matter when choosing a startup location?

More than you'd think, Judy Han finds. Even if business is doing well in a given location, startup founders are unlikely to stay there if they are unhjappy, the DeGroote School of Business professor says.