🎓 Students in residences get better grades
🔬 Canada plans for huge science infrastructure
✊ Online conflict strengthens social movements
🚒 Algorithms study house fire behaviour
💊 Ketamine minimizes chronic pain
🧠 Big ROI for youth mental health program
🏠 Nixing temporary rentals reduces rents
TORONTO METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
Beyond parties: Better grades for students in residence
TMU researchers spanning several areas (real estate economy, architecture, planning, business, and housing) analyzed roughly 750,000 student records from four Toronto universities, finding that students in residence earned higher grades.
However, only 7-9% of university students live in campus housing, and this has declined since the 1990s, when funding was reduced.
“We found that where a student lives is linked to measurable differences in academic performance and satisfaction…. Now, where and how a student lives is determined to a large extent by what they or their families can afford.”
GOVERNMENT OF CANADA
Sci space: Canada’s new research compound
Six state-of-the-art science facilities are now planned for construction at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) laboratory site, with the aim of fostering collaboration among CFIA, Canada Border Services Agency, Health Canada, and the Public Health Agency of Canada.
The new, immense infrastructure project is planned to improve “public and animal health, border protection and security science.”
“Through Laboratories Canada, we are making one of the largest investments in federal science infrastructure in a generation. RSS Main will equip Canada’s scientists and researchers with the modern tools they need to tackle emerging challenges, strengthen Canada’s resilience, support economic growth, and help keep Canadians safe for years to come.” — Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement
MCGILL UNIVERSITY
Fight fuel: Online conflict strengthens global activist movements
McGill collaborated with researchers at Northeastern University and the University of Massachusetts to examine the impact of arguments on global social movements.
The researchers examined global climate action in 2019 inspired by activist Greta Thunberg, finding that arguments galvanize and spur further movements.
“Anyone who has watched an online debate turn heated assumes arguing kills collective action…. Our study shows the opposite: the same social media dynamics that produce conflict also enable millions of strangers to discover they are telling the same story and act together. It explains how a teenager’s solo school strike could become a worldwide mobilization in a matter of months.” — Dr. Emmanuelle Vaast
UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO
AI on fire: Algorithms for house fire analysis
Understanding of fire behaviour remains fairly limited. Modern furniture, for instance, can produce toxic gases when on fire, while modern buildings maximize energy efficiency and moisture barriers, not for ventilation.
To remedy this, researchers at U Waterloo are now using sensors to measure temperature, airflow, humidity, and gas concentrations (CO2, carbon monoxide, methane, hydrogen cyanide, and others).
“We want to deepen our understanding so we can predict fire behavior and the gases it releases, enabling smart systems that support safer and more effective fire evacuations.” — Dr. Joshua Pulsipher
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
Alt drugs: Ketamine for chronic pain?
U of T researchers followed the pain experiences of 30 people with chronic neuropathic pain over 16 weeks. They found that almost 80% of those who received combined treatments of ketamine and psychotherapy had a significant reduction in pain, versus 50-60% for those receiving each therapy alone.
“There is increasing data that ketamine might increase neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to acquire and learn new concepts…. Ketamine allows us to basically remove those weeds and plant new seeds for new flowers to grow. It creates the conditions for us to administer the psychotherapy and for the patient to benefit long term.” — Dr. Akash Goe
MCGILL UNIVERSITY
Investing in kids: Youth mental health program sees big ROI
Rather than focusing on milder mental health concerns, a new study suggests that focusing on more intense mental health issues among youth could bring the biggest benefits for society.
Analyzing the program ACCESS Open Minds, the team found that the program “saved the public health-care system an average of $4,355 per patient annually, or nearly $10 for every dollar invested.”
After completing the program, participants were found to require fewer services than those who received traditional treatment.
“Our study shows public benefits depend on making sure that these services remain accessible to young people with the greatest needs… You can only save money if you’re providing care to the people the health-care system was already spending money on in the first place.” — Dr. Jai Shah
MCGILL UNIVERSITY
Bye, BnB: Restricting short-term rentals boosts housing affordability
Researchers at McGill have found that regulating short-term rentals really does lower rents. The results of their study showed that the impact of municipal restrictions even extended to neighbouring municipalities.
“We found absolute, iron-clad evidence that short-term rental regulations put downward pressure on rent. Lots of things cause housing to be expensive, but this is low-hanging fruit to manage those costs… When municipalities imposed harsh rules, a year later, rents declined in those cities relative to what they would have been otherwise. Two years later, they’re down even more. That is not just localized to one neighbourhood but spreads across a whole region.” — Dr. David Wachsmuth