Building a functioning molecular-communications system that can send and receive data has proved tricky. But researchers at York University in Toronto and the University of Warwick in Britain have now done so using a battery-powered liquid sprayer, a desktop fan, a handful of breathalyzer sensors, some cheap Arduino open-source electronics and an ample supply of rubbing alcohol. With this they managed to text the message “O Canada” four metres across a room – a first for molecular communication, reported The Economist March 8. Read full story.
Olivia Chow continues to play coy on mayoral bid at event, despite Rob Ford shadowing her with his campaign
Olivia Chow continued to play coy about her mayoral intentions while at York University on Thursday for a book signing that she insists has nothing to do with campaigning. Yes, she says Toronto needs a new mayor. Yes, she loves this city and is “seriously considering” vying for that chair. But, the federal New Democrat and former city councillor hasn’t “quite made a decision yet,” reported the National Post and others March 6. Read full story.
New Diet Coke ‘You’re on’ ad stirs controversy
Are you on coke or are you on Coke? As Coca Cola’s latest Diet Coke ads stir up controversy over social media for their not-so-subtle allusion to drugs, a marketing expert says the company either dared to go there or it’s just really out of touch with its target audience. “Yes, I can absolutely see [the intention],” said Schulich School of Business marketing Professor Alan Middleton in the Toronto Star March 6, “but any doubt or suggestion about the phrasing goes around on social media, so it will be thought of in those [drug] terms.” Read full story.
We need solutions, not job ‘crisis’ blame
Humber College economics professor and international studies teacher at Toronto’s York University Tyler Shipley notes that not only are many youth unemployed, but many more are under-employed, in unpaid internships, employed on a contract basis and/or working for low wages in precarious positions, reported the Aurora Banner March 6. And while much has been made of the youth unemployment rate, little has been done to tackle the under-employment side of the equation, he said, which should be viewed as a troubling fact. Read full story.
Nelson Mandela and the Canadian legal and judicial profession
“Only a handful of universities in the world honoured Mandela with an honorary doctorate while he was in prison and one of these universities was York University in Toronto, Canada,” wrote Osgoode Hall Law School alumnus Munyonzwe Hamalengwa in the Pambazuka News March 6. “The honorary doctorate degree in law given to Mandela by York in 1989, the year I myself graduated from York’s Osgoode Hall Law School, was because I had founded the Nelson Mandela Law Society at Osgoode in 1986, in my first year of law school. I used that vehicle to get Mandela the award.” Read full story.
Is the future of Canadian health care closer than we think?
Led by York University, NexJ Systems and McMaster University, the Connected Health and Wellness Project is a unique collaboration of 18 academic, health-care and industry partners who share a single compelling vision that puts people at the centre of managing their health and wellness, reported Techvibes March 6. Read full story.