The Conversation CA
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Is your child's school an obesity risk?
Child obesity rates are skyrocketing globally. Young children spend the lion’s share of their time in school, consuming a large portion of their …
ObesityFive great reads to help teens become critical thinkers
Young adults who are, perhaps, still figuring out their needs don’t need to be overburdened with books they won’t like. The last thing we want is for …
BooksThe mathematics of Christmas: A review of the Indisputable Existence of Santa Claus
How do you prove Santa Claus exists using mathematical logic? What’s an optimal algorithm for wrapping Christmas gifts? Does the heat equation give …
MathematicsHow to get more electric vehicles on the road
Despite the hype and excitement, not to mention the fanciful visions put forth by Tesla’s Elon Musk, electric vehicles (EVs) are not yet winning over …
Electric VehiclesLies about Santa? They could be good for your child
Christmas is a magical time of year, especially for children. Unfortunately, between elaborate Elf on the Shelf staging and fending off questions …
ParentingStar Wars' last Jedi may use the Force of quantum science
As <i>Star Wars: The Last Jedi</i> opens in theatres and its heroine Rey seeks to learn the ways of the Force from an aged and isolated Luke Skywalker, it …
Star WarsTech gifts for unsavvy seniors may put your loved ones at risk
Thinking about getting grandma or grandpa a techno-gadget this holiday season? Wired seniors may be the way of the future, especially among those 60 …
PrivacyDe-radicalization can work for former ISIS fighters
Canada’s spy agency, CSIS, recently revealed that 60 foreign fighters who joined ISIS and other terror groups in Syria and Iraq are now back and …
TerrorismUniversity free speech debate is really about power
The maelstrom that erupted last month at Wilfrid Laurier University has since spread far beyond the campus ground — a teaching assistant opened up a …
Social JusticeYou've got your DNA kit: Now what can you do with it?
– —Differences among people, such as eye colour or hair colour, come from slight variations in our genetic code. As technology advances, it’s getting …
DNAIslamophobia in Québec: An ideology rooted in 20th century imperialism
“Arabs aren’t big on sensitivity; they’re more egotistical: it’s the men first, then the women, and then the children, if anyone thinks of them at …
ReligionHow divesting of fossil fuels could help save the planet
Recently, a number of institutional investors, including Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec in Canada and Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, …
ClimateWhy governments must not block social media criticism
In the digital era, politicians and government agencies frequently find themselves the target of criticism on social media.<p>There have been some …
CensorshipRoad salt is bad for the environment, so why do we keep using it?
Marshes, streams and lakes lie alongside many of the roads and highways that zigzag across North America. Plants and animals inhabit these water …
Marine BiologySix children's stories to bring calm to the holiday chaos
I’m a children’s literature professor who specializes in the connections between young people’s rights and their reading materials. So as you can …
BooksCharles Dickens: The man who invented Christmas plagiarized Jesus
Everyone knows the story of Scrooge, a man so miserly his name has become synonymous with penny-pinching meanness. Scrooge’s conversion from miser to …
LiteratureStudent grades: How confidence can hinder success
At this time of year, university students across the country are preparing for exams. Some will happily get higher-than-expected marks. But a larger …
EducationThe news industry has always needed government support: A look back to the 1800s
Many of us get our daily news from the internet. Running the gamut from real to fake to satire that is “proudly fake,” online news outlets gather and …
JournalismCanada must make science great again
No modern U.S. president has been more openly opposed to scientific endeavour than Donald Trump.<p>In his first year in office, Trump has withdrawn his …
ClimateTrump's manipulation of mass consciousness
We like to think of our memories as sepia celluloid snippets of our life upon this Earth.<p>We think they “reflect us” and remind us of the person we …
Donald TrumpHow American cities & states are fighting climate change globally
Since the Trump administration announced last June its intended withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, attention — and hope — has turned to …
ClimateWhy financial literacy should be taught in every school
<i>What would you do if you spotted a wild animal in your proximity?</i><p><i>If you know that inflation forecasts were one per cent lower than actuals and</i> …
EducationInstead of mourning local news, try paying for it
Expressions of shock, concern and loss were widespread recently after Postmedia Network Canada Corp. and Torstar Corp. announced a newspaper swap and …
JournalismInternetization: A new word for our global economy
The word <i>globalization</i> has lost its relevance and lustre with the emergence of the new global economy of the 21st century. In fact, it’s become an …
InnovationIs your child a picky eater? Five ways to fun and healthy mealtimes
If you have a picky eater at home, you aren’t alone. Almost 50 per cent of parents identify their preschoolers as picky eaters.<p>Picky eaters can make …
ParentingTransphobia, Islamophobia and the free speech alibi
<i>“I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”</i><p>This quote, often attributed to the 18th-century French …
ReligionWhy history education is central to the survival of democracy
Canadians are at war over their history.<p>The CBC series <i>Canada: The Story of Us</i> caused outrage in spring 2017 with the choices made for its historical …
EducationA continuum of unabated violence: Remembering the massacre at École Polytechnique
Thirty-five years ago, in 1982, when Margaret Mitchell stood in Parliament and raised the issue of domestic violence, she was laughed down by her …
GenderWith the holidays upon us, is it time to end tipping?
Tipping in restaurants is a well-established social norm in North America.<p>With the holidays upon us and many of us dining out and celebrating, …
RestaurantsIf your pet has this tapeworm, it could kill you
Dogs are sending us an early warning signal about the spread of a potentially deadly tapeworm in North America.<p>The tapeworm, <i>Echinococcus</i> …
Medicine