BIG Exclusives

I wrote recently about scientists as advocates, using their positions of knowledge and authority to promote political and societal views. We can never have enough technical knowledge to inform important societal debates, but there are many other important things to consider. In other words, good science informs important societal debates, as do other inputs including energy security, economics, policy, and social and cultural values. So, no scientist – or physician, or other professional expert –...

Some pundits suggest that annexation rhetoric and threats of disproportionate tariffs from the United States against Canada is a classic example of a stalking horse, and simply a tactic out of Donald Trump’s book, The Art of the Deal. A stalking horse is a ploy to gain, through leverage, a favorable outcome without showing your high cards. In this article, I explore the idea that the more favorable outcome sought by the U.S. from its northern...

I recently stumbled upon a surprising headline for a LinkedIn post that has sparked considerable engagement for its “Clean Energy Strategist” author: “Engineers Just Solved Winter’s Biggest Energy Problem (And It’s Better Than Anyone Thought Possible)” Wow! Fantastic! All that fussing and hand-wringing about people having sufficient energy to heat their homes in the winter, and presto! Those brilliant engineers have just solved the problem! And there is no doubt keeping warm in winter is a big...

On January 24, the Government of Alberta released a report reviewing the Canadian province’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.The document, which contained over 30 recommendations, sought to evaluate the decision-making processes, the data behind them, and the governance structures that shaped Alberta’s handling of COVID-19. Media coverage of the report, on which I worked as a contributing author, has focused almost exclusively on one contentious recommendation – the call to discontinue the use of mRNA...

In the book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Stephen R. Covey emphasizes the importance of truly listening to others to understand their perspectives before responding. It is a key principle in effective communication and building strong relationships. This article is motivated by what I view as the Canadian government’s failure to apply such fundamental principles in its relationship with President Donald Trump and MAGA (make America great again) Americans. Instead of seeking to...

Should scientists be “dispassionate, objective, and neutral seekers of nature’s truths,” or should they feel free to advocate for causes they feel strongly about, building on their scientific work? The topic was raised recently on CBC Radio One’s popular show Quirks and Quarks. In this episode, “Prominent climate scientist argues it's time to ditch the 'myth of neutrality,' ” Katherine Hayhoe argues that scientists should stop trying to be neutral and instead embrace their values....

Kenya’s first femicide case of 2025 was reported on January 13, a day after Kenyan President William Ruto set up a 42-member taskforce to assess, review, and recommend policies and structures to curtail gender-based violence (GBV) including femicide cases in the country. Three weeks earlier, police teargassed hundreds of women protestors who were on the streets calling for an end to femicide and GBV from Kenya’s leadership. In 2024 alone, more than 4,000 GBV cases were...

Numbers have been a cornerstone of human civilization, a universal language that has enabled us to describe, analyze, and understand the world around us. From the intricate patterns of nature to the vast expanse of the cosmos, numbers have provided a framework for making sense of the universe. Our universe, the physical world, is fascinating. We use numbers to capture the essence of our universe or to understand its code, if one believes in intelligent...

No single discovery or invention in the short history of Homo sapiens has been more positively impactful to our quality of life and success in expanding into virtually any conceivable environment – including throughout the solar system – than the discovery of the utility of natural gas, oil, and coal. The subsequent dependence of modern civilization on hydrocarbons has for generations stoked fears of an imminent depletion of these critical resources. Considering that it takes 4...

Late 2024 saw several reports from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and news media detailing observations that childhood vaccination rates are dropping.The studies being quoted consider very short time periods. One CDC report compares two-year-old child vaccination rates between the 2018-2019 period and 2020-2021, and two other articles consider CDC data on kindergartner vaccination rates in the 2023-2024 school year against the previous school year and 2019-2020. These issues beg the...