BIG Scoop

When you doomscroll on your phone, use the washing machine, fly in an airplane, activate the anti-lock brakes in your car, switch on the air-conditioner or watch television – you are using semiconductors. So, what the heck is a semiconductor? It is the material used as building blocks to create the chips that act as the “brains” inside almost all of our modern devices and electronics across consumer, military, and industrial sectors. These elements can...

The United States government’s withdrawal of President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) funding earlier this year has left budget deficits in countries across the Sub-Sahara. The program has been crucial in the fight against human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) on the African continent. Since its inception in 2003, the U.S. government has invested over $100 billion in HIV/AIDS response globally, reportedly saving over 25 million lives, preventing new infections, and supporting countries with...

Sometimes when one dives into the data, there are assumptions about anticipated findings that are completely overturned by the raw numbers. On other occasions – as is the case on this project – the data confirms the original assumptions, but provides clarification and deeper understanding. It is unlikely to surprise anyone to learn that house prices in larger cities are typically more expensive than in smaller cities. It is widely known that your average homebuyer...

As much of the western world anxiously awaits the U.S. midterm elections on Nov. 8, political rhetoric and irresponsible media coverage are amping up. While ill-informed (or ill-intentioned) media reporters and editors continue to use phrasing such as "baseless", "bogus" and "false claims" – and perhaps the favourite: "conspiracy theories" – to describe any insinuation that it is possible that a U.S. election could be tampered with significantly, sensible humans are simply hoping for a fair...