Robotics, 3D printing, and artificial intelligence will improve lives of people with disabilities
Robotics, 3D printing, and artificial intelligence will both revolutionize several sector of activities and improve considerably the lives of Canadians, especially people with disabilities. In a report released in October 2017, the Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology highlighted the potential benefits, and also challenges, of integrating these technologies into the health-care system. […]
Industry and academia react warmly to feds’ IP strategy, opposition MPs say it’s void of details
Industry groups and academics are giving a thumbs up to the Liberal government’s new intellectual property strategy, saying it brings much-needed changes to the country’s outdated patent landscape, but opposition MPs are skeptical the proposals meant to boost Canadian businesses will actually advance the country’s high-tech firms. “IP is one of those issues that it’s […]
Research, innovation sparking health-care revolution
Canada spends about $228-billion each year on health care, but the system still can’t keep up with demand. Despite the undeniable dedication, skill and hard work that physicians, surgeons, nurses and administrators put in, the fact remains that demand for health care is gradually exceeding supply. It’s time for a technological revolution—and we have the […]
Research & Innovation
Do the robot: public servants unplug from typical telecommute
Employment and Social Development Canada policy analyst Pierre-Olivier DesMarchais is tall—six-foot-three, to be exact—but when most of his colleagues see him, he’s only about four-foot-five—and a robot. Mr. DesMarchais lives in Montreal, but his physical presence in Ottawa is that of an iPad attached to two Segway-style wheels via a vertical stick, which he uses to telecommute […]
It’s time to unleash the power of artificial intelligence
Computers are becoming more powerful, faster, and intelligent every day. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the introduction of Hal, the computer that took over an entire spaceship in the sci-fi movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey. Although fiction in 1968, Siri, Cortona, and Alexa and many nifty new smart gadgets are now reality and […]
Misogyny lives, and the internet is giving it too much oxygen
OTTAWA—Misogyny lives. And the internet is giving it too much oxygen. While Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is being called to account by governments around the world for political misuse of social media intel, a bigger issue looms in cyberspace. Normal platforms of discourse are governed by legal restraints which serve to cool down the rhetoric […]
Half a cup of peanuts: starvation diet for diabetes offers lessons
A century ago, a diagnosis of diabetes was a death sentence. The only treatment that was able to somewhat slow the progression of the disease was a starvation diet. Eating no more than 400 calories per day was advised, equivalent to about half a cup of dry roasted peanuts. Ironically, some people with diabetes died […]
A new prescription for cancer treatments
Back in August of 2012, I received the devastating news that my mother had an aggressive form of breast cancer. She was quickly admitted to the Jewish General Hospital (JGH) in our hometown of Montreal, where she was immediately taken under the charge of an incredible team. Being by her side from diagnosis through treatment, […]
More data regulation needed as smart cities develop, say some experts
As the Trudeau government continues to review its private-sector privacy act, some experts are calling for a national data strategy to set the framework of ownership rights and usage limits around collected data. The issue was highlighted by the recent Cambridge Analytica scandal, said Brock University professor Blayne Haggart, but experts have been sounding the […]
