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 […]
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 […]
Amid tech’s dark days, wisdom from a mayor
Amid the considerable coverage churn of the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the resulting widespread neurosis over what people have told shadowy Facebook quizzers about their pizza preferences and incriminating spirit animals, it’s worth noting that an excellent speech was delivered last week on this very subject. At South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, London Mayor […]
Green Economy
Your printer is the next frontier in the fight against cyber attacks
Attempts to gain access to Canadian government information-technology networks are projected to continue increasing—not only by local hacking groups, but also by well-funded foreign attackers. In an attempt to level off the incline, Ottawa has taken the critical first step to protecting citizens’ most vital information and securing federal networks. In an age where public […]
How Canada can improve its STEM gender deficit
We recently celebrated the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and there’s much to celebrate—but also, much work to do. It’s a day to celebrate just how far we’ve come since Elsie MacGill, aircraft designer and Canada’s first female engineer, was asked to leave the University of British Columbia in 1921 because of […]
Stopping online piracy is not censorship
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is considering a proposal to block Canadians from accessing websites that “blatantly, overwhelming, or structurally engage in piracy.” The proposal expands on successful efforts in other countries to address the growing problem of online piracy, while imposing extraordinary safeguards to protect users’ digital rights. In short, it is a balanced […]
Innovation
Expect Liberal budget to focus on science, women’s role in economy
OTTAWA—Thomas Mulcair got it right a few years back when, commenting on the approach of Stephen Harper’s government to the role of science in policy development, he said the Conservatives relied on “decision-based fact-making.” But, unfortunately for the NDP, it was Justin Trudeau’s Liberals who managed to capitalize in the 2015 election on a commitment […]
