Dear Connect2Canada Friends,

When signing up to Connect2Canada, you indicated an interest in science and technology. We thought you would be interested in the following science and technology news from Canada.

Regards,

The Connect2Canada Team

Rebooting the search for dark matter
"This is just a regular day at the office," says researcher Chris Jillings as a two-kilometre-long cable lowers an elevator down into a maze of sweltering passageways leading to the "clean rooms" at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory, or SNOLAB. "But every so often, I realize this is all really very cool." Read more about how astrophysicists in Sudbury are hoping to find the missing mass of our universe. Français [Innovation Canada]

Canada's monster computer roars to life
It has taken a year and $50-million to put together, and its brain takes up as much room as a warehouse full of refrigerators. The monster has finally opened its eyes, as the University of Toronto's newest supercomputer - the fastest such machine in Canada - went online. [G&M]

A green idea cool enough for Canada
You'd be hard pressed to find anyone in this country who believes Canada needs more ice. But the distributors of a new green energy technology are trying to show Canadian consumers that's exactly what we do need. Read how the U.S. company Ice Energy is partnering with the Toronto-based Transformative Technologies Inc. to develop an environmentally friendly method for cooling buildings during peak summer hours using chunks of ice. [G&M]

Payette, Thirsk to make history in space
Canadian astronaut Julie Payette is poised to make history again when she boards the space shuttle Endeavour and is launched into the heavens for the second time in her career. During her sophomore voyage to space, Ms. Payette will participate in a Canadian first - she'll meet up with Robert Thirsk at the International Space Station, where he's working for the next five months on plans to deploy Canadian robots on other planets. It will mark the first time Canada has had two astronauts in space at the same time. [G&M]

Students race solar-powered car Down Under
Prepared to brave the elements, their competitors and maybe even the odd kangaroo, a group of McMaster students will race their car from Australia's northern coast to its southern peninsula this October- but they won't use a drop of gasoline. The McMaster Solar Car Project (MSCP) is traveling halfway around the globe to race in the seven day, rally- style World Solar Challenge, which brings together university students and researchers in the ultimate test of sustainable energy. [McMaster]

University of Alberta forms partnership with IIT-Bombay
The University of Alberta has formed a partnership with one of the leading technology institutes in India that could significantly influence India-Canada relations. The three-year agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay would see students and faculty from both institutions working together on health and energy issues. [University of Alberta]

Canadian hospital pioneers mental-health treatment
A Canadian psychiatric hospital will be the first in the world to use a combination of genetic testing and brain imaging to help determine the best course of treatment for patients with schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses. [G&M]

Seeking the perfect storm
Mother Nature always has the upper hand - and sometimes the last laugh. John Hanesiak knows this well. When asked about the most memorable weather he's tracked, the University of Manitoba atmospheric scientist and storm chaser points out that he's witnessed several tornadoes, but the event that stands out most in his mind is the storm that wasn't. Read more about how John Hanesiak chases extreme weather in the name of atmospheric science. Français [Innovation Canada]

Climate change in the land of great drought
Droughts in the Prairies have a human face. Consider Bert and Bonnie's story. After devoting decades to building the family farm near Trochu, Alberta, recent droughts have forced them to sell their farm for next to nothing. Given that droughts represent a recurring reality, why does each new occurrence seem to be a surprise? [G&M]

Ontario investing in leading-edge research
Ontario is taking a new step in the battle against cancer and creating the jobs of the future, by supporting groundbreaking research in Toronto. The province is investing $42 million to support the work of 15 Toronto-based research projects and more than 100 researchers. This is part of the government’s $94 million province-wide investment to support 31 world-class research projects and more than 300 researchers in seven communities across Ontario. Français [Government of Ontario]