Major earthquake strikes off of Taiwan’s coast, killing at least 9 and injuring hundreds

The strongest earthquake in a quarter-century rocked Taiwan during the morning rush hour Wednesday, killing nine people, stranding dozens of workers at quarries and sending some residents scrambling out the windows of damaged buildings. The quake, which also injured more than 1,000, was centered off the coast of rural, mountainous Hualien County, where some buildings … Read more

No water, no oil: How the parched western provinces could hamper the oilpatch

Persistent and severe drought conditions across Western Canada could have a devastating effect on the oil and natural gas sector, which has drilling operations in some of the driest areas, according to a new report by Deloitte. Limited water supply could have significant effects on the production of oil and gas, the report warns, and … Read more

NWMO reaffirms safety of Canada’s 1st nuclear waste repository but there’s still heavy pushback

The body tasked with selecting the future storage site for Canada’s nuclear waste has reaffirmed its confidence in the project’s safety, but others remain concerned about the potential risks of burying spent nuclear fuel hundreds of metres below the earth’s surface. By the end of this year, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is expected to decide … Read more

Bob picks 10 significant science stories for 2023

2023 was a busy year in science. Here are 10 stories worth revisiting as we wind up the year. 1. Canadian Jeremy Hansen chosen to fly to the moon A Canadian astronaut was selected as part of the crew for NASA’s Artemis II mission to the moon. Jeremy Hansen and three crew mates will fly … Read more

At least 126 killed in China’s deadliest quake in nearly a decade

A strong overnight earthquake rattled a mountainous region of northwestern China, authorities said Tuesday, destroying homes, leaving residents out in a below-freezing winter night and killing 126 people in the nation’s deadliest quake in nine years. The magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck just before midnight on Monday, injuring more than 700 people, damaging roads and knocking … Read more

Helium startups on the Prairies hope to keep domestic supplies afloat

To the untrained eye, the collection of pipes and structures rising out of the prairie 200 kilometres east of Calgary looks like any other natural gas processing plant in southern Alberta.  But the Steveville plant isn’t focused on extracting hydrocarbons. Instead, the prize it’s seeking deep underground is helium.  The element is most commonly associated with … Read more