Latest news with #WesternUniversity
Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Emerging quantum technologies take the spotlight at Kananaskis G7 summit
OTTAWA – The Liberal government has named quantum technologies as a priority topic for the G7 meeting in Kananaskis — placing the nascent tech centre stage at the summit for the first time. It's a move meant to showcase Canada's strength in the emerging field, which, like artificial intelligence, promises to transform many industries. AI is at a more advanced stage of development than quantum technologies, said Mark Daley, professor and chief AI officer at Western University. 'These are earlier stage investments in a technology that has the potential to be truly transformative. It lets us compute things much faster, using much less energy than classical computers,' he said. 'Including that is sort of our way of hedging our portfolio.' Ahead of the summit, the Prime Minister's Office outlined Canada's priorities for the June 15 to 17 summit. It said in a media release the government would 'seek agreements and co-ordinated action' on a number of topics, including 'using artificial intelligence and quantum to unleash economic growth.' Industry welcomed the move and the consortium Quantum Industry Canada called it a 'major milestone' for the sector. Quantum technologies use the principles of quantum mechanics for applications like computing. Michael Murphy, a post-doctoral fellow and incoming director at the Centre for International and Defence Policy at Queen's University, said quantum technologies also include 'a range of sensors, communications, protocols, hardware and software.' They are all 'related to the discoveries within quantum science, but apply them in the real world and manipulate systems to let us do things more securely or with greater efficiency or with greater accuracy,' he said. Quantum computers, for example, would allow for a 'rapid increase in processing power,' he said. Paul Samson, president of the Centre for International Governance Innovation, said that while quantum computing hasn't reached the commercialization stage yet, there are types of quantum technology that are 'here and now.' They include quantum sensing technology such as new forms of radar, and post-quantum cryptography — cybersecurity applications to protect data and communications. Samson said that given the military and infrastructure applications and the potential for cyberattacks from adversaries, 'there's a common interest' among G7 members in getting 'this cryptography right.' Florian Martin-Bariteau, research chair in technology and society at the University of Ottawa, said national security of all countries is at risk without investments in both quantum computing capacity and safeguards. 'That includes not just government information,' he said, but systems like banking, telecommunications and power grids that run on algorithms, which quantum computers would be able to break. There's an urgent need 'to make sure that we are ready before' quantum computers hit the market, he said. Canada is a leader in both quantum research and startups, Samson said, noting 'it's kind of where we were on AI maybe 15 years ago.' But Canada didn't 'scale up as much' on AI and ended up losing some commercial opportunities to the U.S. and other countries, he said. 'I think Canada is very focused on not doing that now, making quantum really a priority, because we're well positioned on it,' he said. Martin-Bariteau agreed. 'Let's hope that this ecosystem stays Canadian, because we know that unfortunately a lot of the AI ecosystem got bought up by U.S. big tech,' he said. Samson's organization was in charge of putting together advice from various think tanks ahead of the G7 meeting. The final recommendations included putting a G7 contact group in place to co-ordinate quantum supply chains and launching an observatory focused on quantum safety. Martin-Bariteau, who co-authored a brief that recommended the supply chain contact group, said the computing power of quantum computers 'could break all of the encryption algorithms that we have today.' 'So for the past years, we've seen a lot of national security and defence conversation about quantum and a lot of countries passed import-export regulations,' he said, adding those regulations are now impeding collaboration and putting partnerships at risk. Quantum tech is a new priority but artificial intelligence has been on the G7 agenda at previous summits. Martin-Bariteau noted that when Japan held the presidency, it started the Hiroshima process focusing on generative AI and a code of conduct, while Italy's presidency the following year looked at AI in the public sector. Daley said 'time is not wasted at multilateral meetings of very busy people.' 'So this is the clearest possible indicator you can get that the G7 governments and heads of government are taking these technologies very seriously as agents of significant change in our economies and our societies.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 13, 2025.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
‘A very simple idea' might make a big difference for stroke patients
A research team at LHSC and Western University has found a new way to identify blood clots which cause strokes. Dr. Luciano Sposato admits that a simple change in procedure may have a significant impact on stroke patients. His research team at London Health Sciences Centre and Western University's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry has found a new way to identify blood clots responsible for strokes. When a stroke patient arrives at the hospital, time is of the utmost critical. Sposato states a CT scan of the brain is often underway within 10 minutes to determine underlying causes. Frequently a cause is never found, making it difficult to predict future strokes. In 2023, researchers began to wonder if expanding scans further down the body might make a difference. 'We always suspected that clots came from the heart. So, we said, why don't we just go a little bit lower with the acquisition of the images and see if the clots were there?' said Sposato. It turned out they often were. An eight-month study found that clots were hiding in the hearts of a large number of patients. 'We know exactly like that we can increase the detection of parts of the heart by 500%, and we would only need to scan 14 patients to find one clot. So, it is a very high-yield type of detection study,' said Sposato. While the implantation phase of the study will soon begin, policies will take time to change. Sposato told CTV News the research has attracted interest from the US, Europe and Asia. He is hopeful that, in time, it will make a significant difference towards preventing future medical events. 'By preventing future strokes, people will not be as disabled as they might have been, and we can also prevent dementia by reducing brain damage, that 10 years later could cause dementia in these patients as well,' Sposato said.
Toronto Star
4 days ago
- General
- Toronto Star
Is texting ‘k' hurting your relationships? Here's the truth about those abbreviated chats
When Sam Maglio, a marketing and psychology professor at the University of Toronto, began his research into abbreviations in texting, he thought they might be a good thing. They could signal a close relationship — a kind of shorthand between friends — and indicate social connection and comfort. His research proved him wrong. Together with co-authors David Fang and Yiran Zhang, Maglio analyzed conversations from the dating app Tinder, the text-based social platform Discord and participants' own conversations, and also conducted a slew of other studies. In test after test, Magio found using abbreviations to be 'surprisingly bad for the relationship.' His research, published last year, showed texts with abbreviations were seen as less sincere and effortful, and are less likely to get a response. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW A viral claim that 'K' is the worst possible text might not be far from the truth. Research shows texts with abbreviations are seen as less sincere and effortful. 'The more you abbreviate,' Magio said, 'the worse you look — or the lazier you look — in the eyes of others.' As so much of our communication is wrapped up in texting and online messaging, Magio's research could be part of a road map to making more meaningful digital connections. Here's how abbreviations are received — and how to make your texts more sincere. How bad are abbreviations, really? The University of Toronto research team used eight different studies to evaluate the impact abbreviations have, including field studies and tightly-controlled lab studies. In one, the researchers analyzed conversations from 686 users on Tinder. They found that more abbreviations in a conversation correlated with conversations ending sooner. In another study, the researchers messaged nearly 1,900 Discord users at random from an anime community and asked for recommendations on what to watch. If the request had abbreviations, it was less likely to get a response. Canada Canadian iPhone and Android users should stop texting each other, experts advise, as FBI investigates cyberattacks in the U.S. Kevin Jiang The researchers found similar results in pre-existing relationships, too. They asked participants to pull up a recent text conversation on their phone. If it had abbreviations, participants reported feeling the conversation was less sincere and effortful. 'Even with those existing relationships, if they pull it up and it's got abbreviations, it's bad for the relationship,' Maglio said. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Why are abbreviations negatively received? While texting as a form of communication is built on short messages sent between other activities, relying on abbreviations is 'often not valued from the receiver perspective,' according to Anabel Quan-Haase, a sociologist at Western University who researches digital communication. 'If you are texting someone and expect a longer response that shows care for the relationship,' Quan-Haase wrote in an email, 'then receiving a short reply that contains abbreviations feels like it is insincere and less meaningful.' Quan-Haase suggested the tone of texting can be misinterpreted because it lacks the unspoken cues of other forms of communication, like tone of voice, facial expressions and body movement. 'Without them, it is sometimes difficult to 'read' the tone or the intention of the sender,' she said. Why do people claim 'K' is the worst abbreviation? Recently, a claim that 'K' is the worst-received abbreviation when texting went viral, and it 'makes perfect sense' to Maglio. While he didn't research which abbreviations are worse than others, he said the ease of texting 'K' — just a single keystroke — could make it come across as 'the lowest you can go on an abbreviation.' Health You might be addicted to your phone. Here's what it's doing to you — and how to kick it Mark Colley 'K' has also taken on an implicit meaning, more than simply just an abbreviation of OK, Quan-Haase said. Alongside the texts 'k.' (with a period) and 'OK,' 'K' signals 'various degrees of annoyance or even aggression,' Quan-Haase explained. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'It basically adds a layer of communication, what we call connotative communication, to the conversation,' she said. 'It is almost like tone of voice in face-to-face communication.' What should you do instead? The lesson, Maglio said, is that language sends 'very powerful, non-stop signals,' whether intentionally or not. It's not that you should never use abbreviations, Maglio explained — it's just that you should understand how it might be received. 'We speak, we write, we communicate without giving it much thought,' Maglio said. Since completing the research, Maglio has started using voice memos more often, because they appear more effortful and sincere than regular texts. Quan-Haase said video and phone calls produce the most meaningful digital connections, but research shows strong ties rely on 'micro communications.' 'It is ultimately about the bundle of text messages, voice memos, video calls and phone calls that help build strong connections over time,' Quan-Haase said. 'It is not a single message.'
Hamilton Spectator
4 days ago
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Is texting ‘k' hurting your relationships? Here's the truth about those abbreviated chats
When Sam Maglio, a marketing and psychology professor at the University of Toronto, began his research into abbreviations in texting, he thought they might be a good thing. They could signal a close relationship — a kind of shorthand between friends — and indicate social connection and comfort. His research proved him wrong. Together with co-authors David Fang and Yiran Zhang, Maglio analyzed conversations from the dating app Tinder, the text-based social platform Discord and participants' own conversations, and also conducted a slew of other studies. In test after test, Magio found using abbreviations to be 'surprisingly bad for the relationship.' His research, published last year, showed texts with abbreviations were seen as less sincere and effortful, and are less likely to get a response. A viral claim that 'K' is the worst possible text might not be far from the truth. Research shows texts with abbreviations are seen as less sincere and effortful. 'The more you abbreviate,' Magio said, 'the worse you look — or the lazier you look — in the eyes of others.' As so much of our communication is wrapped up in texting and online messaging, Magio's research could be part of a road map to making more meaningful digital connections. Here's how abbreviations are received — and how to make your texts more sincere. The University of Toronto research team used eight different studies to evaluate the impact abbreviations have, including field studies and tightly-controlled lab studies. In one, the researchers analyzed conversations from 686 users on Tinder. They found that more abbreviations in a conversation correlated with conversations ending sooner. In another study, the researchers messaged nearly 1,900 Discord users at random from an anime community and asked for recommendations on what to watch. If the request had abbreviations, it was less likely to get a response. The researchers found similar results in pre-existing relationships, too. They asked participants to pull up a recent text conversation on their phone. If it had abbreviations, participants reported feeling the conversation was less sincere and effortful. 'Even with those existing relationships, if they pull it up and it's got abbreviations, it's bad for the relationship,' Maglio said. While texting as a form of communication is built on short messages sent between other activities, relying on abbreviations is 'often not valued from the receiver perspective,' according to Anabel Quan-Haase, a sociologist at Western University who researches digital communication. 'If you are texting someone and expect a longer response that shows care for the relationship,' Quan-Haase wrote in an email, 'then receiving a short reply that contains abbreviations feels like it is insincere and less meaningful.' Quan-Haase suggested the tone of texting can be misinterpreted because it lacks the unspoken cues of other forms of communication, like tone of voice, facial expressions and body movement. 'Without them, it is sometimes difficult to 'read' the tone or the intention of the sender,' she said. Recently, a claim that 'K' is the worst-received abbreviation when texting went viral, and it 'makes perfect sense' to Maglio. While he didn't research which abbreviations are worse than others, he said the ease of texting 'K' — just a single keystroke — could make it come across as 'the lowest you can go on an abbreviation.' 'K' has also taken on an implicit meaning, more than simply just an abbreviation of OK, Quan-Haase said. Alongside the texts 'k.' (with a period) and 'OK,' 'K' signals 'various degrees of annoyance or even aggression,' Quan-Haase explained. 'It basically adds a layer of communication, what we call connotative communication, to the conversation,' she said. 'It is almost like tone of voice in face-to-face communication.' The lesson, Maglio said, is that language sends 'very powerful, non-stop signals,' whether intentionally or not. It's not that you should never use abbreviations, Maglio explained — it's just that you should understand how it might be received. 'We speak, we write, we communicate without giving it much thought,' Maglio said. Since completing the research, Maglio has started using voice memos more often, because they appear more effortful and sincere than regular texts. Quan-Haase said video and phone calls produce the most meaningful digital connections, but research shows strong ties rely on 'micro communications.' 'It is ultimately about the bundle of text messages, voice memos, video calls and phone calls that help build strong connections over time,' Quan-Haase said. 'It is not a single message.'
Toronto Star
5 days ago
- General
- Toronto Star
Message left unread? It might be because you used an abbreviation
When Sam Maglio, a marketing and psychology professor at the University of Toronto, began his research into abbreviations in texting, he thought they might be a good thing. They could signal a close relationship — a kind of shorthand between friends — and indicate social connection and comfort. His research proved him wrong. Together with co-authors David Fang and Yiran Zhang, Maglio analyzed conversations from the dating app Tinder, the text-based social platform Discord and participants' own conversations, and also conducted a slew of other studies. In test after test, Magio found using abbreviations to be 'surprisingly bad for the relationship.' His research, published last year, showed texts with abbreviations were seen as less sincere and effortful, and are less likely to get a response. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW A viral claim that 'K' is the worst possible text might not be far from the truth. Research shows texts with abbreviations are seen as less sincere and effortful. 'The more you abbreviate,' Magio said, 'the worse you look — or the lazier you look — in the eyes of others.' As so much of our communication is wrapped up in texting and online messaging, Magio's research could be part of a road map to making more meaningful digital connections. Here's how abbreviations are received — and how to make your texts more sincere. How bad are abbreviations, really? The University of Toronto research team used eight different studies to evaluate the impact abbreviations have, including field studies and tightly-controlled lab studies. In one, the researchers analyzed conversations from 686 users on Tinder. They found that more abbreviations in a conversation correlated with conversations ending sooner. In another study, the researchers messaged nearly 1,900 Discord users at random from an anime community and asked for recommendations on what to watch. If the request had abbreviations, it was less likely to get a response. Canada Canadian iPhone and Android users should stop texting each other, experts advise, as FBI investigates cyberattacks in the U.S. Kevin Jiang The researchers found similar results in pre-existing relationships, too. They asked participants to pull up a recent text conversation on their phone. If it had abbreviations, participants reported feeling the conversation was less sincere and effortful. 'Even with those existing relationships, if they pull it up and it's got abbreviations, it's bad for the relationship,' Maglio said. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Why are abbreviations negatively received? While texting as a form of communication is built on short messages sent between other activities, relying on abbreviations is 'often not valued from the receiver perspective,' according to Anabel Quan-Haase, a sociologist at Western University who researches digital communication. 'If you are texting someone and expect a longer response that shows care for the relationship,' Quan-Haase wrote in an email, 'then receiving a short reply that contains abbreviations feels like it is insincere and less meaningful.' Quan-Haase suggested the tone of texting can be misinterpreted because it lacks the unspoken cues of other forms of communication, like tone of voice, facial expressions and body movement. 'Without them, it is sometimes difficult to 'read' the tone or the intention of the sender,' she said. Why do people claim 'K' is the worst abbreviation? Recently, a claim that 'K' is the worst-received abbreviation when texting went viral, and it 'makes perfect sense' to Maglio. While he didn't research which abbreviations are worse than others, he said the ease of texting 'K' — just a single keystroke — could make it come across as 'the lowest you can go on an abbreviation.' Health You might be addicted to your phone. Here's what it's doing to you — and how to kick it Mark Colley 'K' has also taken on an implicit meaning, more than simply just an abbreviation of OK, Quan-Haase said. Alongside the texts 'k.' (with a period) and 'OK,' 'K' signals 'various degrees of annoyance or even aggression,' Quan-Haase explained. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'It basically adds a layer of communication, what we call connotative communication, to the conversation,' she said. 'It is almost like tone of voice in face-to-face communication.' What should you do instead? The lesson, Maglio said, is that language sends 'very powerful, non-stop signals,' whether intentionally or not. It's not that you should never use abbreviations, Maglio explained — it's just that you should understand how it might be received. 'We speak, we write, we communicate without giving it much thought,' Maglio said. Since completing the research, Maglio has started using voice memos more often, because they appear more effortful and sincere than regular texts. Quan-Haase said video and phone calls produce the most meaningful digital connections, but research shows strong ties rely on 'micro communications.' 'It is ultimately about the bundle of text messages, voice memos, video calls and phone calls that help build strong connections over time,' Quan-Haase said. 'It is not a single message.'
