I like to always study in a well-lit space, preferably with natural sunlight. This is a characteristic that I share with sunflowers, which have a directional response to the sun and track sources of light.
Moderate exposure to sunlight can have health benefits, such as strengthening the immune system and elevating our mood. I always feel happier and more motivated to study when I am close to a window or in a space with plenty of sunlight. I find natural light especially helpful when I’ve only had a few hours of sleep the night before. Seeing the sun shine helps me stay awake to finish my schoolwork.
I arrive on campus early in the morning for classes or to study, and I leave late when it is already dark. This is particularly the case during winter when there are fewer hours of light in the day. Other than the time I spend outside walking to class, I do not get to enjoy much sunlight. This is why I try to study and have lunch in places where I can stay warm by being inside but still enjoy the sun’s rays.
An extra benefit of these study spaces is that many are connected by pedways, so you can visit several (and even go to class) without having to walk outside!
CAB (central Academic Building)
First floor (near Main Quad entrance)
Two Tim Hortons close by – easy to grab a snack or drink while studying
Tables with sofas to study by yourself with plenty of space or to study together with a friend
Vending machines nearby
BONUS: View to Main Quad: You can enjoy the natural scenery of campus while studying, looking at the squirrels running up the trees, the birds flying by, the grass covered in green or white colours, and students passing by.
0 level (basement)
Tables with sofas right beside the windows
Tall tables and chairs with overhead lights for additional illumination
Plenty of outlets to charge your devices while studying
Vending machines and a small food court nearby
CAB – Cameron Pedway
Close to a Starbucks – easy to grab a coffee or a snack
Very close to an InfoLink booth, easy access to ask any questions about student life, campus groups or directions to different buildings
View of the different campus trees
CCIS (Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Science)
Main level
Sofas to study with friends or by yourself with plenty of space
View of the natural scenery of Main Quad
Near a Starbucks
BONUS: While studying, you can enjoy the scientific and artistic construction and exhibits in the building, such as the terrazzo floor designed by Scott Parsons and the Plesiosaur, a cretaceous sea monster spanning 50 feet from head to tail!
Level 2
View of the scale model of the solar system – the planets inspire imagination
View to part of Main Quad, with trees in sight
Cameron Library
Second floor
Collaborative space of the library to study with friends
Plenty of outlets available
Different types of furniture for diverse study needs
View to the natural scenery of trees, including tall pines
Fourth floor
Quiet study space for the times you need to concentrate
Individual study desk to avoid distractions
A section with plenty of outlets per individual desk
Individual desks in this section with computers available, which can be helpful when you need an additional screen to study or when you do not bring your laptop to campus
BONUS: One of my favourite places in this section is sitting close to the windows because I can directly get the sunrays, especially when it is too cold to go outside.
Agriculture/Forestry Centre
ALES atrium
One of my favourite study spots during the winter – it receives sunlight from all points and angles
A lot of plants and green decorations (this space makes me feel that I am studying inside a greenhouse!)
You can enjoy watching even more plants by looking outside, with a view of plants and many pines
Vending machine close by
SUB (Student’s Union building)
Atrium and Stairs
Colourful bean bag chair sofas with outlets close by
Additional sofas to study with friends or enjoy lunch
Food court and vending machines close by
6th floor
Great view of all of campus – see the different buildings covered in snow or leaves
One of my favourite spots to study during sunrise and sunset times, as I can appreciate the different colours of the sky being on the higher floors of the building
ETLC (Engineering Teaching and Learning Complex)
ECERF (Electrical and Computer Engineering Research Facility) Level 2: Rooms W2 – 101 and W2 – 110
Space for quiet collaboration and studying
Tables and chairs with wheels to facilitate arranging the space for studying in groups or collaboration on a project
Parts of the room have a view of the road and trees – you can see birds standing on the branches
Plenty of outlets on the ground to charge your devices when necessary
A food court nearby that includes a Tim Horton’s
BONUS: There are whiteboards with wheels to move them around as necessary to draw diagrams while studying or explain a topic to your peers while reviewing for an exam. You can write on both sides of the whiteboard. (You need to bring your own markers and eraser.)
ETLC Level 2: Quiet Study Area
A quiet study space to study without distractions
Spacious tables with multiple chairs
Plenty of outlets
View to the natural scenery of the Engineering Quad
ECERF (near parkade elevator access)
View of trees to observe the squirrels and birds
Vending machines nearby
Close to the Engineering Geer Store
Various outlets available
ETLC Level 2: En Cana Engineering Learning Common
Large tables to study with plenty of space and enough room to collaborate with others
Multiple outlets at the tables and on the floor
Several sofas with tables for reading comfortably
View of the road and many of the trees – you can watch as they get covered with snow
In front of a Starbucks, so it is easy to grab a snack
DICE (Donadeo Innovation Centre for Engineering)
8th floor (near the Patrik D Daniel/Enbridge Engineering Conference Room)
Water fountain close by
View of the Engineering Quad
8th floor (near the Fred Pheasey Engineering CommonsFeaturing:
View of the River Valley and part of the city
Plenty of seating
One of my favourite places to study during sunrise and sunset hours — I am able to distinguish and neatly appreciate all the colours in the sky and how they change throughout the day
BONUS: This view of the river allows me to more deeply appreciate nature, which serves as a reminder to care for the environment and the animals that inhabit these places.
Rutherford Library
Second floor
Plenty of outlets available
View of all the natural scenery of the Arts and Business Quad
Collaborative space – you can study with your friends or work on group projects
ECHA (Edmonton Clinic Health Academy)
First Floor (near NE Entrance)
Starbucks nearby
View of the road – study scenery as you watch students and cars pass by
Second Floor
Tables and couches to adapt to all study needs
Large windows that allow a lot of sunshine to come in, even when it is cloudy outside
Desks with a division down the middle to study without distractions
Geoffrey and Robyn Sperber Health Sciences Library
First floor (near the entrance)
Quiet zone for studying without distractions
Outlets available in different locations
New study space in the recently inaugurated health sciences library
Business Building – Main Level
Carruthers Student Commons
Chairs and tables with wheels to move around
Plenty of outlets
Various sofas on the upper and main floor
View of the natural landscape of the Arts and Business Quads and view of part of the Old Arts Building
Collaborative spaces such as study rooms available, which can be a great space to work on team projects
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A rare Bronze-Era jar accidentally smashed by a 4-year-old visiting a museum was back on display Wednesday after restoration experts were able to carefully piece the artifact back together.
Last month, a family from northern Israel was visiting the museum when their youngest son tipped over the jar, which smashed into pieces.
Alex Geller, the boy’s father, said his son — the youngest of three — is exceptionally curious, and that the moment he heard the crash, “please let that not be my child” was the first thought that raced through his head.
The jar has been on display at the Hecht Museum in Haifa for 35 years. It was one of the only containers of its size and from that period still complete when it was discovered.
The Bronze Age jar is one of many artifacts exhibited out in the open, part of the Hecht Museum’s vision of letting visitors explore history without glass barriers, said Inbal Rivlin, the director of the museum, which is associated with Haifa University in northern Israel.
It was likely used to hold wine or oil, and dates back to between 2200 and 1500 B.C.
Rivlin and the museum decided to turn the moment, which captured international attention, into a teaching moment, inviting the Geller family back for a special visit and hands-on activity to illustrate the restoration process.
Rivlin added that the incident provided a welcome distraction from the ongoing war in Gaza. “Well, he’s just a kid. So I think that somehow it touches the heart of the people in Israel and around the world,“ said Rivlin.
Roee Shafir, a restoration expert at the museum, said the repairs would be fairly simple, as the pieces were from a single, complete jar. Archaeologists often face the more daunting task of sifting through piles of shards from multiple objects and trying to piece them together.
Experts used 3D technology, hi-resolution videos, and special glue to painstakingly reconstruct the large jar.
Less than two weeks after it broke, the jar went back on display at the museum. The gluing process left small hairline cracks, and a few pieces are missing, but the jar’s impressive size remains.
The only noticeable difference in the exhibit was a new sign reading “please don’t touch.”
VICTORIA – The British Columbia government is partnering with a bear welfare group to reduce the number of bears being euthanized in the province.
Nicholas Scapillati, executive director of Grizzly Bear Foundation, said Monday that it comes after months-long discussions with the province on how to protect bears, with the goal to give the animals a “better and second chance at life in the wild.”
Scapillati said what’s exciting about the project is that the government is open to working with outside experts and the public.
“So, they’ll be working through Indigenous knowledge and scientific understanding, bringing in the latest techniques and training expertise from leading experts,” he said in an interview.
B.C. government data show conservation officers destroyed 603 black bears and 23 grizzly bears in 2023, while 154 black bears were killed by officers in the first six months of this year.
Scapillati said the group will publish a report with recommendations by next spring, while an independent oversight committee will be set up to review all bear encounters with conservation officers to provide advice to the government.
Environment Minister George Heyman said in a statement that they are looking for new ways to ensure conservation officers “have the trust of the communities they serve,” and the panel will make recommendations to enhance officer training and improve policies.
Lesley Fox, with the wildlife protection group The Fur-Bearers, said they’ve been calling for such a committee for decades.
“This move demonstrates the government is listening,” said Fox. “I suspect, because of the impending election, their listening skills are potentially a little sharper than they normally are.”
Fox said the partnership came from “a place of long frustration” as provincial conservation officers kill more than 500 black bears every year on average, and the public is “no longer tolerating this kind of approach.”
“I think that the conservation officer service and the B.C. government are aware they need to change, and certainly the public has been asking for it,” said Fox.
Fox said there’s a lot of optimism about the new partnership, but, as with any government, there will likely be a lot of red tape to get through.
“I think speed is going to be important, whether or not the committee has the ability to make change and make change relatively quickly without having to study an issue to death, ” said Fox.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2024.
The European Space Agency is fast-tracking a new mission called Ramses, which will fly to near-Earth asteroid 99942 Apophis and join the space rock in 2029 when it comes very close to our planet — closer even than the region where geosynchronous satellites sit.
Ramses is short for Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety and, as its name suggests, is the next phase in humanity’s efforts to learn more about near-Earth asteroids (NEOs) and how we might deflect them should one ever be discovered on a collision course with planet Earth.
In order to launch in time to rendezvous with Apophis in February 2029, scientists at the European Space Agency have been given permission to start planning Ramses even before the multinational space agency officially adopts the mission. The sanctioning and appropriation of funding for the Ramses mission will hopefully take place at ESA’s Ministerial Council meeting (involving representatives from each of ESA’s member states) in November of 2025. To arrive at Apophis in February 2029, launch would have to take place in April 2028, the agency says.
This is a big deal because large asteroids don’t come this close to Earth very often. It is thus scientifically precious that, on April 13, 2029, Apophis will pass within 19,794 miles (31,860 kilometers) of Earth. For comparison, geosynchronous orbit is 22,236 miles (35,786 km) above Earth’s surface. Such close fly-bys by asteroids hundreds of meters across (Apophis is about 1,230 feet, or 375 meters, across) only occur on average once every 5,000 to 10,000 years. Miss this one, and we’ve got a long time to wait for the next.
When Apophis was discovered in 2004, it was for a short time the most dangerous asteroid known, being classified as having the potential to impact with Earth possibly in 2029, 2036, or 2068. Should an asteroid of its size strike Earth, it could gouge out a crater several kilometers across and devastate a country with shock waves, flash heating and earth tremors. If it crashed down in the ocean, it could send a towering tsunami to devastate coastlines in multiple countries.
Over time, as our knowledge of Apophis’ orbit became more refined, however, the risk of impact greatly went down. Radar observations of the asteroid in March of 2021 reduced the uncertainty in Apophis’ orbit from hundreds of kilometers to just a few kilometers, finally removing any lingering worries about an impact — at least for the next 100 years. (Beyond 100 years, asteroid orbits can become too unpredictable to plot with any accuracy, but there’s currently no suggestion that an impact will occur after 100 years.) So, Earth is expected to be perfectly safe in 2029 when Apophis comes through. Still, scientists want to see how Apophis responds by coming so close to Earth and entering our planet’s gravitational field.
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“There is still so much we have yet to learn about asteroids but, until now, we have had to travel deep into the solar system to study them and perform experiments ourselves to interact with their surface,” said Patrick Michel, who is the Director of Research at CNRS at Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur in Nice, France, in a statement. “Nature is bringing one to us and conducting the experiment itself. All we need to do is watch as Apophis is stretched and squeezed by strong tidal forces that may trigger landslides and other disturbances and reveal new material from beneath the surface.”
The Goldstone radar’s imagery of asteroid 99942 Apophis as it made its closest approach to Earth, in March 2021. (Image credit: NASA/JPL–Caltech/NSF/AUI/GBO)
By arriving at Apophis before the asteroid’s close encounter with Earth, and sticking with it throughout the flyby and beyond, Ramses will be in prime position to conduct before-and-after surveys to see how Apophis reacts to Earth. By looking for disturbances Earth’s gravitational tidal forces trigger on the asteroid’s surface, Ramses will be able to learn about Apophis’ internal structure, density, porosity and composition, all of which are characteristics that we would need to first understand before considering how best to deflect a similar asteroid were one ever found to be on a collision course with our world.
Besides assisting in protecting Earth, learning about Apophis will give scientists further insights into how similar asteroids formed in the early solar system, and, in the process, how planets (including Earth) formed out of the same material.
One way we already know Earth will affect Apophis is by changing its orbit. Currently, Apophis is categorized as an Aten-type asteroid, which is what we call the class of near-Earth objects that have a shorter orbit around the sun than Earth does. Apophis currently gets as far as 0.92 astronomical units (137.6 million km, or 85.5 million miles) from the sun. However, our planet will give Apophis a gravitational nudge that will enlarge its orbit to 1.1 astronomical units (164.6 million km, or 102 million miles), such that its orbital period becomes longer than Earth’s.
It will then be classed as an Apollo-type asteroid.
Ramses won’t be alone in tracking Apophis. NASA has repurposed their OSIRIS-REx mission, which returned a sample from another near-Earth asteroid, 101955 Bennu, in 2023. However, the spacecraft, renamed OSIRIS-APEX (Apophis Explorer), won’t arrive at the asteroid until April 23, 2029, ten days after the close encounter with Earth. OSIRIS-APEX will initially perform a flyby of Apophis at a distance of about 2,500 miles (4,000 km) from the object, then return in June that year to settle into orbit around Apophis for an 18-month mission.
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Furthermore, the European Space Agency still plans on launching its Hera spacecraft in October 2024 to follow-up on the DART mission to the double asteroid Didymos and Dimorphos. DART impacted the latter in a test of kinetic impactor capabilities for potentially changing a hazardous asteroid’s orbit around our planet. Hera will survey the binary asteroid system and observe the crater made by DART’s sacrifice to gain a better understanding of Dimorphos’ structure and composition post-impact, so that we can place the results in context.
The more near-Earth asteroids like Dimorphos and Apophis that we study, the greater that context becomes. Perhaps, one day, the understanding that we have gained from these missions will indeed save our planet.
