SWCC Blog

A rare blood condition turns life-saving red blood cells into a hidden threat—early detection is key.

Image by Vector8DIY from Pixabay, public domain.

Maggie had been feeling a bit off for a while—a headache here, a dizzy spell there. But when she started gasping for air just walking up the stairs, she knew something was seriously wrong. After a bunch of tests, she learned that her body was producing way too many red blood cells, making her blood super thick. The blood keeping her alive was threatening her life.

This is the reality for people with polycythemia.

The term “polycythemia” consists of three parts—"poly" meaning many, "cyt" meaning cell, and "emia" referring to blood, so it translates to "many blood cells.” It’s a rare condition where your body makes too many red blood cells.

Red blood cells are important because they carry oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body, but having too many can make your blood thick. This thick blood can lead to serious problems like blood clots. Imagine a blood clot as a traffic jam in your bloodstream. When it forms, it can block blood flow to your heart and brain, causing heart attacks and strokes.

About 1 person out of every 100,000 is diagnosed with primary type of this condition each year, and in total, between 44 and 57 people out of 100,000 currently live with it in North America. It may start without noticeable symptoms or show unclear symptoms at first. However, over time, you may begin to experience headaches, blurred vision, and shortness of breath. People over 60 and heavy smokers are more likely to develop polycythemia. If you live at a high altitude, there is increased risk.

There are two types of polycythemia: primary and secondary.

Primary is also called polycythemia vera, where "vera" means "true," making polycythemia vera mean "true increase in blood cells." A problem with a gene in your bone marrow causes polycythemia vera. Genes are like instructions that tell your body what to do. When this gene doesn’t function correctly, it can cause your bone marrow to make too many red blood cells.

In comparison, secondary polycythemia happens when your body thinks it needs more red blood cells because of where you live (like a high altitude) or a health problem like lung trouble. Sometimes, tumors can cause secondary polycythemia. Tumors are unusual lumps of cells. Some tumors are harmless, while others can be dangerous.

To diagnose polycythemia, doctors will ask about your health history and run some blood tests to see if your body is making too many red blood cells. Some treatments that can help manage it include removing some of your blood to reduce the number of red blood cells, taking medication to prevent blood clots, quitting smoking, or using supplemental oxygen. In some cases, surgery may be needed to remove tumors causing this condition.

Maggie learned a lot about living with polycythemia. She knew how important it was to see her doctor regularly and stay up-to-date on her condition. One day, while waiting in the doctor's office, she met someone who had found out they had polycythemia after experiencing shortness of breath. It reminded Maggie that being aware of new physical symptoms and catching polycythemia early can help you manage it.

By: Melak Ifrim

Melak holds an Honors Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Life Science from the Faculty of Science at McMaster University.

Understanding animal well-being can transform a story and reveal deeper truths.

Image by tiburi from Pixabay, public domain.

The metal floor is cold, echoing the rustling of a dozen other lonely beings. There is nothing to do but drink sour water to blur the emptiness. Eat, drink, sleep, repeat. On and on, until the end.

It might sound like purgatory, but this unnatural, empty world describes the reality of many rats and other rodents used in addiction research. However, for both addicts and rats, this research environment is deeply flawed: the rats in these studies have abysmal animal welfare.

For a long time, psychologists theorized that addiction was simply caused by exposure to opiates and other addictive substances. The studies that informed that theory measured the amount of opiates that rats self-administered while housed alone in barren cages.

In the 1980s, Dr. Bruce Alexander questioned whether rats’ poor housing during research experiments influenced research outcomes. To answer the question, he established Rat Park, a large social housing enclosure bedded with wood shavings and sprinkled with tunnels and hidey-holes.

Rats housed in Dr. Alexander’s Rat Park only occasionally self-administered opiates. His findings—and his concern for animal welfare—revolutionized the field.

Environments conducive to good animal welfare consider animals’ health, affective states (i.e., mental well-being), and the naturalness of their environments. And, for better or worse, animal welfare intersects with our lives in a plethora of ways.

For example, poor animal welfare increases animals’ stress, which depresses immune function and increases the risk of opportunistic infections—microorganisms that an animal’s body would normally ignore or easily fight off that instead cause disease. Despite these intersections, it remains overlooked by journalists and scientists.

When the COVID-19 pandemic was spreading across borders, media coverage highlighted how caging many species of wild animals in close proximity was a key component in COVID’s emergence from the Wuhan wet markets. Yet, few articles mentioned the animals’ welfare, and none described how their poor welfare facilitated the disease’s emergence and transfer to humans.

The animals in Wuhan’s wet markets were kept in barren cages in a strange, noisy environment. Any animal confined to such conditions would experience intense stress and a dramatic decrease in immune function. Yet, a Google search of “animal welfare” and “COVID” largely yields news articles on pandemic pets.

This isn’t an isolated case of oversight. In recent years, journalists have prioritized communicating whether reported biomedical research used animal models. However, reporting the experiences of animal models is just as important.

That being said, journalists may struggle to report on animal welfare when it’s largely ignored by scientists themselves. Despite the impact of Alexander’s Rat Park experiments, many scientists continue to overlook animal welfare as a potentially confounding variable in their experiments.

Poor animal welfare affects much more than immune function. According to the book Mental Health and Well-being in Animals, stressed animals “can have profound differences in their biology compared to non-stressed animals.”

For example, the search for effective Alzheimer’s treatments has driven researchers to explore monkey models and even monkey-human chimera models. Monkeys are not only far more expensive to house and care for than mice, they also live longer and have greater cognitive and social needs, putting them at a higher risk of poor welfare in captivity.

A study of over 1000 rhesus macaques, one of the most commonly used monkey species in biomedical research, found that most laboratory monkeys exhibited at least two kinds of stereotypies — abnormal, repetitive behaviours that arise from poor welfare. Crucially, 67.5% of the monkeys exhibited pacing stereotypies, a behaviour that may invalidate neuroscientific findings.

However, coverage of the monkey-human chimera article focuses only on the ethics of experimenting on animals with human DNA, ignoring that monkeys are already failing to cope with experimental conditions and that those conditions may be impacting data validity.

We use animals in research because of their similarities to humans. Yet, these similarities do not exist in a vacuum, independent of animals’ emotional experiences. As journalists, scientists, and science communicators, it is our job to seek the truth. It’s important to ask questions. Here are a few to consider during your next interview:

What did this animal evolve to do? Or alternatively, how does this animal live in the wild? How is their current living situation different?

The greater the difference, the more likely an animal is to be stressed. You can also pose the question to the person responsible for caring for the animal. Do they paint a rich picture or do they dumb down the animal’s experience? The latter may be a red flag.

Ask about how the animals were trained or handled. What kind of punishments and/or rewards were used to train them? If animals were restrained, how? Different kinds of training and handling can either decrease or increase an animal’s stress independently from the rest of their environment.

Finally, could an animal’s stress have a ripple effect? Common examples of ripples include, but are not limited to, research outcomes and disease spread.

Scientists and journalists may be expected to pump out content like machines, but we are very much animals. We bleed, we hurt, we hide our pain, and we hope for something better, just like them. Yet, until we acknowledge the extent of our similarities, we will continue to search in vain for the answers to our ailments.

By Valerie Monckton

Valerie is a freelance writer, editor and researcher with an MSC in Animal Behaviour and Welfare from the University of Guelph.

Find Valerie on X as @MoncktonValerie and LinkedIn

AI-generated space photos may be doing more harm than good for boosting interest in science.

Monica’s moon photo: My own picture of the moon, taken in March 2023 from Montreal on my Iphone XS using a telescope.

In the 90s growing up, I saw lots of paintings of planets. While I didn’t always grasp that they were artistic representations, they piqued my curiosity.

For things we do not know how to imagine, visual representation can help us to understand them. But things can get complicated when fake photos of planets are being widely shared or AI is being used to modify photos of the moon without transparency or context.

Space photos may inspire exploration, but fake ones do more harm than good.

These days, people often get their news from social media, but don’t necessarily go out of their way to fact-check what they are reading or seeing. Fake photos can be spread quickly and create false impressions for viewers. When they are out of context, it is even harder to validate the info.

For instance, a fake picture of Saturn was shared on social media in 2019. Many people believed it was real. At first, I believed it.

The picture was shared thousands of times, across many different (unofficial) astronomy pages.

While these astronomy pages on social media may not be official or government fact-checked, they are very popular, which broadens the reach of any fake posts. Being on the internet, they can continue to be shared for years. The picture of Saturn continues to be shared today, five years later.

However, the pages can be good in other ways—such as generating an interest in science, which can fuel public involvement in supporting innovation, like space exploration.

In this article on mitigating disinformation on social media, the authors suggest that we “improve education and media literacy, as well as to prioritize quality over clicks and “likes.” This could be accomplished with a rating system (typical of what the broadcast media offers to guide viewers as to the suitability of their programs for various audiences).”

Perhaps at a time when science literacy is at risk from fake news, the risk is increased when AI images are not clearly identified. Therefore, fake photos should be labeled as such. We already know that AI is used in the scientific aspect of space exploration. Clearly identified AI images may help people to imagine space exploration and become intrigued by it.

However, when there isn’t transparency, the opposite can happen. In 2023, Samsung was accused of using AI to actually replace fuzzy parts in the photos its customers took of the moon with AI generated images of what the moon looked like. This didn’t make people curious; it made them mad.

In this 2021 article on scientific image forgery from the International Journal of Sociotechnology and Knowledge Development, Francisco Lopez-Cantos writes that “instead of facilitating the promotion of scientific culture, the production of attractive images that lack necessary explanations and their positioning as scientific portals that catalyze interest in knowledge may contribute to the mythification of science. This may also increase the distance between the research community and society. It is evident that images are key to the popularization of knowledge, as shown by a multitude of studies.”

When I attended an astronomy outing with Plateau Astro in Montreal, I was able to use a special telescope to take a picture of the moon, and I found that very inspiring. I would have been dismayed if I discovered that this included AI elements. It may have affected my future involvement in astronomy photography.

A frequent collaborator and colleague of Plateau Astro is Samer of Zenderfull, also based in Montreal. He regularly leads groups to photograph space and teaches workshops on the topic.

“I think it's important to do a separation between AI Generated photo and AI generated pieces of content,” he explained. “Many photographers use AI tools like Adobe Generative fill AI to fix some issues with photos, such as something blocking the foreground or maybe expanding a background. In my opinion, there is a fine limit of using such tools versus fully generating photos with AI.”

AI is already being used by scientists to help explore space. It sifts through large amounts of information at a faster than human speed. Examining patterns of galaxies, interpreting data, studying fluctuations in the temperature of the sun—all of these are great uses of AI.

However, there is some debate about AI utility in space photography. It’s currently being used to eliminate space junk that shows up on photos, because the trails from satellites affect the pictures taken from Earth. This provides clearer pictures, but it’s important that we know that things have been cleared out of the way. Otherwise, we risk ignoring the problem of space pollution because we no longer see it.

When photos can be manipulated, it’s possible it didn’t really happen. While there might be a case for using these photos for educational purposes, they need to be labelled as edited, so that we can know exactly what we are looking at, and maybe imagine something else that we cannot see yet.

When my elementary school self was looking through books with paintings of planets, even if I didn’t fully understand that they weren’t accurate, they still raised questions for me. In the current world, this sort of curiosity and skepticism is even more necessary.

By: Monica Walsh

Monica Walsh is an artist and writer from Newfoundland and Labrador. She is currently completing her graduate diploma in Communications Studies at Concordia University.

A step-by-step look into how genetically modified organisms are created.

Image by hpgruesen from Pixabay, public domain.

On your most recent trip grocery shopping, you may have made a routine stop by the produce aisle. Upon choosing your fruits and veggies for the week, you may have also noticed some labeled as non-GMO, but have you ever wondered what this means?

GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism, and refers to organisms such as plants, animals, or microbes, which have had their genetic material altered in some way. This alteration refers to changes that are not naturally occurring, and take place through genetic engineering techniques.

GMOs are in part created because of the perceived benefits they provide to the producer or the consumer. For example, a genetically modified (GM) crop may have a lower price point, additional nutritional value, or both. Another common example is improved crop protection, such as increased resistance to various pests and plant diseases.

There are currently four Canadian grown GM crops available on the Canadian market. These crops include soybeans, grain corn, sugar beets, and canola. In 2021, about 95% of all canola seeded in Canada was genetically modified (3). According to the Government of Canada, as of 2019, there were over 140 GM food products available for sale in the country.

However, according to a recent statista report, nearly 40% of Canadians had expressed concerns about consuming GM crops. Consumer attitudes towards GMOs are a major component of GMO research. The acceptance of GM food is dependent on a variety of factors, such as perception of risks and benefits, environmental effects, and taste. Opinions on GMOs are often shaped by what is known—or believed—about them. Therefore, understanding the process of how GMOs are created can help clarify the concept and address any misconceptions.

Let’s take the example of developing a plant resistant to insects.

1. Identify the gene required to bring about the desired trait. Researchers have previously identified the genes responsible for insect resistance were found in a certain soil bacterium.This gene can be used for the creation of the GMO.

2. Copy and insert the gene. Once the gene is identified, it needs to be copied from the original organism and inserted into the DNA of the new organism. In this example, the gene responsible for insect resistance in the soil bacterium is copied and introduced to the DNA of the plant. The plant now carries the gene responsible for insect resistance.

3. Grow the plant. Lastly, the plant needs to be grown and the newly acquired trait of insect resistance needs to be tested and confirmed. Such plants are typically grown in a controlled setting such as a greenhouse. From there, it will be tested in small fields, and eventually, larger fields.
   

Once a new genetically modified crop has been created, there are still several years of review and monitoring that must take place before it is introduced to the market.

In recent years, new technologies have emerged, which allow scientists to make genetic alterations without the addition of any foreign genes. These gene editing tools are expected to contribute to the development of improved crop varieties, with hopes of higher rates of consumer acceptance, and quicker regulatory approvals. One emerging example is the application of CRISPR genome editing, which enables researchers to make precise changes to DNA sequences in the plant that are associated with specific traits.

Understanding how GMOs are produced and staying up to date with new research can help consumers make informed decisions about the foods they consume.

References

• https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/food-genetically-modified
• How GMOs are created: https://www.fda.gov/food/agricultural-biotechnology/science-and-history-gmos-and-other-food-modification-processes
• Statista stats for GM crops in Canada: https://www.statista.com/topics/3013/genetically-modified-gm-crops-in-canada/#editorsPicks
• List of GM foods currently sold in Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/genetically-modified-foods-other-novel-foods/safety.html
• Boccia, F., & Sarnacchiaro, P. (2015). Genetically modified foods and consumer perspective. Recent patents on food, nutrition & agriculture, 7(1), 28-34.
• Kumar, K., Gambhir, G., Dass, A., Tripathi, A. K., Singh, A., Jha, A. K., ... & Rakshit, S. (2020). Genetically modified crops: current status and future prospects. Planta, 251(4), 91. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00425-020-03372-8
• CRISPR in agriculture: https://innovativegenomics.org/crisprpedia/crispr-in-agriculture/

By Iman Abuzaid

Iman is a researcher with a master’s in biotechnology, and a passion for science communication.

www.linkedin.com/in/iman-abuzaid

The award-winning journalist was a trailblazer for women in the field.

Joan's 104th birthday party on January 20, 2024. Photo credit: Andy F. Visser-de Vries

Joan Hollobon, an award-winning journalist who was the medical reporter for The Globe and Mail from 1959 to 1985, died on April 3, 2024 in Toronto. She was 104.

Hollobon was a member of the Canadian Section, National Association of Science Writers (NASW), from 1961-1970. She was a founding member of the Canadian Science Writers’ Association (CSWA) in 1971, and was elected the first female president of the CSWA in 1975. Hollobon was honoured to be a Life Member of the CSWA (now SWCC) and the NASW.

A trail blazer for women in journalism, Hollobon covered the medicare crisis in Canada in 1962, the state of psychiatric patient care in 1967, and won the first Science in Society Journalism Award in 1973 for a series published in The Globe and Mail about the first sex change operation in Canada.

As a leading journalist in Canada, Hollobon also covered the funeral of President John F. Kennedy in Washington, DC, in November 1963, and Canada’s centennial celebrations at EXPO 67 in Montreal in 1967.

She was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2019, weeks before her 100th birthday, in recognition for her outstanding contribution to science journalism and communication in Canada.

In 2022, the annual National Newspaper Awards named one of its’ awards the Joan Hollobon Award for Beat Reporting in her honour.

Born on the Isle of Wight in 1920, Hollobon immigrated to Canada in April 1952. She worked for two different newspapers in northern Ontario before she was hired by The Globe and Mail in Toronto in 1956, where she worked until her retirement in 1985.

A graveside gathering for Hollobon’s interment will be held June 17, 2024 at the Necropolis in Toronto, Canada.

By Andy F. Visser-deVries

Andy F. Visser-deVries served as Executive Director of The Canadian Science Writers’ Association from 1991-2004. He was first elected to the Board of The Canadian Science Writers’ Association in 2011, serving as Treasurer until 2017.

Why some people’s blood may not run thicker than water.

Image by fernando zhiminaicela from Pixabay, public domain.

Imagine this: you are in your kitchen chopping vegetables for dinner. Suddenly, the knife slips and you cut your finger. You quickly reach for a band-aid, apply pressure for a few minutes and you're good to go. But for those with hemophilia, a simple cut can be a much bigger concern.

Hemophilia is a word that can be divided into two parts: “hemo” and "philia." Hemo refers to "blood,” and philia means “love of," so hemophilia translates to “love of blood." As the term suggests, people with hemophilia tend to bleed a lot and for longer periods than usual.

In 2022, Canada had 4,184 confirmed cases of hemophilia, with males being more affected than females. Beyond bleeding concerns, hemophilia significantly impacts one’s daily life. Bleeding, especially in joints, can lead to long-term damage, pain, and reduced mobility. People with hemophilia might need to limit certain activities to avoid injuries and bleeding, restricting their participation in sports, hobbies, and some workplaces.

Hemophilic patients bleed heavily because their bodies can’t form blood clots. Think of a blood clot as a natural bandage inside your body that forms to plug up the cut and prevent too much blood from coming out. To form a blood clot, the body uses clotting proteins. These proteins act like a team, quickly responding when you get a cut or injury. Together, they form a blood clot that seals the wound and stops the bleeding. Hemophilic patients lack those proteins, so they are unable to clot the blood as fast and stop the bleeding.

Hemophilia could be diagnosed using several tests, including tests that measure how long it takes for blood to clot. If someone's blood takes longer than expected to clot, they might have hemophilia.

When our body doesn’t have enough vitamins, doctors give us vitamin supplements. Similarly, individuals with hemophilia typically receive clotting proteins as prescribed treatment. This helps their blood clot better and reduce bleeding.

However, a challenge with this treatment is the immune system. The immune system is like your body's defense team. It works to protect you from germs, viruses, and other harmful invaders to keep you healthy. Sometimes, the immune system might mistake the clotting proteins for harmful intruders and try to fight against them. This can interfere with the effectiveness of the clotting proteins and prevent them from working properly.

To solve this, scientists tested an approach where they are slowly introducing the clotting proteins to the immune system so that it becomes familiar with them. This is called induction of immune tolerance. The goal is for the immune system to see the clotting proteins as harmless friends, not enemies. This way, when the clotting proteins enter the body, the immune system doesn't attack them. However, this method is costly and time-consuming.

Given these challenges, more research needs to be done to find a treatment that is cost-effective and time-efficient for hemophilic patients.

By Melak Ifrim

Melak is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in the Life Science Program (honors) within the Faculty of Science at McMaster University.

Readers can discover the life cycle of the great grey wolf and its impact on the Gitxsan people in The Wolf Mother.

The Wolf Mother takes readers through the life cycle of the great grey wolf and its role in a vibrant ecosystem of animals, people and weather. The children’s book is part of a larger series, Mothers of Xsan, where readers can discover the society and culture of the Gitxsan people of the Pacific Northwest Interior, what settlers call British Columbia.

The series’ multi-award-winning author, Hetxw'ms Gyetxw, also known as Brett D. Huson, is a proud member of the Gitxsan Nation. He seeks to challenge stereotypes and tokenization of Indigenous education systems through his work. He is currently a research associate at the Prairie Climate Centre at the University of Winnipeg, where he has been developing the Indigenous Knowledges section of the Climate Atlas.

Métis illustrator Natasha Donovan has been bringing the ecosystems of Gitxsan to life from the first book in the series, The Sockeye Mother, which was also the first picture book she worked on. Her work focuses on children’s illustration and comics. Her art has appeared in This Place anthology, Wonderful Women of History,Surviving the City and From the Roots Up, among other books and comics. Originally from Vancouver, Donovan currently resides in Washington. 

We chatted with Huson and Donovan about the writing and illustration process for The Wolf Mother. The answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Can you tell us a little bit about what The Wolf Mother is all about?

BH: The wolf mother is a small window into the life cycle of the wolves of the Pacific Northwest on Gitxsan Territory. It isn’t an exhaustive exploration, but provides young people and even their parents with an introduction to wolves' impacts on their ecosystem and how they exist within the Gitxsan culture. 

What in particular inspired the writing of this book?

BH: I grew up seeing wolves around my home and out on my family’s territory all my early life. My grandmother’s Gitxsan name was Dimdigibuu, meaning “to be like a wolf.” It was a story I felt like sharing because of my experiences growing up and for the namesake of one of our matriarchs. 

The book combines narrative storytelling with factual information about wolves, from their life cycle to their role in the ecosystem. What do you hope children (and parents) learn from this book?

BH: My book equips readers with the education not typically shared in public schools. Young Gitxsan people learn how their ecosystems work at a very young age, which changes their perspective on the world around them. I hope that the stories inspire people to learn more about the ecology of the lands they call home. 

Tell us about the illustration process. How did you come to collaborate with Natasha?

BH: Our paths crossed when I was shown one of her paintings, a salmon decomposing and turning into a tree. Natasha has been illustrating for the Mothers of Xsan series from the first book. She will read the manuscript and create vibrant spreads that bring my stories to life. She will also incorporate my formline designs that express Gitxsan culture through art.

ND: The illustration process on my end involves reading Brett’s amazing writing over and over, and drawing, in a very rough sketchy way, the images that his words evoke. I do a lot of research about the species and the environment to make decisions about what types of landscapes, plants, animals, etc. to include. Brett works on the formline pieces simultaneously, and I will integrate them into the final art after all the colouring is complete.

What was the biggest challenge you faced when writing this book? What about the illustrations?

BH: A challenge with writing the Mothers of Xsan series is reconciling the differences in the English language and writing our words in an English format. My work and research focus heavily on breaking down the gatekeeping of research practices and ways of knowing. I hope that researchers can utilize indigenous methodologies, perspectives and pedagogical approaches in an excellent way to change mindsets and contribute wholeheartedly to adaptation research. So to have recognition through a western system is so very important and shows that we are in an era where the pluraverse of perspectives can now be included in how we research and learn about the world around us. 

ND: Now that we’re halfway through this series, my challenge as an illustrator is to make sure that each book in the Mothers of Xsan series has its own distinctive character, while at the same time, is cohesive. I don’t want to be repetitive with imagery, but I do want to make sure it's clear to the reader that each species’ story takes place within the same general landscape, and that each book is a part of a larger story.

What key advice would you give to aspiring writers and illustrators?

BH: We must just begin our work. All aspects of our journeys build the foundation of who we become. Overcome the fears of failure and work through the losses like we praise the successes.

ND: I think a lot of aspiring creators struggle with a kind of perfectionism that prevents them from showing others their work until it’s “good enough.” My advice is to ignore that impulse. Show people your work, make a portfolio, and reach out to people in your chosen industry for feedback. It’s not easy, but it’s a very effective way of improving your skills and making the kind of art you want to make. 

By Cristina Sanza

Cristina Sanza is a Digital Journalism Instructor and Writing Coach in the Department of Journalism at Concordia University in Montreal. She also coordinates the Concordia Science Journalism Project team and the Projected Futures international science journalism graduate summer school. At the SWCC, she serves as the blog editor and digital media committee volunteer.

New research reveals the hunting secrets of the Manitoban bird

The Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa). Photo by Drsarahgrace, public domain.

A new study in Manitoba provides some insights into how the “Great Gray Owl,” a common site over the plains and in the forests of the eastern Canadian prairies, overcomes many obstacles to find its prey. 

PHOTO 1: The prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster). Photo by Soebe, public domain.

The bird is able to "punch" through as much as 50cm (or 20 inches) of hard, crusty snow—enough to hold the average person’s weight—to catch a vole hiding beneath—a small rodent that often serves as a meal for the winged predator. 

But the snow presents the owl with other problems way before the “moment of capture,” too. Not only does snow hide its prey from sight, forcing the bird to rely only on its hearing, it weakens any sound the vole is making. It even "bends" or refracts the sound, creating an “acoustic mirage,” or false impression of its location (above). The denser the snow, the more pronounced are both the attenuation and refraction. 

The owl soars towards its prey from its perch, then hovers  as directly over it until it reaches a “listening  position” of least refraction and weaken - defeating that "acoustic mirage" in the process. Then, it plummets straight  down on its target, forming a “plunge-hole” in the snow.   

The owl is superbly adapted for this. While it has no ear tufts, it has the largest “facial disc” of any owl. That's  where its ring of feathers filters and amplifies sound at its ears. This also allows it to pick up low-frequency sound, the kind that transmits best through snow. And its wing feathers are formed in such a way as to allow it to fly and  hover more quietly than just about any bird, anywhere. 

With a wing span of well over a metre, It’s the largest owl  in North America. It can be found across the province of Manitoba year-round.  

And, since Manitobans “adopted” the “Great Gray” in  1987, it’s been its official provincial bird, too. 

A three-member team, two from the US, along with James  Duncan from “Discover Owls” in Balmoral, Manitoba, used loudspeakers and special cameras in their research. 

The above images were extracted, with thanks, from the team's official study, published in the proceedings of The Royal Society.

By:  Larry Powell 

Larry is a veteran, award-winning “eco-journalist” living in Shoal Lake, Manitoba. He belongs to The Science Writers & Communicators of Canada, The Canadian Association of Journalists and is a past member of The American Association for the Advancement of Science. He specializes in stories about agriculture, the environment and the Earth Sciences.

Follow Larry's Blog: www.PlanetinPeril.ca and Twitter: @LarryPo54406341

Orca Rescue! dives into the only successful orca reunion in history

Donna Sandstrom is a lifelong writer, former software developer, and longtime fan of orcas. In 2002, she was a community organizer in the effort to return an orphaned orca named Springer to her pod. This experience led her to develop The Whale Trail, a series of sites to watch whales from the pacific shores. Sandstrom is a Brooklyn, New York native who moved to Seattle, Washington about 40 years ago.

Orca Rescue! is Sandstrom’s first book, which was illustrated by Sig Burwash. Currently residing in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Burwash’s artistic practice includes watercolor, collage, illustration, and comics. Their work is both imaginative and linked to their life experiences, many of which involve nature. They have participated in residencies in Canada, the United States, and Europe.

We chatted with Sandstorm and Burwash about the writing and illustration process for Orca Rescue! The answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Can you tell us a little bit about what Orca Rescue is all about?

DS: Orca Rescue details the true story of the only successful orca reunion in history. It’s about how a young orphaned orca, Springer, was discovered near Seattle—lost, alone and 300 miles away from home. Six months later, she was rescued and returned to her pod on the north end of Vancouver Island. Today, Springer is thriving with two calves of her own. The book tells the story as-it-happened, from my perspective as a community organizer on the project.

What in particular inspired the writing of this children’s book?

DS: I’ve wanted to tell this story since the day Springer went home. I knew I had witnessed and been part of something extraordinary—from the way people worked together, to the way the orcas responded. This story had never been told by someone who was part of it, so I wanted to share what really happened as we lived it. I wrote it for young readers in hopes it would inspire curiosity, compassion, and connection to the natural world.

Why do you think it’s important for children to learn about this rescue mission?

DS: This is an all-too-rare example of a community coming together to help a wild animal, and it worked! Not many people will have the chance to rescue an orca, but the lessons we learned can be put to good use to solve other problems today. 

The book incorporates narrative storytelling with factual information about life sciences, so there is a clear educational component. What do you hope children (and parents) will take away from this book?

DS: First, I hope that readers will have a new and deeper understanding of orcas and our history with them. I hope it builds awareness about their significance to First Nations, and the roles that we all can play in protecting animals and their environment. There are so many facets to the story—from biology and research to problem-solving and art. I’d encourage families and classes to read the book together to see what curiosities are sparked. This is a true story of hope about one of the world’s most fascinating creatures. Above all, I hope everyone walks away feeling inspired, empowered, and at least a little in love with orcas, especially Springer!

Tell us about the illustration process. How did you come to collaborate with Sig?

DS: My publisher suggested Sig, and I am so glad they did. This was the first book for both of us, and a learning curve for sure. Because this is nonfiction, we had to find the right balance between accuracy—the way things really looked—and imagination, letting the charm and energy of the drawings shine through. I am over the moon with how the illustrations turned out.

What was the biggest challenge you faced when writing this book? What about the illustrations?

DS: The hardest part for me was having to leave out the names of so many people, and refer to them generically, for example, “researcher” instead. For this age level, we had to limit the number of named characters. Everyone is listed later on but I wish we could have included them all in the text. There were so many heroes in this story.

SB: The specifics and nuances of orca anatomy was a big learning curve—from the fin shape, to Springers’ unique saddle patch, etcetera. It’s the first time I’ve illustrated something non-fiction, which left less room for the creative liberties I’m used to taking with fiction illustration. It required a lot of attention to detail. I learned a lot about orcas in the process.

What key advice would you give to aspiring children’s book writers and illustrators?

DS: Never give up! I’ve been writing since I was a child, and this is my first book. Also, read what you write out loud. It’s the best way to find out what’s working, and what needs to change or come out. And finally, share the draft with a few trusted friends or subject matter experts, especially if it is nonfiction. Another set of eyes always helps!

SB: Look at a lot of illustration and art and read lots of illustrated books. Narrow in on what you like about specific illustrators’ work, new and old, from their use of colour, texture, expressions, to their sparseness or their detail. What makes you feel something? Learn what you enjoy and what your strengths are. Find illustrators you like and see what their career trajectory has been. I look at artists CV’s to see where they started off and where they’ve gone with their career, where they’ve studied, and who they’ve worked for.

By Cristina Sanza

Author bio:  Cristina Sanza is a Digital Journalism Instructor and Writing Coach in the Department of Journalism at Concordia University in Montreal. She also coordinates the Concordia Science Journalism Project team and the Projected Futures international science journalism graduate summer school. At the SWCC, she serves as the blog editor and digital media committee volunteer. 

Social media: @cristina_sanza

Beyond Banting tells the stories of diabetes research from a non-academic viewpoint

Krista Lamb is an author, audio storyteller and communications connaisseur. She hosts and produces numerous podcasts, including  Diabetes Canada Podcast, From Beta Cells to Bicycles and the Actions on Diabetes Podcast. While she is fascinated by diabetes research, she dabbles in the communication of many science and health topics into a variety of mediums. 

Her recently published book Beyond Banting: From insulin to islet transplants, decoding Canada’s diabetes research superstars was the winner of the SWCC 2021 General Public Book Award. The book dives deep into exciting innovations in diabetes research in Canada throughout history and the people behind them. Its release coincided with the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin. 

We chatted with Lamb about the writing process for Beyond Banting.

Can you tell us a little bit about what Beyond Banting is all about?

In 2017, I started interviewing diabetes researchers for the Diabetes Canada Podcast and was fascinated by the stories I heard. There is such a vibrant research community in Canada and I wanted to share that in a larger way. With the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin taking place in 2021, it felt like the perfect time to celebrate how much has happened in this field since Frederick Banting’s seminal discovery.

What in particular inspired you to write this book?

I am lucky to have a career where I am surrounded by scientists who are doing exceptional and often very interesting research. The work they do inspires me every day and I hoped to inspire others in that same way. In particular, I wanted young scientists or those considering a career in science to see the value their work has and the impact it can have on the lives of those living with a chronic disease like diabetes.

Where does your passion for diabetes research and treatment stem from?

While I don’t live with diabetes, so many of the people I care about do. Both of my grandmothers had type 2 diabetes, and I have many friends and colleagues with type 1 diabetes. It is an often-misunderstood condition and one that has many facets. Seeing the range of diabetes research being done—from looking at barriers and inequities in type 2 diabetes to islet transplants in type 1 diabetes—it felt like there were a million pieces in the puzzle and the process of putting it together was an intriguing one. 

What was the biggest challenge you faced when writing this book?

Time! I was working against a deadline that was fixed in stone, as I wanted to have the book out for the 100th anniversary. I was also leaving a full-time role in science communications to start my own company, and then the pandemic hit. It definitely felt at times like I was pushing a boulder up a mountain, but I wanted to tell these stories and that kept me motivated to complete this project.

What was it like interviewing different leading experts and researchers on the topic? 

I was lucky that the research community was open to this project and that I was able to get considerable time with people who are extremely busy. While I feel confident writing about this type of research, there is an intimidation factor when you are interviewing the person responsible for GLP-1agonists being available around the world or who pioneered in-human islet transplants. While everyone was understanding that I am a journalist and not a scientist, you still want to bring your A-game in these situations. 

Were there any interviews in particular that changed the course of the book writing process?

Along the way, lots changed. In some cases, I went in thinking I would write about one facet of a research project and decided to go in a completely different direction after doing some interviews. There are interviews I did where as much as I wanted to include them, they just didn’t fit in the end. One of the best (and in some ways worst) parts of this process was when I would speak to someone and learn about an entirely different project and suddenly I needed to know more. I think that led to some amazing parts of the book, but sometimes it felt like the process could go on forever if I followed every thread.

What do you hope readers will take away from this book?

It was important to me that this book wasn’t just an overview of significant findings from Canadian diabetes research over the last 100 years. That book would be interesting, but I don’t know that future generations of scientists would see themselves in it. I wanted to write about a wide range of people doing incredible things and tell their stories in a way that inspires others to learn more. We have so much to be proud of in terms of our research community in this country. I hope people walk away from the book feeling that.

What key advice would you give to an aspiring writer, particularly someone interested in tackling a scientific or research-oriented topic?

Science can seem complex and overwhelming when you are coming at it as a writer and not a scientist. I learned very quickly that I needed to ask questions that made it clear I didn’t have the academic training of the other people in the room—but that this was OK, and welcomed. I see my role now as asking on behalf of the non-scientists who can benefit from this knowledge. People doing science want their stories told and if you can do it in a way that is both accurate and understandable, everyone benefits.

By: Cristina Sanza

Cristina Sanza is a Digital Journalism Instructor and Writing Coach in the Department of Journalism at Concordia University in Montreal. She also coordinates the Concordia Science Journalism Project team and the Projected Futures international science journalism graduate summer school. At the SWCC, she serves as the blog editor and digital media committee volunteer.