You can’t turn around these days without reading in the international media about some other technological or scientific breakthrough involving the University of Alberta.

For instance, did you know that the U of A is at the cutting edge of nanotechnology R & D? Yes, the technology that will one day use microscopic robots to repair your heart valves or construct a cruelty-free steak from a pile of atoms, has a home at The National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT) at the University of Alberta. NINT recently received a $3.8 million investment from Western Economic Diversification Canada for its Innovation Centre.

In other work: The U of A is doing important research on male breast cancer (tinyurl.com/d2ors), childhood schizophrenia (tinyurl.com/85er8), the role of dreams in preparing one’s emotions and helping one make difficult decisions (tinyurl.com/d8tvd), and how the diabetes drug metformin might help diabetic patients with certain heart conditions (tinyurl.com/8oc6c), just for starters.

And it seems there may have been something to those disgusting oatmeal masques and oatmeal plasters your grandmother used to apply. A study done at the U of A shows beta glucans derived from oats could help smooth small wrinkles and speed up skin healing after surgery.

HOW ABOUT A PROSPERITY DIVIDEND FOR NON-HUMAN ALBERTANS?

Dr. Ken Gold, hired to conduct an independent audit of Alberta zoos, says the animals at the Valley Zoo are well-cared by zookeepers despite the fact that the zoo is too old and underfunded compared to the Calgary Zoo. The province hired him to do the audit, so we can be sure to see the province rectify this situation soon.

A GRAVE ERROR?

Why did Pincher Creek double its cemeteries budget for 2005?

Jocelyn Mercer, in the Pincher Creek Echo, says, "Whether councilors were anticipating a sudden plague doubling the amount of deaths in the year is unclear, but for Pincher Creek’s Eden’s Funeral Home, it was business as usual.

"’No two years are the same,’ said funeral director Dennis Novak from the home. ‘We’ve noticed an increase in cremations over regular type burials, but overall there is no real increase,’ Novak said."

BLACK HOLE SLANDER

Black holes are wholly destructive forces, right? They destroy stars. Light that enters cannot escape...

Not so fast. A closer look at the massive black hole in the Milky Way by astronomers at NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory shows the black hole is actually giving birth to a "new generation of stars."

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Promosexual: One who nauseatingly promotes their new movie and their new love interest.

–From the Canadian Expatriates blog (tinyurl.com/avzjg)