Among the hatches, twisted pipes and over six kilometres of aluminum foil that lies within the synchrotron at the U of S, researchers are harnessing the power of light to make highly detailed images of everything from live animals to diseases.

Dr. Steven Novella, host of the podcast The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe says the notion that the term “skeptic” applies to someone who doesn’t believe in anything is “a marketing problem,” and that it’s important to understand the difference between scientific and philosophical skepticism.

Established in 2007, the Wilson Centre was made possible through University of Saskatchewan graduate W. Brett Wilson, who is also an investor on the CBC reality show Dragons’ Den.

A 500-square-kilometre watershed accessible only by tundra plane, the Sheep Creek Basin had never been studied by hydrologists before Stacey Dumanski, a fourth-year U of S student, arrived.

From 1885 to 1949, the Canadian government banned Pacific Coast potlatch ceremonies, a part of Aboriginal community heritage by which hereditary names were transferred. These names also determine property rights, access to fishing and berry-picking sites and ultimately govern the wealth of the community. Now, as part of a unique field school led by Carlson, U of S history student Stephanie Danyluk is helping the Stó:lõ tell the stories of their past.

“There are plenty of lyrics in the blues that you could look at and say, ‘that’s actually describing an evolutionary principle,’ ” says Jay Ingram, host of the daily science show Daily Planet.

Just east of Saskatoon there stands a row of tall thin towers, something visually like telephone lines, observing four million square kilometres of sky. This is one of four Super Dual Auroral Radar Network radar sights operated by the University of Saskatchewan.

With the holiday season soon upon us, here are three geeky gadgets to watch for. From mobile gaming to hands-off cleaning, these doo-dads are not to be missed.

Canadian researchers have identified the youngest neutron star ever discovered out of the remnants of a supernova.

Back in June 2000, PC World magazine asked, “Do you want e-mail everywhere?” describing new mobile phones that were capable of sending and receiving email, paging, faxing and some limited web browsing. Today, those activities are more common than ever with iPhones, BlackBerrys, netbooks and all sorts of devices going mobile.