A&S scholars sharing their expertise in the media

From President-elect Donald Trump’s threats to impose tariffs, to why it’s the Toronto “Maple Leafs” and not “Maple Leaves,” experts from a range of disciplines across the Faculty of Arts & Science are sharing their expertise on a variety of issues in the media.

Here’s some of what they had to say.

January 10, 2025

• John Vervaeke of the Department of Psychology discusses in Resilience (AU) the “meaning crisis,” where modern society struggles with purpose and coherence.
• J.K. Chambers of the Department of Linguistics, explains in blogTO that the “fs” ending in the name of Toronto’s NHL team, the “Maple Leafs,” is not a grammatical error but a linguistic oddity, as the Maple Leaf is a proper noun.
• Dimitry Anastakis of the Department of History, discusses for CBC President-elect Donald Trump’s threats to use “economic force” to make Canada a state and levy 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods.
• Jack Cunningham of Trinity College, comments for Global News on Trump’s threat to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian goods.

January 13, 2025

• Ruslan Salakhutdinov of Department of Computer Science discusses in International Policy Digest his work with Geoffrey Hinton and Ilya Sutskever.
• Nobel Prize winner in Physics, Geoffrey Hinton of Computer Science, talks on CBC about how government should regulate AI.
• Eva Vivalt of the Department of Economics comments in Liberty Nation on how universal basic income reduced labour participation and annual income.
• Dimitry Anastakis of the Department of History warns in Weekly Voice and CBC that moving U.S. auto plants from Canada to the U.S. could lead to a recession and increased vehicle costs for consumers.
• In Toronto Star (paywall), Mark Kingwell of the Department of Philosophy answers questions from his readers on various topics.
• Semra Sevi of the Department of Political Science, says in Canadian Press News that Justin Trudeau’s resignation as Prime Minister leaves Canada in a precarious position amid potential economic upheaval and deepens political uncertainty.

January 14, 2025

• In Revista Enigmas, Daniela Angulo Murcillo and Aephraim Steinberg of the Department of Physics describe the “negative time” observed in their quantum experiments.
• For Global News, Jack Cunningham of Trinity College says he believes Canada can retaliate against U.S. tariffs with relative ease, but must ensure its own economy isn’t damaged in the process.
• For IBNLive, Phil Triadafilopoulos of Political Science critiques Justin Trudeau’s immigration policies, arguing they have led to rising costs, strain on public services, and challenges for immigrants.
• Matti Siemiatycki of the Department of Geography & Planning and director of the Infrastructure Institute at the School of Cities explains in YorkRegion that the rent crisis is hurting both tenants and landlords, and calls for systemic changes like more affordable housing and improved zoning policies to address the issue.
• Jessica Green of Political Science comments for Corporateknights on fossil fuel lobbyists being excluded from climate talks to ensure more effective action.
• Daniel Brooks of the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, comments in the Independent on evolution.

January 15, 2025

• Raquel Urtasun of Computer Science discusses in Elwatan, NVIDIA’s new miniature computer, which is 1,000 times more powerful than a typical PC, and its potential impact on AI and autonomous vehicles.
• As reported by United Press International, a study led by Miriam L. Diamond of the Department of Earth Sciences finds ‘forever chemicals’ in smartwatch bands, stressing the need to better regulate these substances.
• Robert Bothwell of History discusses in Expresso (paywall) the public feud between Steve Bannon and Elon Musk, both supporters of Trump.
• Matti Siemiatycki of Geography & Planning and director of the Infrastructure Institute at the School of Cities says in the Toronto Star (paywall) that he believes Toronto’s severe traffic congestion needs to be addressed through careful study and consideration of options such as a congestion charge.

January 16, 2025

• Dimitry Anastakis of History notes in Logic (paywall) that Honda’s planned $15bn EV complex in Ontario is the largest single foreign direct investment in Canada’s history.

January 17, 2025

• Raquel Urtasun of Computer Science comments in Newstarget on NVIDIA’s Project DIGITS.
• In Spacing, Lanrick Bennett of the School of Cities challenges the ideas that undermine the value of cycling infrastructure.
• Jon Allen from the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy writes in the Globe & Mail (paywall) about the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
• As reported in Global News, Nelson Wiseman of Political Science believes there is a historical precedent for non-MPs to become Prime Ministers.
• In the Toronto Star (paywall), Mark Kingwell of Philosophy answers questions from his readers on various topics.
• Robert Asselin of the Munk School writes in La Presse about Canada’s Sputnik moment.