In the midst of the SNC-Lavalin saga, we have another insightful piece in today’s The Conversation Canada, this one delving into the concept and history of political interference. Laverne Jacobs of the University of Windsor’s Faculty of Law writes about some relevant court cases of the past, including one involving onetime Québec premier Maurice Duplessis and another involving Gary Lunn, natural resources minister under Stephen Harper.

Could climate change fuel another global financial crisis? Korey Pasch of Queen’s University explains that insurance-linked securities created to protect insurers from catastrophic risk are disturbingly similar to the mortgage-backed securities that spurred the 2008 crisis.

Allyson Brady of McMaster University has a fascinating piece about how scientists are preparing for future Mars missions by collecting samples and simulating communications conditions from volcano parks on Earth.

Finally, anyone who’s ever had a dog knows what loving, comforting and sunny creatures they can be. Often first-year university students, struggling with homesickness, miss the family dog as much as their two-legged family members. And so John-Tyler Binfet of the University of British Columbia started a campus dog therapy program that’s having positive results – unsurprising to the dog-lovers among us.

Four great reads to kick off your week!