Curiosity, discovery and change—2017 was another exciting year at UBC Science. Our short video highlights some of our accomplishments. And remember to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for our latest news.

Dante Lauretta, principal investigator of NASA's OSIRIS-Rex mission, discusses how asteroids could hold clues to the origin of the solar system and the organic molecules that may have seeded life on Earth. Free event, January 25.

UBC microbiologists have named three new species of microbe after members of the Canadian prog-rock band Rush. The microbes are covered in flagella, which resemble the long manes of hair rockers sported in the 70s.

UBC hydrogeologists Aaron Cahill and Roger Beckie are using controlled natural gas leaks to understand how methane migrates into groundwater and the atmosphere. Their latest project leverages existing LNG developments.

Geologist, entrepreneur and philanthropist Ross Beaty (BSc 74, LLB 79) has been inducted into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame for his outstanding achievements in business. Last year Beaty was awarded the Order of Canada.

UBC botanist Mary Berbee is working on an app to help foragers avoid dangerous mushrooms. The app could come in handy in a world in which people may not carry field guides but do carry cellphones.

Researchers have captured footage of bowhead whales ‘exfoliating’ by rubbing against rocks, explaining why they return to Cumberland Sound, Nunavut, every summer. The warmer coastal waters could help facilitate moulting.