Welcome to the October 2019 issue of Brainstorm

Brainstorm, a special edition of YFile publishing on the first Friday of every month, showcases research and innovation at York University. It offers compelling and accessible feature-length stories about the world-leading and policy-relevant work of York’s academics and researchers across all disciplines and Faculties and encompasses both pure and applied research.

In the October 2019 issue

‘Any idea we had about privacy is over,’ says author of new book on genealogy
After producing an eye-opening TVO documentary about ancestry and data mining, genealogy expert and English Professor Julia Creet has turned her attention to writing a book on the topic. Like the film, it could inform policy-makers about the sticky issue of digital privacy in an era of Ancestry.com and 23andMe. Read the full story.

Unleashing speed: Researchers find way to transfer data 1,000 times faster
A global research team, led by the Lassonde School of Engineering, undertook some vital research on how to better support the “Internet of Things” (IoT) devices and services in cellular networks by transferring data more swiftly. This will greatly enhance our connected world; improve the user experience; and impact industry, health care, business, transportation and everyday life. Read the full story.

One-of-a-kind project on waste management research makes big strides in 2019
Waste Wiki, a resource that provides research and data on waste management to academia, industry and government, has launched a series of new endeavours in 2019. In fact, since it was launched three years ago, one York U postdoctoral Fellow with an uncanny skill for knowledge translation has grown this project exponentially. Read the full story.

Broadening horizons key to romantic satisfaction, new research finds
Sad but true, that first flush of love, passion and sexual desire fizzles over time. But new research finds that doing creative things that involve novelty, change and unpredictability promotes desire and satisfaction in established romantic relationships. Read the full story.

Bygone charity records, highly relevant today, reveal rich-poor dynamics
New research by a business professor digs deep on two Toronto charities from nearly a century ago and, through an examination of their records, discovers a great deal about the roles of the rich and poor in society. These findings have application for today’s fundraising ventures and charities, says the researcher. Read the full story.

Launched in January 2017, Brainstorm is produced out of the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation in partnership with Communications & Public Affairs; overseen by Megan Mueller, senior manager, research communications; and edited by Jenny Pitt-Clark, YFile editor, and Ashley Goodfellow Craig, YFile deputy editor.