“Filmed in Technicolour”; Insulin, electron microscope, and so much more, all from Ontario

Most people don’t know that the Hollywood film process that was proudly proclaimed at the start of films for decades, “Technicolour”  (or Technicolor), was invented by a Canadian from Ontario.

They may also not know that the electron microscope, critical to research around the world was also invented by a Canadian from Ontario.

The Council of Ontario Universities, COU, wants people to discover all the various kinds of research that has dramatically changed people’s lives. To do this , the Council is organizing a contest.

Mary Chaktsiris is co-ordinator  of the Council of Ontario Universities  discoveries contest.

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The contest called “Game Changing Research at Ontario Universities” is organized by the Council of Ontario Universities.

It’s part of the universities “Research Matters” campaign, a much larger campaign to educate citizens of the importance and the direct and indirect relevance to their daily lives of the important research being carried out in the country’s universities.

In this case the contest is organized in conjunction with the more than 20 universities in the province of Ontario, and they’ve selected 50 examples of discoveries and inventions that have made a big difference in people’s lives.

In the press release announcing the campaign and contest, Bonnie M. Patterson, COU President and CEO, said,” It’s no exaggeration to say that the world is a much better place because of Ontario’s game-changing research,”

She added, “Our university researchers have saved countless lives through discoveries in polio, diabetes and cancer treatments, and they have also revolutionized art, film, and space travel. We want the public to feel a sense of pride in Ontario research, and we want them to tell us which discoveries are their favourites.”

Among the 50 choices on the list of eligible Ontario game-changing discoveries are

• The colour motion picture process Technicolour, which became the most widely used colour process in Hollywood for nearly 50 years;
• The first mobile blood transfusion unit, which revolutionized battlefield and remote medicine;
• The anti-blackout suit which gave allied pilots the advantage in the Second World War, Korea, and later enabled space travel;
• The discovery that grapefruit has an effect on the way the body metabolizes drugs
• The discovery that trans-fats have significant negative effects on human health, resulting in their virtual elimination from supermarkets.

50 game changing Historic Discoveries (pdf)

 Research Matters website