NEXT BIG QUESTION

S P R I N G 2 0 1 0

M A G A Z I N E

T H E M A G A Z I N E O F T H E C A N A D I A N I N S T I T U T E F O R A D V A N C E D R E S E A R C H

CIFAR BOARD OF DIRECTORS2009/2010

Richard W. Ivey (Chairman, CIFAR)

Chairman, Ivest Properties Limited

Toronto

Chaviva M. HošekPresident & CEO

CIFAR

Toronto

David Dodge(Vice-Chair)

Former Governor

Bank of Canada

Ottawa

Bruce H. Mitchell(Vice-Chair)

President and CEO

Permian Industries Limited

Toronto

Peter J.G. BentleyDirector & Chair Emeritus

Canfor Corporation

Vancouver

David ChoiPresident and CEO

Royal Pacific Realty

Vancouver

Evan V. ChrapkoCEO

The Growing Power Group of LPs

Edmonton

Anthony F. ComperImmediate Past President & CEO

BMO Financial Group

Toronto

Bruno DucharmeChairman

TIW Capital Partners

London, U.K.

Pierre Y. DucrosPresident

P. Ducros & Associates

Montreal

George A. FierhellerPresident

Four Halls Inc.

Toronto

Pierre FortinDepartment of Economics

Université du Québec à Montréal

Montreal

Anthony R. GrahamPresident

Wittington Investments, Ltd.

Toronto

Maxine Granovsky-GluskinTrustee

Ira Gluskin & Maxine Granovsky-Gluskin

Charitable Foundation

Toronto

Gilles G. OuellettePresident & CEO, Private Client Group

and Deputy Chairman

BMO Nesbitt Burns

Toronto

Martha C. PiperChair of Board of Trustees

National Institute for

Nanotechnology

Edmonton

Gerard J. ProttiExecutive Advisor

Cenovus Energy

Calgary

Hugo F. SonnenscheinPresident Emeritus &

Distinguished Professor

University of Chicago

Chicago

Barbara StymiestGroup Head of Strategy, Treasury

and Corporate Services

RBC Financial Group

Toronto

Carole TaylorSr. Advisor

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

Vancouver

Ilse TreurnichtPresident and CEO

MaRS Discovery District

Toronto

SPRING 2010VOLUME 11, ISSUE 1

The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research supports the

work of hundreds of researchers across Canada and around the

world. Currently, CIFAR supports 12 major multidisciplinary

programs. Those programs are:

Cosmology and Gravity

Earth System Evolution

Nanoelectronics

Quantum Information Processing

Quantum Materials

Experience-based Brain and Biological Development

Genetic Networks

Integrated Microbial Biodiversity

Neural Computation and Adaptive Perception

Institutions, Organizations and Growth

Social Interactions, Identity and Well-Being

Successful Societies

P U B L I S H E R :

Chaviva M. Hošek

E D I T O R - I N - C H I E F :

Patchen Barss

E D I T O R I A L A D V I S O R S :

Penelope Codding, Elizabeth Gerrits,

Chaviva M. Hošek, Kara Palleschi, Sue Schenk,

Mel Silverman, Pekka K. Sinervo, Kara Spence

C O N T R I B U T O R S :

Alison Palmer, Adam Stewart,

Sofia Ramirez, Stephanie Crispino

D E S I G N :

ID8 Design Group

P R I N T I N G :

Sunville Printco

T R A N S L A T I O N :

Geneviève Beaulnes

Reach is a magazine for supporters, researchers, volunteers and

friends of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, and anyone

else with curiosity and imagination. Published twice per year, Reach

celebrates advanced research and explores the issues, opinions and

ideas emerging from this work. We invite all comments or inquiries

concerning the content of Reach and/or the work of CIFAR.

Reach, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research

180 Dundas Street West, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1Z8

Phone: 416-971-4251 Fax: 416-971-6169

Email: letterstoreach@cifar.ca

Website: cifar.ca

3 Ask questions first, vote later BY CHAVIVA M. HOŠEK

4 What is the next big question?

5 Schedule of events

6 What is the fate of the universe?

7 What does the future hold for our planet?

8 Why is destiny not in our genes?

9 Where can quantum computing carry us?

10 How do microbes rule the world?

11 How can political institutions best promote peace and prosperity?

12 What does your genome say about who you are?

13 Can we build a brain?

14 Can we sustain the information revolution?

15 What makes a society resilient?

16 Can we create superconductors that work at room temperature?

17 What makes a great leader?

18 CIFAR Annual Donors

20 Event Sponsors

01

02

TELUS is proud to be partnering with the

Canadian Institute for Advanced Research

in the search of the Next BIG Question.

To learn more about why TELUS was named

the most outstanding philanthropic company

in the world visit telus.com/community

We are a BIG supporter.

© 2010 TELUS. TELUS, the TELUS logo and the future is friendly are trademarks of TELUS Corporation, used under licence. 10_00122

Great-WestÊLifeÊandÊtheÊkeyÊdesignÊareÊtrademarksÊofÊTheÊGreat-WestÊLifeÊAssuranceÊCompany.ÊLondonÊLifeÊandÊdesignÊareÊtrademarksÊofÊLondonÊLifeÊInsuranceÊCompany.ʪCanadaÊLifeÊandÊdesignÊareÊtrademarksÊofÊTheÊCanadaÊLifeÊAssuranceÊCompany.ʪÊisÊaÊtrademarkÊofÊTheÊGreat-WestÊLifeÊAssuranceÊCompany.

Together.

Our community. Our future.

Proud to support CIFAR’s Next Big Question Series.

CIFAR researchers can spend anywhere from

five to 25 years working together to pursue the

answer to a single question. They collaborate

in teams ranging from 15 to 40 researchers

drawn from across Canada and around the

world. Each team member brings to the table

the ideas, expertise and insights they have

developed through their individual careers.

Together, these teams create knowledge of

such ambitious complexity that the effects

of their work are felt for generations.

This magazine contains persuasive cases

for the merits of 12 questions that CIFAR

researchers are working to answer. Each

event in the Next Big Question series will

address three of these questions. I hope that

you will take the time to consider them all,

and to vote – at the events or on CIFAR’s

microsite, www.cifarNBQ.ca.

I imagine it can be daunting to settle on

a single Next Big Question – any one of

these questions is worth many lifetimes of

exploration, so how can you choose just one?

I have great confidence, though, that our

readers and audience members will bring their

own experiences, ideas and insights to bear on

their decision, and that the results of our polls

will provide thoughtful, interesting results.

Please don’t stop there. The real point

of the voting is not to reach a conclusion,

but to begin a conversation. The big

questions change over time. CIFAR is

always seeking out new research areas that

are interdisciplinary, collaborative, risky

and aimed at creating knowledge with the

potential to change how we understand

our world.

I sincerely hope that you will join us on

this journey. By donating to the organization,

and by participating in our events and

reading our publications, you can be a part

of a community that is always exploring not

just the Next Big Question, but the one after

that and the one after that.

Chaviva M. HošekPresident and CEO

and Lawson Family Foundation Fellow

Canadian Institute for Advanced Research

Ask questions first, vote laterThen, keep asking questions

CIFAR researchers

can spend anywhere

from five to 25 years

working together to

pursue the answer

to a single question.

They collaborate in

teams ranging from

15 to 40 researchers

drawn from across

Canada and around

the world.

03

What is the NEXT BIG QUESTION?Welcome to a special edition of Reach magazine,

the flagship publication of the Canadian Institute

for Advanced Research. The issue you hold in your

hands is the companion piece for a fun and thought-

provoking competition called the Next Big Question.

The Next Big Question is a series of debates taking

place in each of seven Canadian cities.

There are 12 questions in the competition, each

taken from one of CIFAR’s twelve research

programs. At each event, three CIFAR researchers

will make the case for why their area of exploration

is most worthy of the title “The Next Big Question.”

The audience will have a chance to ask questions

and join in the debate. The evening culminates in

a vote, which determines the winner among those

three questions.

Want to vote for a question that is not being

presented in your city? Not a problem. You can read

the pitch for all 12 questions in this magazine or on

the Web. Visit us at www.cifarNBQ.ca to get more

information, to debate and discuss all the questions,

and to vote in our online poll. We’ll announce the

results of the online voting at the final event, and

also report back on all the winners in a future

edition of Reach.

SCH

ED

ULE

OF

EV

EN

TS Halifax

April 20, 2010

Allan MacDonald Can we create superconductors that work at

room temperature?

Steve Scherer What does your genome say about who you are?

Marla Sokolowski Why is destiny not in our genes?

Moderator: Costas Halavrezos

Ottawa April 27, 2010

Jerry Mitrovica What does the future hold for our planet?

Ray Laflamme Where can quantum computing carry us?

Michèle Lamont What makes a society resilient?

Moderator: Kathleen Petty

Vancouver May 10, 2010

Don Eigler

Can we sustain the Information Revolution?

Julio Navarro What is the fate of the Universe?

Jim Fearon How can political institutions best promote

peace and prosperity?

Moderator: Rick Cluff

Edmonton May 12, 2010

Barry Sanders

Where can quantum computing carry us?

John Archibald How do microbes rule the world?

Tim Besley

How can political institutions best promote

peace and prosperity?

Moderator: Paul Kennedy

Calgary May 13, 2010

Alex Haslam

What makes a great leader?

Tom Boyce Why is destiny not in our genes?

Alessandro Forte What does the future hold for our planet?

Moderator: Paul Kennedy

Montreal May 25, 2010

Gèrard Bouchard What makes a society resilient?

Roland Benabou How can political institutions best

promote peace and prosperity?

Hugh Wilson Can we build a brain?

Moderator: Paul Kennedy

Toronto June 10, 2010

TBD What does the future hold for our planet?

Louis Taillefer Can we create superconductors that work

at room temperature?

Brenda Andrews What does your genome say about who

you are?

Moderator: Paul Kennedy

CIFAR thanks all the CBC Radio One personalities who have joined us to moderate these events.

05

www.cifarNBQ.ca

WHAT IS THE FATE OF THE UNIVERSE?

Is there any question bigger than what the

fate of the Universe might be? Every other

question you can ask just refers to small parts

of this one. The fate of the Universe involves

questions about the nature of matter and

energy, speculation about whether the laws

of physics could be anything other than what

they are, theories about parallel Universes,

and a quest to understand the very nature

of existence. To understand the fate of the

Universe, one must understand the forces

of nature – physics and chemistry are just

the start. What is the nature of gravity, that

strange force that causes every object in the

Universe to be attracted to every other? How

can space and time, which seem relentlessly

absolute, be warped and altered?

This biggest of questions also involves

studying the smallest of particles, for the

fate of the Universe is also tied up with the

forces that hold atomic nuclei together, and

the nature of electromagnetic radiation

that carries heat and light to us from the

sun. Everything we are familiar with, and

everything we wish to understand is tied

up with the nature – and therefore the fate

– of the Universe.

We don’t find anything depressing about

pondering the ultimate fate of the Universe –

far from it. The same way that understanding

the cycles of night and day, the seasons, the

phases of the moon, the spinning of galaxies,

and the birth and death of stars motivated

past generations of scientists, today we draw

inspiration from the awesome fact that we,

human beings – tiny creatures (on a universal

scale) on a small planet in the outer edges of

an ordinary galaxy – have developed the tools

needed to observe the universe and to gain

some understanding of its breadth, its depth,

its history and its future.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

“What is the fate of the Universe?”

is the Next Big Question because it

evokes the awe-inspiring journey

of our intellect toward the ultimate

frontier of knowledge.

THE PITCH:

06

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR OUR PLANET?

At least for the foreseeable future, this

planet is the only home we’ve got. It would

be useful to know, then, whether it will

continue to be habitable.

Sometimes contemplating the future just

means wondering whether it will snow

tomorrow, or whether it will be a hot

summer this year. We can think bigger,

though. What will the climate be like a

hundred years from now, or a thousand or

a million? Will the greenhouse gases in our

atmosphere ever reach an upper limit and

start to diminish? Will our planet ultimately

end up like the super-heated surface of

Venus, or like the frozen wasteland of Mars,

or will it continue to move up and down

within a range of temperatures that are

hospitable to life as we know it?

We can think even bigger: climate is just

one aspect of the evolving system that is

the planet Earth. Will the plate tectonics

that cause earthquakes and volcanoes ever

decrease in activity? As Earth’s human

population continues to grow, how can urban

centres in areas of high risk – flood zones or

fault lines – cope with or plan for the natural

hazards they will inevitably face. How would

it change things if the great oceanic currents

were radically altered? Will there be mass

extinctions in the future as there have been

in the past? And most important, how do

air and earth and water affect one another

to shape the Earth’s evolution? What is the

relationship between changes in the Earth’s

upper atmosphere and its inner core?

The real magnitude of this question comes

from considering the entire planet as a single

system. Modeling any component of this

system is challenging enough. Put them all

together, and the task becomes much more

onerous. Yet, without exploring this question

to its fullest, we would inevitably miss key

pieces of the puzzle. This question is big in

its complexity, and even bigger in its urgency

for we human beings who contemplate it.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

“What does the future hold for our

planet?” is the Next Big Question

because the Earth is our only option

for the human race, and nothing is

more important than knowing what

is happening to our home.

THE PITCH:

07

WHY IS DESTINY NOT IN OUR GENES?

Recent advances in gene sequencing

technology tempt us to look at our bodies

in a radically different, more genetic way.

Though the scientific value of these advances

is clear, the success of genomics may create

a false impression – that our genes are the

weavers of our fate, the sole determinants

of our destiny. There is much about your

personal future, though, that a genome scan

will never tell.

One thing genomics does not touch is the

important role that early life experiences

play in physical health and development.

These experiences set a trajectory for health

and development by changing the neural,

endocrine and immunological systems that

sustain human life.

One of the mechanisms by which these

changes occur is “epigenetics.” Epigenetics

is a relatively new field of research that

studies how environmental factors affect

the way genes behave. It allows us to search

the entire human genome for the effects

of socioeconomic status, for example,

opening doors to understanding how social

environments influence children’s health

and well-being. Early research results show

that children raised in less affluent settings

have highly distinctive patterns of gene

activation compared to children raised in

more affluent settings. In other words, two

people with identical DNA can have very

different health outcomes because varying

environmental factors can turn different

genes on and off in each individual.

Adults who were raised in low socioeconomic

circumstances show distinct epigenetic patterns.

A study of such individuals revealed that

certain genes that regulate the stress hormone

cortisol were less active and others that are

associated with inflammation were more active.

The childhood stress of being poor actually

shaped how these genes were expressed, even

if the person’s situation improved later in life.

This result helps to explain how adverse early

experiences can lead to a lifelong increase in

the risk of certain chronic diseases.

Thanks to advances in genomics, epigenetics

and neuroimaging, combined with new non-

invasive techniques for measuring physiological

changes, studies like these are constantly

emerging from the world of advanced research.

As these advances transform the way we view

health and development, they reveal new and

powerful ways to improve human health and

well-being. The ultimate result is the creation

of healthier and happier societies.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

“Why is destiny not in our genes?”

is the Next Big Question because it

creates an unprecedented opportunity

to ensure that future generations are

healthy and well-prepared to answer

the biggest questions of their time.

THE PITCH:

08

09

WHERE CAN QUANTUM COMPUTING CARRY US?

A computer is essentially a tool for storing,

retrieving and processing information.

But what happens in a world where

“information” means something other than

what we normally understand it to be?

Quantum physics deals with just such a

world – subatomic particles like photons,

electrons, quarks and gluons don’t behave

the same way as human-scale objects like

baseballs, lightswitches, hammers and wires.

In the normal world, an object is either in

one place or another. A statement is either

true or false. A switch is either on or off.

Ascertaining the state of such objects is what

we would call “gathering information.”

In the quantum world, though, something

can be here, there or both here and there. A

switch can be on, off or both on and off. It’s

a concept called “superposition” and it’s one

of many entirely counterintuitive aspects of

the quantum world.

It makes it challenging to build a computer

out of these strange particles that behave

so differently from anything in the regular

world. But if we can make sufficiently

complex machines out of these particles, we

can use them to process information in ways

that are literally unimaginable – quantum

computers can meaningfully process kinds

of information that human being would find

paradoxical and impossible to reason with.

There are some very tangible, practical

applications for quantum computing –

things like creating unbreakable computer

encryptions, and for creating complex

scientific models, including those of the

subatomic world. Even more important

though, quantum computers provide a way

for us to step into another world and gain

access to a whole new kind of knowledge.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

“Where can quantum computing

carry us?” is the Next Big Question

because it will revolutionize our

fundamental understanding of what

information is.

THE PITCH:

HOW DO MICROBES RULE THE WORLD?

Without microbes, we would not be asking

any big questions because there would be

no “us.” Microbes created our breathable

atmosphere. They make the Earth’s soil

fertile. They drive oceanic life cycles and

extract megatonnes of greenhouse gases

out of the atmosphere every year. The vast

majority of biodiversity on this planet exists at

the microbial level.

And that’s just the beginning. More than 90

percent of the cells in a human body are not

human at all – they are microbes. Each person

has between five and 10 kilograms of bacteria,

viruses and other microbes living inside and

on them – microbes that help us metabolize

food, microbes that keep us healthy, and of

course some microbes that can make us very

sick. Some researchers go so far as to argue

that there is really no such thing as a “human

being” – that we are each a human-microbe

symbiosis, with neither partner capable of

surviving without the other.

Microbes make life possible in so many

ways, and yet we know so little about

them. For normal practical purposes,

microbes are invisible, even though they

are everywhere around and within us.

And even when we do study them in the

field or in our laboratories, they are not

life as we know it – the way they trade

genetic material and evolve and mutate

is different from anything observable in

macroscopic organisms.

There are very practical reasons why

it is so important to understand how

our existence depends on the microbial

world – microbes can be used in disease

prevention, industrial processes,

environmental remediation and ecosystem

management, and for many other

pragmatic purposes. Even more important

though, is that microbes provide a whole

new way to understand the essence and

the evolution of life on this planet.

At this moment, new technological

advances, and new areas of research such as

metagenomics are empowering scientists to

attain a new and deep understanding of the

hitherto inaccessible lives of microbes. Not

only is this question big, but this is the right

time to answer it.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

“How do microbes rule the world?”

is the Next Big Question because

microbes are essential for our survival,

and because we now have the capacity

to understand and harness them better

than ever before.

THE PITCH:

10

HOW CAN POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS BEST PROMOTE PEACE AND PROSPERITY?

Governing for peace and prosperity

presents colossal policy challenges: More

than one third of our world’s citizens

currently live in poverty. About 26 countries

currently have civil wars ongoing, with

many more suffering from nearly constant

low-level political violence.

To rise to these challenges and foster

peaceful and prosperous populations,

nations must create institutions that allow

all social groups to participate in and benefit

from the economy. They must ensure that

political leaders are accountable for policy

outcomes, both beneficial and detrimental.

Political and economic institutions– the

formal and informal “rules of the game” for

political and economic decision making in a

society – have a large impact on a country’s

ability to innovate, meet new challenges

and generate wealth. By allocating power

and resources, they shape incentives

not only through their formal and legal

provisions, but also through norms, habits

and expectations. Formal provisions also

require enforcement, which may or may not

occur depending in part on the nature of a

society’s informal institutions.

Though the link between political

institutions and prosperity is clear, the

relationship is complex: Institutions

that foster prosperity in one culture,

geographical location, or historical period

may be detrimental in another. Moreover, we

have little understanding of how to promote

the development of better institutions in

states that don’t have them.

We know that countries that started out

on similar footing often followed different

developmental paths. We also know that

the vestigial effects of slavery and colonial

institutions can strongly influence a nation’s

successes and failures many generations

later. We know many of the correlates of

economic growth and civil war, but not as

much about he causes and how these can

be shaped or determined by political and

economic institutions.

Sometimes the answers to this question

lie deep in the past. Often the answers are

far from straightforward. But the more

we learn about the ways that political

institutions, peace and prosperity influence

one another, the closer we become to

ensuring a higher standard of living for

all of the world’s citizens.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

“How can political institutions best

promote peace and prosperity?”

is the Next Big Question because

conflict and poverty will persist

until we can answer it.

THE PITCH:

11

12

WHAT DOES YOUR GENOME SAY ABOUT WHO YOU ARE?

It can be daunting to spend too much time

thinking about your DNA. How much is

tied up in those tiny double helixes that

reside in the nuclei of each human cell?

We know there are genes that determine

eye, hair and skin colour. But what about

predisposition to diseases? Intelligence?

Athleticism? Artistic talent? Personality?

We know that genes don’t tell us everything

about who we are, but they do say a lot. In

fact, we are in the midst of an explosion of

new genetic information. Researchers are

identifying the functions of more and more

genes, gaining a better understanding of

what goes wrong, and getting closer to being

able to read a human genome as thoroughly

as you are reading this page.

One of the most explosive new areas of

DNA research is “genetic networks.” In

many cases, it’s not a single gene that has

something to say about who we are, but

a group of genes expressing themselves

together. A disease with a genetic

component, for example, may be the result

of dozens or even hundreds of genes

working – or failing to work – together.

Studying genetic networks is exponentially

more complex than analyzing a single

gene – it’s only in the past decade that we

have developed the science and technology

that allows us to create complex genetic

interaction maps, and to start to get a

sense of what they tell us about who we

are. Genetic networks are starting to give

up their secrets now – and the information

they contain will have a huge impact on

medicine, science and our understanding

of our own true nature.

Our genes could tell you not only what

diseases you are prone to, but also how

you personally can best take preventative

measures, and if you do get sick, what

treatments will be most effective for your

individual genetic make-up. The more we

learn about genomics, the clearer it becomes

that hidden in your genome are major factors

that help make you who you are.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

“What does your genome say

about who you are?” is the Next

Big Question because the more

we know about our genome, the

more we know about ourselves.

THE PITCH:

CAN WE BUILD A BRAIN?

Every person reading this is the proud

owner of the most advanced, powerful

computer on the planet – the human brain.

Computer makers can tout the processing

power of their most advanced chips, but

even the best computer hardware can be

easily outperformed in pattern recognition

by children and adults. If we could build

an artificial system that could think and

process patterns like a brain, it would

forever change the way we think, both

about computers and about brains.

What does it mean that a child can

outperform a supercomputer? Obviously

computers are much better at some tasks

– doing complex mathematical operations,

for example. But some jobs are better

performed by children – any child, for

instance, can look at a picture they have

never seen before, and correctly assess

that it is an image of a dog. Even today’s

best computers running the latest

algorithms struggle to do this kind of

task quickly and reliably.

That’s just the start. Our brains give us

amazing capacity to interact with and

learn about the world around us. They

are unsurpassed at pattern recognition,

categorization and error correction.

Computers can’t come close to matching the

human brain’s ability to assimilate sensory

information – sights, sounds, smells, tastes,

feelings – and turn it into a coherent, useful,

meaningful model of the world.

Computers don’t come close, but they do

come much closer than they used to. A

confluence of technological, theoretical and

experimental advances mean that we are

nearer than ever to developing a “learning

algorithm” that will effectively allow us to

create an artificial brain that has the same

capacity to understand its environment as a

human being.

The technological implications are vast:

everything from better Internet search

engines to improved airport security. Even

more awe-inspiring, though, is that the

building of a brain will elucidate the nature

of human thought itself. Answering this will

demystify the wonders of the brain – the

astonishing capabilities that effectively make

human beings what they are.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

“Can we build a brain?” is the Next Big

Question because it will not only drive

major technological advances, but also

push us to understand the true nature

of ourselves.

THE PITCH:

13

CAN WE SUSTAIN THE INFORMATION REVOLUTION?

Computer processors double in power about

every two years – this phenomenon is known

as Moore’s law. How does this happen?

Increased power comes from making

smaller and smaller switches, so that more

and more of them can be crammed onto a

computer chip. More switches means more

processing power. Moore’s law has been the

underpinning principle that has led to the

information revolution of the past 40 years.

There is a problem, though: there is a limit

to how small a conventional switch can be.

Scientists expect to hit that limit sometime in

the next decade. What happens then?

We think the answer lies in nanoelectronics,

which involves building devices measured

in nanometers (which are one billionth of

a meter). Effectively, this means building

computers one atom at a time, which

presents a whole set of engineering

challenges that are vastly different from

typical microchip production.

The laws of quantum physics start to come

into play, presenting major challenges both

for production and for the functionality of

the devices. Nevertheless, nanoelectronics

have already proven practicable, and this

field is the most promising way of ensuring

that Moore’s law – and the information

revolution – continue to progress.

From climatology to genetics, and from

economics to cosmology, research scientists

perpetually seek more powerful computers

in order to do more sophisticated modeling

and calculations. Because nanoelectronics

holds the key to ensuring the continued

advancement of so many other areas of

research, we need to answer this particular

question first.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

“Can we sustain the information

revolution?” is the Next Big Question

because it allows us to answer so

many other big questions.

THE PITCH:

14

15

WHAT MAKES A SOCIETY RESILIENT?

The human body can suffer incredible

injury and somehow recover. Fortunately,

we understand many of the mechanisms at

work here. What about societies? They too

can be laid low, and be damaged in ways that

beggar comprehension. Poverty, corruption,

inequity, social turmoil, economic crisis

are only the beginning. Societies can be

wounded by flood or hurricane, devastated

by earthquake or landslide, crippled by

war, famine or oppression. And yet in

many cases, like living organisms, societies

find the strength to rise again. Prosperity

and enfranchisement replace scarcity and

alienation. Old wounds heal, and sometimes

not only do societies get back to normal,

but living conditions may improve in

various ways.

Sadly, not every society proves this robust.

Like the human body, societies can surprise

us as much with their fragility as with their

recuperative capacity. Why, though, are some

societies more resilient and more creative

than others? If we can find the answer to

this question, it could help us mitigate the

suffering of millions of people all over the

world whose societies have experienced one

form of hardship or another.

Another important reason why this question

matters so much is because we believe it is

answerable. The vagaries of history, geography,

personality and culture that shape any given

society – its highs and its lows – may seem

mysterious or impossibly complex, but

we believe that, to a large extent, they are

knowable. There are real truths, for instance

about why life expectancy plummeted in

Russia after the fall of Communism, but not

in the Czech Republic. There are reasons

why Canada weathered the recent economic

meltdown better than many other countries.

There are better and worse ways that Haiti

can respond to the earthquake that struck

there on January 12.

It is our conviction that a lot can be learned

about what makes a society resilient. And

we can use that knowledge to empower

ourselves to better respond to the injuries

and setbacks that any society might one

day suffer. Culture, and more specifically

collective imaginaries, are one of the many

factors that we seek to investigate as a source

of resilience – or lack thereof.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

“What makes a society resilient?”

is the Next Big Question because

it addresses some of the greatest

difficulties faced by humanity,

and can help point the way toward

alleviating the suffering of millions

of people.

THE PITCH:

CAN WE CREATE SUPERCONDUCTORS THAT WORK AT ROOM TEMPERATURE?

Superconducting materials have a number

of fascinating and potentially highly useful

properties, including the power to conduct

electricity without resistance and the

capacity to create powerful magnetic fields.

Superconductors exhibit a “coherent” form

of electricity, much as a laser exhibits a

coherent form of light. These properties hold

enormous technological implications – for

power transmission, levitating high-speed

trains, magnetic medical imaging, wireless

communications and quantum computing.

But there is a problem: Superconductors

only work at very low temperatures. Some

materials need to be cooled to just a few

degrees above absolute zero – about -250°C –

in order to exhibit superconductivity. Others,

known as “high-temperature superconductors”

only need to be cooled to a balmy -140°C. Both

types of superconductors require cumbersome

cooling systems that are expensive and

impractical for many applications.

We are on the cusp of unlocking the secrets

behind what causes high-temperature

superconductivity. In the past three years,

CIFAR researchers have published a

series of landmark papers that have taken

us very close to putting this decades-old

mystery to rest. And once the nature of

this phenomenon is laid bare, we can then

turn our full attention to finding ways

to raise the upper temperature limit of

superconductivity.

Consider some of the possible applications

of room-temperature superconductors:

Inexpensive, portable MRI scanners; fast,

cheap magnetically levitating train systems;

power grids that lose no electricity during

transmission. Superconductors are already

used for these types of applications, but

their high cost makes widespread

implementation unpractical. Not only

would room-temperature superconductors

revolutionize these known uses, but they

would also open the door to countless new

applications that couldn’t be contemplated

with current technology.

Consider the laser once more: when it

was invented in the 1950s, the laser was

a “solution without a problem” – very

interesting scientifically, but without

immediately apparent practical application.

Today, lasers are employed for everything

from microchip production to eye surgery,

and from scientific research to stadium light

shows. Room-temperature superconductors

would be even more revolutionary, reshaping

consumer electronics, city infrastructure,

and the world of research itself.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

“Can we create superconductors

that work at room temperature?” is

the Next Big Question because we

are getting close to answering it in

ways that could make huge changes

to both advanced research, and to

everyday life.

THE PITCH:

16

WHAT MAKES A GREAT LEADER?

There’s an old school of thought that says

the course of human history is charted by

“great men:” Heads of church and state,

generals and business magnates whose

individual qualities of vision, courage and

charisma (not to mention rage, hatred and

greed) are so powerful that they shape the

fate of nations and economies.

This school of thought is gravely and

dangerously misguided. We say “dangerously”

because it is predicated on some major

misimpressions about the nature of great

leadership. We need a smarter, better answer

to the question of what makes a great leader,

and we need it quickly. In a world where

politics, economics, business and activism are

all more global, complex and interconnected

than ever before, good leaders and good

leadership have never mattered more.

There are some obvious problems with

the “great men” theory, not least that

it suggests that men are better leaders

than women. There is still a strong and

erroneous association in many people’s

minds between female leaders and

failed businesses, projects and political

movements. We have found that the

correlation exists, but the causality goes

in the other direction: women are more

likely to be put in charge of organizations

that are already in trouble. We call this

“The Glass Cliff.”

There are subtler but equally important

misconceptions about what makes a great

leader, having to do with identity. The traditional

models are built around an “I-based” model of

identity, where the individual’s personality is

so strong that others cleave to the leader out

of sheer inspiration and loyalty. The truth is,

though, that the most effective leaders draw on

a “we-based” collective identity – followers see

their leader as “one of us.” It is group identity,

not a single person, that makes or breaks the

leader. In fact, to really understand what makes

an effective leader, we also have to understand

what makes a dedicated follower.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

“What makes a great leader?” is the

Next Big Question because a better

understanding of leadership is key

to dealing with every major political,

environmental and economic crisis in

the world today.

THE PITCH:

17

18

CIFAR ANNUAL DONORS(Donations received between July 1, 2008 and March 2, 2010)

V I S I O N A R I E S ’ C I R C L E($100,000 +)

$5 millionGovernment of Canada

$2 millionGovernment of Ontario

Government of British Columbia

$600,000Government of Alberta

$500,000Government of Quebec

$200,000 - $499,999The Lawson Foundation

RBC

$100,000 - $199,999Auld Cedar Charitable Trust

Arthur J.E. Child Foundation

Manulife Financial

The T.R. Meighen Family Foundation

R. Howard Webster Foundation

BMO Financial Group

(1 anonymous donor)

D I S C O V E R E R S ’ C I R C L E($50,000 - $99,999)The Harold Crabtree Foundation

George A. Fierheller

Flair Foundation

Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life

Jerry and Geraldine Heffernan

Ivey Foundation

Richard W. and Donna Ivey

The Henry White Kinnear Foundation

The Koerner Foundation

The George Cedric Metcalf Charitable Foundation

Bruce H. Mitchell

Power Corporation of Canada

George Weston Ltd.

Young Family Fund at the Hamilton

Community Foundation

Rothmans, Benson, and Hedges Inc.

(1 anonymous donor)

E X P L O R E R S ’ C I R C L E($25,000 - $49,999)Peter Bentley

The John Dobson Foundation

Bruno Ducharme

John and Gay Evans

Margaret and Jim Fleck

Hydro One

Margaret and Wallace McCain

Scotiabank

W. Garfield Weston Foundation

B U I L D E R S ’ C I R C L E($10,000 - $24,999)James C. Baillie

The Bealight Foundation

The Liz and Tony Comper Foundation

Purdy Crawford and Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt

N. Murray and Heather Edwards

Ira Gluskin and Maxine Granovsky-Gluskin

Anthony R.M. Graham

Richard M. Ivey

Sheryl and David Kerr

McLean Foundation

Gilles and Julia Ouellette

Petro-Canada

Roger Phillips

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Charles Sirois

Allan R. and Shirley I. Taylor

The Wilson Foundation

Alfred G. Wirth

B E N E F A C T O R S ’ C I R C L E($5,000 - $9,999)Bill Blundell

David Choi

Evan V Chrapko

David A. Dodge

Pierre Ducros

Derek and Adrienne Fisher

Richard and Nancy Hamm

Charles Hantho and Eileen Mercier

John F. and Judith I. Helliwell

Chaviva M. Hošek

Syd Jackson

Robin Korthals

Robert and Cheryl McEwen

Peter Nicholson

Richard Rooney and Laura Dinner

Rose Family Fund at the Toronto

Community Foundation

William and Meredith Saunderson

Arthur R. Sawchuk

Barbara Stymiest

Lawrence & Judith Tanenbaum Family

Charitable Foundation

Carole Taylor

Ilse Treurnicht

Trottier Family Foundation

(2 anonymous donors)

D E V E L O P E R S ’ C I R C L E($2,500 - $4,999)Stuart Butts

Will Falk and Kate Fillion

Ralph and Roz Halbert

Richard F. Haskayne

The Kololian Foundation

John C. Madden

The Mauro Family Fund

(1 anonymous donor)

P A T R O N S ’ C I R C L E($1,000 - $2,499)Aubrey Baillie

Mona H. Bandeen, C.M.

Lawrence S. Bloomberg

Beverley Brennan

Bruce and Mary Ann Burton

Howard Bussey

Philippe Casgrain

Minu and Raj Chandaria

Larry D. Clarke

Ronald L. Cliff

John A. Cook

Donner Canadian Foundation

Stephen J. Donovan

William Downe

Rob Dowsett and Anne Folger

James C. Duffield

John T. Ferguson

Galin Foundation

Harold Giles

Heather Gordon

Douglas and Ruth Grant

H. Donald Guthrie

Sabrina Hasham and Gulzar Raisa Charania

Geoffrey Hinton and Jacqueline Ford

Suzanne Ivey Cook

Knowledge Impact Strategies Consulting Ltd.

Lorraine and Claude Lamoureux

Spencer Lanthier

David Laprise

Michael Mackenzie

Sandy Auld MacTaggart

Paul S. and Martha McLean

Carol Mitchell and Richard Venn

John and Maggie Mitchell

Jerry Mitrovica

Nancy’s Very Own Foundation

Kara Palleschi

David and Anne Patterson

Gail Regan

Huntington Sheldon

Irving and Dorothy Shoichet

19

P A T R O N S ’ C I R C L E C O N T I N U E DMel Silverman

Pekka and Pat Sinervo

Kara M. Spence

Douglas Steiner

Sunville Printco

Jane M. Wilson

Fei and Milton Wong

(2 anonymous donors)

S U P P O R T E R S ’ C I R C L E($500 - $999)Michael Adams

William Buyers

Paul Cantor

CIGI

Geoffrey Clarkson

Connell Limited Partnership

Sydney & Florence Cooper Foundation

Anne and Stefan Dupré

Elizabeth Gerrits and Gordon Evans

Dr. Reva Gerstein, C.C., O.Ont

Germaine Gibara

F. David A. Hartwick

Nancy and Frank Iacobucci

David H. Laidley, FCA

Ruixing Liang

Bruce Miyashita

Josh Pekarsky

Jean Pelletier

Martha C. Piper

Hugo F. Sonnenschein

Marnie A. Spears

Bette Stephenson

Doug Todgham

The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation

The William and Nancy Turner Foundation

University of Victoria

Susan Waterfield

Hugh R. Wilson and Frances Wilkinson

(3 anonymous donors)

F R I E N D S ’ C I R C L E($100 - $499)Susan Abbott

Carla and John Adams

David J.R. Angell

Jonathan Arac

Patricia Baird

Karen Baker-MacGrotty

Patchen Barss

Harry Baumann

The Hon. Mauril Bélanger, M.P.

Dennis Bennie

Bruce Burnett

Gwen Burrows

Reta Burrows

Wendy M. Cecil

Samantha Charlesworth

George Connell

Marcel Côte

James Coutts

Ian Currie & Associates

C. William Daniel

Ana D’Avila

Marie Day

Mauricio Drelichman

Simon Dupéré

Brenda Eaton

Lesley Evans

Brian E. Felske

Sheldon and Norma Finkelstein

Pat and James Fitzpatrick

Jack Frankel

Peter R. Frise

Thérèse Gaudry

Peter George

Joseph Glaister

Dr. David Goldbloom and

Ms. Nancy Epstein

Rose Goldstein

Mary P. Gordon

Michael W. Gray

David and Annette Grier

B. Heinrich

Elhanan Helpman

Russell Hiscock

Nancy Howe

Sally-Anne Hrica

David L. Johnston

Victoria Kaspi

George Kirczenow

Carol Kirsh

Eva Kushner

Jack Laidlaw

F R I E N D S ’ C I R C L E C O N T I N U E D The Hon. Marc Lalonde

Scott and Sara Lamb

Margaret Lefebvre

Dean R. Levitt

Bill and Janet L’Heureux

John Macaulay

Shawn J. Marshall

May Maskow

Jennifer Mauro

Donald McQ Shaver

Simon Miles

Elizabeth Mulholland

Jatin Nathwani

Roger Parkinson

Margaret Phillips

Michel Pioro-Ladrière

Sylvia Pivko

Mark Reed

Donald S. Rickerd

Harry G. Rogers

André Saumier

T. Ann Smiley

Adam Stewart

Jason Stewart

Kim Sturgess

Ann Swidler

Louis Taillefer

Telemission Information Inc.

Claudia Terrigno

Michèle Thibodeau-Deguire

André-Marie Tremblay

Ed Waitzer and Smadar Peretz

Allan Alexander Warrack

Anne C. Wettlaufer

Annita Wilson

Diane Wilson

Elizabeth A. Wilson

Rose Wolfe

James A. Woods & Assoc. Inc.

Yosef Wosk

Hugh Wright

Adam Zimmerman

Dorothy Zolf McDonald

(6 anonymous donors)

CIFAR also thanks Maple Leaf Foods for

its support.

If you have any questions about this listing,

or if your recognition wishes have changed,

please contact Adam Stewart at 416-971-4878 or

astewart@cifar.ca.

20

U N I V E R S I T Y P A R T N E R S

M E D I A P A R T N E R S

E V E N T S P O N S O R S

Listen. Debate. Vote.

Donate.The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research needs the support of people like you to help us

keep asking Big Questions.

CIFAR program members never know where their research will take them. Their questions

require explorations of the smallest atoms and the farthest galaxies. The research they do is

interdisciplinary, collaborative, risky and aimed at creating knowledge with the potential to

change how we understand our world.

You can join them on their journey by making a tax-deductible donation at

www.cifar.ca/donate

cifarNBQ.caCanadian Institute for Advanced Research

180 Dundas Street West, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1Z8

T 416.971.4251 F 416.971.6169