Yukon Gold potatoesThe Yukon Gold potato: one of Ontario’s five greatest discoveries?

Contest invites votes for top Ontario discoveries

An online contest invites the public to weigh in on which Ontario discoveries have had the biggest impact on the world.

Organized by the Council of Ontario Universities’ Research Matters campaign, it offers prizes to those who select their top five discoveries from a list of 50 spanning the last 100 years—including insulin, pabulum and the Yukon Gold potato.

“It’s no exaggeration to say that the world is a much better place because of Ontario’s game-changing research,” says council president Bonnie M. Patterson. “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.”

Also on the list of eligible 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 and later enabled space travel; and
  • The discovery that trans-fats have significant negative effects on human health, resulting in their virtual elimination from supermarkets.

To see the full list and to register for the contest, visit http://yourontarioresearch.ca/.