David C - Investigation 1B

Music
The field of music involves performance, theory & composition, and research. Musical performance requires some physical ability, such as air capacity and precise muscle movement. It also requires cognitive abilities. Musicians must be able to read sheet music, which is comparable to learning a new language. In addition, timing notes in music is done through fractions, so musicians must also be able to understand and manipulate quantities. Composing music requires a stronger understanding of the cognitive aspects of music. At UofT, the Faculty of Music has some research centres. One that I found particularly interesting is the Music and Health Research Collaboratory (MaHRC). This is an interdisciplinary research centre for music and neuroscience. Their research involves the use of music in therapy and rehabilitation.

Mathematics
Mathematics is a very abstract field that covers quantities, structures, shapes, etc. It requires logical reasoning and problem solving abilities. Pure mathematics is very theoretical, but the research done in a math career has many concrete applications in physics, finance, economics, engineering, and more. Though information about mathematical research at UofT is easily available, I found that it is difficult to understand what is specifically being researched without already having a deep understanding of mathematics.

Cognitive Science
The field of Cognitive Science studies the human mind, as well as mechanical imitations of it. Working in this field requires communication skills (speaking and writing), problem solving, and a good understanding of technology. At UofT, programs in this field are offered by University College. The courses required to complete a major in this field are mostly taken from other programs (Psychology, Computer Science, Statistics), with only 9 courses dedicated to Cognitive Science. Since there is no Department of Cognitive Science at UofT, research in this field is done by the Department of Psychology. I found interesting research done by the Mack Lab (led by Dr. Michael Mack) involving the cognitive processes for learning and making decisions based on memory.

Economics
Economics, though usually associated with money, is a rather broad field that studies behaviour and societal development. An understanding of mathematics (mainly graphs, statistics, and analysis) is needed to work in this field. Based on the title of their research papers, it seems that UofT’s economic research is somewhat focused on applications. A few recent publications are focused on poverty (whether it can be predicted and whether welfare is effective).

Physics
Physics is the study of physical processes, involving concepts such as forces and energy. Being an application of mathematics, it requires the same skills: logical reasoning and problem solving. UofT has physics research in 7 topics: Biological Physics, Condensed Matter, Planetary Physics, Experimental Particle Physics, Quantum Optics, High Energy Theory, and Physics Education. I found Quantum Optics to have some very interesting research. One particular paper, published by Dr. Aephraim Steinberg, outlined a process for measuring light that overcame “Rayleigh’s curse” (the previously believed limit to image resolution).