Epic discoveries and incredible feats occur every year at the University of Alberta. Some are so fantastic it's hard to believe they really happened. (They did, we promise.) We took some of last year's most popular stories and gave them the Hollywood treatment.
A group of high-octane hockey players ensure the Golden Bears win back-to-back University Cup titles. It's the team's 15th national title, a Canadian Interuniversity Sport record. This movie is guaranteed to feature at least one inspirational locker-room speech.
This is a gritty tale of what happens when knuckles crack (also known as the "pull my finger study"). Consumed by curiosity, researchers use MRI video to determine what happens inside finger joints to cause the popping sound. The dramatic conclusion (spoiler alert): a gas-filled cavity rapidly forms inside.
U of A paleontologists uncover a new species of long-necked dinosaur after discovering a remarkably intact 160 million-year-old fossil near Qijiang City, China. The creature is named Qijianglong (pronounced "CHI-jyang-lon"), which means "dragon of Qijiang." The dino's agent denies rumours that it will star in the Jurassic World sequel.
A world first! Researchers in the Computer Poker Research Group solve the card game known as heads-up limit Texas hold 'em poker with a program called Cepheus. No word on whether poker-playing robots play for the fate of the world in the sequel.
What happens when you combine math and humour? You get a predictive model that shows words are funnier when they have uncommon letter combinations. Starring "snunkoople" and "finglam."
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