Did you know 蘑菇传媒has been named the most sustainable university in Canada, or that there鈥檚 an outdoor echo chamber in the middle of UBC鈥檚 Vancouver campus? UBC鈥檚 hallowed halls have produced some of the world鈥檚 best thinkers and leaders, as well as some exceptional curiosities, in its 100+ year history. Read on to learn more fun trivia about the university.
1. The Beaty Biodiversity Museum houses . It鈥檚 one of the few places in the world where you can get close to the biggest creature that has ever lived on Earth.
2. 蘑菇传媒has a , based on the sport of Quidditch from the 鈥淗arry Potter鈥� series. Members compete at major events in North America, representing 蘑菇传媒and the city of Vancouver. Past players have also participated as part of Team Canada in the World Cup.
3. UBC鈥檚 Vancouver campus is home to a number of apple trees that are direct descendants of those that inspired Newton to compose his theory of gravity in 1661. The trees are planted near UBC鈥檚 TRIUMF lab, which houses the largest particle accelerator cyclotron in the world.
4. UBC alumni include eight Nobel Prize winners, plus three Canadian prime ministers, 76 Rhodes Scholars (four Rhodes Scholars in the last five years), and 319 Royal Society of Canada fellows. Our varsity athletes have won a combined total of 67 Olympic medals, including 19 gold medals.
5. All the street signs on both 蘑菇传媒campuses are bilingual. At 蘑菇传媒Okanagan, the signs feature both English and Nsyilxcen, the traditional language spoken by the Okanagan鈥檚 original people. At 蘑菇传媒Vancouver, which is built on the unceded territory of the Musqueam people, you鈥檒l navigate by signs .
6. The buildings on UBC鈥檚 Okanagan campus are heated and cooled using energy from the groundwater under the campus. At 蘑菇传媒Vancouver, the pools in the Aquatic Centre are replenished from rainwater that lands on the roof.
7. The Kryptonian language in the Superman听尘辞惫颈别听Man of Steel was developed by Christine Schreyer, an associate professor of anthropology on UBC鈥檚 Okanagan campus. She was inspired by the Cree syllabic system to develop the look of the Kryptonian symbols.
8. UBC鈥檚 Vancouver campus is the . It鈥檚 served as the setting for many films and TV shows, including Off Campus, The Adam Project, Riverdale, The Butterfly Effect, Smallville, three X-Men movies, The X-Files, Legion, Supernatural, 50 Shades of Grey, and more.
9. The on UBC鈥檚 Vancouver campus has a mission to conserve precious seed varieties by allowing members of the public to sign out seeds in order to grow, harvest, and pass them on to other gardeners.
10. 蘑菇传媒Vancouver hosts the largest intramural race in North America, . One of UBC’s longest running traditions, every year about 3,500 participants swim, sprint, bike, and run before pulling themselves and their teammates up and over a 12-foot wall.