In the era of Facebook, MSN Messenger, MySpace and instant messaging, many sociologists believe face-to-face interactions are declining, making society increasingly anti-social.

University of Calgary associate professor John Manzo believes otherwise.

"We are seeing daily social interactions in the public sphere move into the private sphere," says Manzo. "What we have to consider is these new interactions and their social importance."

It's unclear upon entering SS 1306 if you have just walked into a small library, storage room or a professor's office. Then you spot professor James Apple in the corner, most likely reading classical Tibetan literature at his small desk. It's not that he enjoys his office's textual clutter, but the assistant professor of eastern religions owns so many books that storage options are few.

The gecko, known for its ability to shed and re-grow its tail when threatened, may prove useful in researching traumatic human spinal cord injuries.

University of Calgary zoology professor Anthony Russell began studying leopard geckos during his sabbatical starting January 2009.

He worked with Tim Higham, a former U of C student of his, and now an associate professor at South Carolina. The original study concerned the energetics of tail re-growth.