Scientists have studied the expansion of the universe since the 1920s, when the field was pioneered using Albert Einstein’s field equations and theory of general relativity. This work posits that a universe filled with matter and energy cannot remain static: The space between galaxies is dynamically stretched over time. On[Read More…]
Science & Technology
The latest in science and technology.
Off-road engineering
For most people, a car flipping sounds like a tragedy. But for McGill Baja Racing (Baja), it’s a routine part of their intense off-roading competitions. Every year, Baja, one of McGill’s Faculty of Engineering design teams, models and manufactures a new single-seat off-road vehicle. This off-roader is then raced in[Read More…]
Lessons from a singing mouse
Picture this: A 15-gram mouse climbs onto a rock, tilts its head back, and belts out a song. While this may sound like a fairy tale, singing mice are real, and are helping scientists discover new ground in evolutionary neurobiology. In last week’s edition of McGill’s Neurobiology and Behaviour seminar[Read More…]
Take The Tribune’s Science & Technology midterm review quiz
1. McGill researcher Mark Brandon studied how mice responded to an environment that evoked fear. Which area of the brain was the fastest to respond and recall the scary memory associated with the environment? Cerebellum Extended amygdala Ventral hippocampus Superior colliculus 2. It is no secret that midterm season is[Read More…]
Reading the static and exploring long COVID’s impact on the brain’s electrical rhythm
For some individuals, recovering from COVID-19 is only the beginning of a longer battle with persistent symptoms. The World Health Organization estimates that 10 to 20 per cent of people infected with COVID-19 develop long COVID (LC), a condition marked by more than 200 symptoms that can emerge and persist[Read More…]
McGill science students: You don’t need to know where you’re going yet
Being unsure of what to pursue after university is not an uncommon feeling among McGill students. A string of interests fostered by your academic pathway and environment does not always lead to an obvious next step. Most of the time that is the last thing it does; the endless course[Read More…]
HIV care informed by social determinants of health
In 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a report listing 2021’s leading causes of death worldwide. Unsurprisingly, at a global scale, ischaemic heart disease remains at the top of the list, with COVID-19 not far behind. However, when data was divided between high- and low-income countries, leading causes of[Read More…]
DAT and MCAT preparation: Expectations, pressures, and balances
For many professions, undergraduate education is the final step before entering the job market. However, for the medical field, it is only the preface for an additional four to eight years of schooling. Prerequisites for dental and medical school include the Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) and Medical College Admission Test[Read More…]
Meet Your Prof: Ivan Topisirovic
Long before his tenure scientifically fighting cancer at McGill, Professor Ivan Topisirovic wanted to be a soccer player. However, a youth coach at a Belgrade club settled the matter early, telling him he would never make even a low-tier team. While it may have hurt at the time, looking back,[Read More…]
A reflection on McGill’s science programs from graduating SciTech staff writers
Antoine – BSc, Honours Biology Dear Bio, If you’re into bio, you’d better learn to love DNA. Breathe it. Dream about it. Because everything comes back to DNA. What’s the reason behind ‘phenomenon X?’ A gene. ‘Phenomenon Y?’ Another gene. Are you curious about the composition of a microbial community?[Read More…]