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…]
Science & Technology
The latest in science and technology.
Has spring felt weird this year? This is why
Spring has felt unusually out of sync this year, with winter lingering well into late March and only brief, inconsistent stretches of warmth. Is this just a strange season or a symptom of climate change? In an interview with The Tribune, Robert Fajber, Assistant Professor in McGill’s Department of Atmospheric[Read More…]
A blast from the past: Revisiting some of our favourite SciTech pieces
A look at Artificial Intelligence – Malika Logossou, Managing Editor A few months ago, I wrote a piece on Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, examining whether they reduce cognitive skills and how this extends to students and adults. Drawing from Nandini Asavari Bharadwaj’s expertise, a PhD candidate in McGill’s Department of[Read More…]
Alzheimer’s explained: Addressing medical advances and common misconceptions
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects memory, thinking, and eventually grows severe enough to interfere with daily life. AD is the most common cause of dementia, an umbrella term that encompasses many different symptoms of cognitive decline. While AD is still categorized as an incurable disease,[Read More…]
Dark matter and energy: What we know about the unknown
When we think of what the physical world is made of, atoms come to mind—but it turns out the story is far more complex. In reality, atomic matter makes up only five per cent of the universe. The rest, however, is made of dark matter and dark energy, which have[Read More…]
How a tiny brain region is shaping the future of major depressive disorder research
Warning: This piece mentions suicide. The habenula is a tiny structure buried deep within the brain, composed of two distinct subregions—the medial (MHb) and lateral habenula (LHb). Although small, it is a critical hub for regulating mood, motivation, and reward processing. Because of this, researchers have begun to link abnormalities[Read More…]
Think you know plants? These six fun facts might surprise you
From the giant sequoias of the Sierra Nevada to the stinking corpse lilies of tropical forests in Southeast Asia, plants take astonishing forms. Despite all relying on the same basic ingredients to thrive—sunlight, water, air, and nutrients—the plant world is endlessly diverse. But what do plants mean to people at[Read More…]
Not just ice caps: Shorter frozen seasons causing concern for climate scientists
The climate crisis, painfully familiar and distressing, continues to demand our attention. Some researchers are devoting this attention to analyzing the number of frozen land surface days—days when the ground surface is in a frozen state. A recent paper led by Shadi Hatami, a hydrologist and climate scientist at the[Read More…]
Burnout and mentorship gaps for marginalized clinician-scientist trainees
MD-PhD and MD-MSc programs—where students pursue a Doctor of Medicine (MD) alongside either a Master of Science (MSc) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)—are becoming increasingly recognized for their academic and career-centric benefits. These programs train physicians with strong scientific research backgrounds, equipping graduates with a unique skillset. However, these courses[Read More…]
At the water’s edge: Stories of climate adaptation
One wave at a time, coastal communities are becoming increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Rising sea levels, intensifying storms, and shifting fisheries threaten ecosystems, infrastructure, and commerce. These challenges were at the heart of this year’s Annual Grand Challenge on Sustainability, organized by Desautel’s Faculty of Management’s[Read More…]