Neuroscience of choking under pressure The experience of choking under pressure—in an exam, at the free-throw line, or in a presentation—is a familiar one. This week a study published in The Journal of Neuroscience attempted to explain what goes on in the brain when the stakes are raised. While monitoring their[Read More…]
Science & Technology
The latest in science and technology.
Movember starts ‘mo’ conversations
By the end of November, many brothers, sons, and fathers will have grown an impressive amount of facial hair. As cool as these mustaches and goatees look, it isn’t lumberjack chic these men are trying to bring attention to—it’s men’s health. “Movember is a world-wide event where men shave on[Read More…]
ABCs of Science: Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias affect an estimated 500,000 Canadians. A study by the Alzheimer Society of Canada (ASC) found the disease to be the second most feared by Canadians as they age, and with good reason—the disease leads to cognitive function resulting in impaired short-term memory, the inability to[Read More…]
Université de Montréal develops cancer drug detecting device
After six years of research, Professors Jean-François Masson and Joelle Pelletier from the Department of Chemistry at the Université de Montréal have successfully developed the latest cancer detection tool. Their team created a nanodevice that can be used to accurately measure a person’s blood for the commonly used, but toxic[Read More…]
This month in student research: Sanahan Vijayakumar
You can spot Sanahan Vijayakumar on campus by his stylish French apparel, ear-to-ear grin, and fast paced chatter. The U2 materials engineer is an active member of the Engineering Undergraduate Society Council, and is known for his friendly attitude, passion, and outstanding success. Vijayakumar has been conducting research at McGill[Read More…]
From the BrainSTEM: Federal science demands democratic reform
I’d like to think we live in a country where democracy is valued—a place where all groups are represented equally.
Research Briefs—Oct. 28, 2014
Physicists transport marbles with optical tractor beam The tractor beam—a long-distance invisible attraction beam—is a legendary staple in science fiction. In real life, moving objects using only light seems absurd, if not impossible. However, in a paper published in Nature Photonics, a team of Australian and American physicists successfully transferred[Read More…]
Bilinguals get a boost
A recent study conducted at Anglia Ruskin University in the U.K. has once again demonstrated the benefits of bilingualism. Bilingual children of various languages (Polish, Russian, French, and Italian) with English as their primary language, were able to maintain better focus on a task in a noisy environment. When the[Read More…]
Research Briefs—Oct. 21, 2014
Breakthrough in nuclear fission Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMC), one of the world’s largest defence contractors—in 2009 it received 7.1 per cent of the Pentagon’s total funds—has had a major breakthrough in the study on the viability of shifting to nuclear energy. Led by Tom McGuire, the team demonstrated the feasibility of[Read More…]
From the BrainSTEM: Gaters, games, ‘n gals
From the lawless wilderness of 4chan boards and subreddits to the relatively tame comment sections of tech websites, a debate is raging about women in gaming: Are women being marginalized and abused, or are the alleged problems a media creation? Unfortunately, a series of recent events proves the former to[Read More…]
