In a test of will power, determination, and innovation, McHacks presented an incredible challenge to its participants—twenty-four hours’ worth of non-stop creative coding fueled by energy-drinks. Traditionally, ‘hackathons’ are 24 to 36 hours long and invite coders to develop an application, website, or program. Those with the best, most creative,[Read More…]
Science & Technology
The latest in science and technology.
The brightest and boldest futures
Students from the Faculty of Science often find themselves struggling to pick a path after graduation. Sometimes, when it feels like an M.D. or Ph.D. is the only option, a science major can feel trapped. In a series of presentations, McGill’s Biochemistry Undergraduate Society (BUGS) showcased the possibilities and the[Read More…]
Research Briefs—Feb. 24, 2015
Giving the finger The notion that there exists a correlation between the length of a person’s finger and their amicability may seem strange. However, researchers from McGill University are showing exactly that—but only in men. Scientists, by comparing the length of the index second finger (2D) to the fourth finger[Read More…]
Healthy McGill hosts the #SelfCareChallenge 2015
There’s no avoiding the fact that university students today are stressed. According to a 2013 study conducted by the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services (CACUSS), 85 per cent of students reported feeling overwhelmed by their work Of the study’s 30,000 respondents, 91.5 per cent admitted to feeling[Read More…]
Fact or Fiction: Is magic real?
Many young boys and girls wake up on their 11th birthday hoping to hear an owl rapping at their window, inviting them to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. While most remain mere Muggles to this day, there are a few who claim to have learned the art of[Read More…]
Research Briefs—Feb. 17, 2015
#engaged Charting into unprecedented territory, relationships are now using digital platforms to display signs of love and appreciation. A study from Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of Interactive Computing will be presented at California’s iConference in March. Entitled She Said Yes! Liminality and Engagement Announcements on Twitter, the study[Read More…]
This month in student research: Travis Chen
Travis Chen calls his current lab work a serendipitous event. The U3 pharmacology major has spent the last three years working with two major ant species—Formicidae and Myrmicine. “Like every first year, I was thinking about [medical] school [and] I was volunteering at a hospital, and [that’s when I] realized[Read More…]
World Cancer Day
With the combined efforts of the Cedars Cancer Foundation, Cedars CanSupport, and The Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Research Centre, the third annual World Cancer Day was held in a fully packed amphitheater at the Montreal Neurological Hospital. The public forum focused mostly on palliative care—care for the terminally ill—with[Read More…]
The element of truth
“Where did I spend my 18th birthday?” Derek Muller asked a packed Leacock 232 on Tuesday, Feb. 3. The question sparked confused laughter from the audience. However, this was only the start of a presentation that would continue to amuse. Muller—the man behind the YouTube channel Veritasium—explores a huge range[Read More…]
Fact or Fiction: Do aphrodisiacs really work?
Aphrodite—the Greek goddess of love, beauty, and pleasure— shares her name with another substance associated with desire: The aphrodisiac. Aphrodisiacs can be anything—foods, drinks, drugs, smells—that causes an increase in sexual desire. For centuries, people have sworn by the power certain foods, such as chocolate or oysters, to boost their[Read More…]
