Montreal’s Brain Awareness Week began in 1996 with the help of a group of neuroscience students at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute in Verdun in response to the formation of the U.S.-based Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives. Today, the organization is operated by McGill, Concordia, l’Université de Montréal, and[Read More…]
Science & Technology
The latest in science and technology.
This Month in Student Research: Valérie Losier
When Valérie Losier, a U3 Physics major, holds up the project she’s been working on for the past academic year, it doesn’t look like the next generation of breast cancer detection technology. Nonetheless, the device—a labyrinth of wires connecting computers and sensors to a bra—may soon become common sight in[Read More…]
A guide to the galaxy
On March 19, McGill students and the general Montreal public were taken on a tour of the solar system—while never leaving 103 Rutherford. Dr. Richard Léveillé, a planetary scientist who has worked on NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission, presented to a packed room on what scientists have learned about our[Read More…]
From the BrainSTEM: The mammoth cometh
In February 2012, Harvard college professor and genetic engineer George Church hosted a symposium at the Harvard Medical School titled: “Bringing Back the Passenger Pigeon.” The talk centred on the use of new genome-editing technology that could change the concept of reversing extinction from being a dream to a reality.[Read More…]
Will it ever end?
Nothing about this winter has seemed particularly remarkable. There were no freak snowstorms, no -30 degrees Celsius days—yet, dejection towards the weather remains pervasive throughout campus. By February, checking the weather forecast simply becomes a measure of insanity: Why check when you know that it will produce a nearly identical[Read More…]
Hi, Robot: How smart are our gadgets?
Over the last 50 years, gadgets have evolved into faster, smaller, cheaper, and more accessible tools, becoming indispensable in our day-to-day lives. As technology’s role in our lives grows, so does the demand for more intelligent design. Shopping sites now predict customers’ preferences; cell phones can pay for coffee[Read More…]
This Month in Student Research: Adam Marks
Dr. Claudio Cuello told Adam Marks that he could have a job if he found someone in the lab to take him on as an undergraduate researcher. Accepting the challenge, Marks approached a masters student to ask for a role. Two years later, the two of them are under review[Read More…]
Fact or Fiction: Is it blue and black, or white and gold?
#TheDress became a viral sensation at the end of February, triggering heated arguments: Is the dress blue and black, or white and gold? Though the trivial debate was blown tiresomely out of proportion, the disagreements have revealed amazing differences in how our eyes and brains have developed to perceive[Read More…]
Protecting against piracy using DRMs
Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology has permeated our phones, our computers, even our coffee makers. In theory, DRM is meant to protect content creators from piracy; however, its critics are quick to disagree. According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, DRM technologies “impede innovation, security, and basic user rights and expectations,[Read More…]
Research Briefs—Mar. 10, 2015
Working out boosts grey matter A recent study of adult twins has shown that an exercise routine can do more than just burn fat. Researchers from the University of Jyväskylä in Finland analyzed data from 10 pairs of adult male twins who had grown up playing the same sports,[Read More…]
