“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…]
Science & Technology
The latest in science and technology.
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…]
BASiC breaks down barriers
The sixth annual Combining Two Cultures (C2C) conference was held this past weekend at McGill. Hosted by the Bachelor of Arts and Science Integrative Council (BASiC), the event included presentations from McGill professors specializing in integrative techniques, intensive workshops, Montreal tours, and a networking social. Initially held in 2009 at[Read More…]
Academia Week highlights 2015
The curious, the questions, and the answers From Jan. 26 to 30, the Science Undergraduate Society (SUS) hosted its annual Academia Week. The event sparked students' curiosity about science and life in academia, bringing in world-renowned scientists to present interesting questions related to their field of work. SUS Academia[Read More…]
This month in student research: Safina Adatia
New mothers are already under stressful situations, and to help minimize this, Safina Adatia has been studying the effect noise has on new mothers. Adatia, a student pursuing a Master of Science degree in family medicine, conducts her research in the postpartum ward of St. Mary’s Hospital in Montreal. The[Read More…]
Research project engages undergraduates in research
Unlike traditional courses, where students perform predictable experiments to learn laboratory techniques, MIMM 212’s (Laboratory in Microbiology) students are on the front lines of scientific research. The course is part of the Small World Initiative (SWI), a project based out of Yale University that seeks to engage undergraduates in scientific[Read More…]
Research Briefs—Jan. 27, 2015
Is being bilingual better? A 2011 census of Canada revealed Montreal to have the highest rate of bilinguals in the country. While this figure may not come as a surprise to many, it does make Montreal the ideal candidate for demonstrating the ‘bilingual advantage.’ Evidence has shown that raising[Read More…]
Do you want fries with that?
Next time you think you’re deciding between a salad and fries, your brain may have already subconsciously made the decision for you. A research team from the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital of McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre has shown that food choices are largely governed by[Read More…]
Coding 4 dummies
Programming There are several ways to learn programming and plenty of languages to choose from. The good news is that even though they are not the same, they are often analogous; once you learn one programming language, most others follow easily. Codecademy.com provides practical knowledge and lets you program interactively[Read More…]
19th edition of Soup and Science
Soup and Science, presented by the Office of Undergraduate Research in Science, has provided a platform for undergraduate students to hear professors discuss their research and potentially secure a position as an undergraduate researcher in their labs. As Dean of Science Martin Grant explained, Soup and Science offers students a[Read More…]
