Glow-in-the-dark piglets born As the new year rolls in, so does the prospect of glow-in-the-dark bacon and neon pork chops. Last August, two researchers at the South China Agricultural University in Guangdon Province—Zhenfang Wu and Zicong Li—successfully injected biofluorescent genetic material taken from jellyfish directly into pig embryos, resulting in[Read More…]
Science & Technology
The latest in science and technology.
In remembrance of Dr. William Feindel (1918-2014)
On Jan. 12, Canada lost one of its most renowned and revered neurosurgeons. William Feindel (O.C., G.O.Q., MDCM, D. Phil) passed away quietly at the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) Hospital after a brief illness, according to the McGill Reporter. Feindel was a pioneer in the field of neurological medicine, and[Read More…]
Pioneering a new approach to immunology
C. elegans, more formally known as Caenorhabditis elegans, is a simple, transparent roundworm often used in genetic research. After working with the organism from a neuroscience perspective under the supervision of associate professor Joseph Dent, U2 interdepartmental honours student Daegan Sit combined his experience with the worm and his interest[Read More…]
SciTech Calendar: Jan. 14
Major Depression and Suicide: Presentation by Dr. Gustavo Turecki Contact [email protected] to RSVP Jan 20, 6 to 8 p.m. The Killam Prize lecture—Vaccines: Impact on Global Health and Economics Lecture given by Dr. Lorne A. Babiuk, 2013 Killam Prize Winner in Health Sciences. Registration is free but on a first-come,[Read More…]
Get A Seat released in time to ease add/drop period woes
With over 22,000 full time undergraduate students at McGill and limited course registration, the first few weeks of January—also known as the add/drop period—can be stressful. After forgetting to check Minerva one time too many, Noah Lackstein, a U2 Management student at McGill, developed the app Get A Seat to[Read More…]
Soup and Science Preview 2014
What is it? This week, head over to the Redpath museum to listen to a collection of professors provide a short presentation of their research. Make sure to get there early, as seating is limited and spots fill up fast. Following the presentations, students are invited to mingle with the[Read More…]
Dress up your Android and iOS for productivity
Apart from the usual suspects on your phone, such as Instagram and Snapchat, many other apps exist that can help you keep up with your schedule and manage your social life. Check out these lesser-known apps to ring in the New Year. Evernote Advertised as a suite of programs that[Read More…]
McGill joins ranks of universities teaching MOOCs
This semester, McGill joined the ranks of MIT, Harvard, and other leading universities with the opening of registration for its first ever Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) Chem181x. The course, known as “Food for Thought,” will be offered by professors David Harpp, Joe Schwarcz, and Ariel Fenster starting this January[Read More…]
Delving into the laser lab
Enclosed within the Wong building is a laser lab—and in between homework and classes, this is where Luke Matus spends the majority of his time. “I’m in chemical engineering, so I had no experience in lasers or surface engineering,” said Matus, a U2 engineering student. “I was just interested in[Read More…]
2013 Technology: a year in review
1. Wearable computing Between Google Glass and the smart watch—including the models Galaxy Gear and Pebble, wearable computing is a rising trend. Pebble was founded by Eric Migicovsky and released in 2013. Originally, Migicovsky wanted a device that would allow him to use his smartphone without crashing his bicycle; from[Read More…]
