Imagine a hockey player preparing himself for a game and donning his socks, skates… and fish scale shoulder pads. This is not as outlandish as it seems—researchers are using fish scales as the model for a new wave of stronger protective armour. Since 2006, Francois Barthelat—associate professor of mechanical engineering[Read More…]
Science & Technology
The latest in science and technology.
Researchers unmask genetic nature of ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is the fifth-most diagnosed cancer among Canadian women, accounting for four per cent of all new cases. Tragically, 75 per cent of these new cases prove terminal within five years of their diagnosis. Although it is often compared to breast cancer, ovarian cancer is, in fact, more deadly,[Read More…]
Don’t Knock the Floppy
Different generations can’t understand each other when it comes to technology. When older professors discuss the joys of computer programming on punched cards, I nod periodically and feign interest, but secretly send texts under the table. Soon enough, however, it will be us spouting technological trivialities on the next generation’s[Read More…]
Patents: from the McGill lab to the world market
At many universities, like McGill, the seeds of the next great invention could be awaiting discovery—in a student sketchbook, a lab notebook, or on the corner of a professor’s desk. While the allure of invention is strong, the high cost of obtaining a U.S. patent (usually between $20,000-100,000 and sometimes[Read More…]
Freak ants reveal evolutionary truths to researchers
It turns out your high school science teacher was wrong. While evolution can seem like a random series of events, some researchers are arguing that there may be a non-random, or even predictable, aspect to the process. Ehad Abouheif, Canada research chair in evolutionary developmental biology, and associate professor of[Read More…]
Audrey Moores: on a quest for ‘greener’ chemistry
Most people associate chemistry with toxic fumes and caustic materials. The Green Chemistry movement, which began in the 1990s, is working to change both the perception and the reality of the field. Dr. Audrey Moores, an assistant professor in the McGill department of chemistry, focuses on green chemistry in[Read More…]
Third annual Science and Policy Exchange
On Friday, Sept. 14, a group of graduate students, professors, policy-makers, and entrepreneurs gathered in the McGill Faculty Club ballroom to attend the third annual Science and Policy Exchange. The conference featured panel speakers from government, industry, and academia. The sessions covered three topics: sustainable policymaking, the 2014 health care[Read More…]
Some smokers’ genes make it harder to kick the habit
According to Health Canada, approximately 37,000 deaths each year in Canada can be attributed to tobacco use, racking up $4.4 billion in hospital bills. Although the adverse health effects of smoking are well-known—thanks in part to the government’s anti-smoking campaigns—many have difficulty quitting, despite a variety of available cessation drugs.[Read More…]
How social media is changing science
Early in 2011, Ichthyologist (fish biologist) Brian Sidlauskas led an expedition to catalogue biodiversity in a remote river in Guyana. His goal was to bring back over 5,000 fish. According to Guyana’s customs laws, in order remove specimens from the country, each must be documented and identified. This presented an[Read More…]
Researchers discover new star cluster
While thousands of freshmen participated in “Discover McGill” as part of orientation last month, the McGill Physics Department took part in some exciting new discoveries of their own. 5.7 billion light years from our humble speck in the cosmos is a galaxy cluster 2.5 million billion times more massive than[Read More…]
