McGill hosted the 2023 Trottier Public Science Symposium, “Ready, Set, Go! Use and Abuse of Science in Sport,” on Sept. 13-14 in Moyse Hall. The symposium featured talks by renowned experts who offered their perspectives on nutrition and the broader role of science in sports. One of the talks was[Read More…]
Science & Technology
The latest in science and technology.
Global collaboration is key to avoiding extinction
As the world is adapting to global-scale environmental crises, the scientific community must collaborate like never before. Current, unparalleled rates of biological diversity loss demand prompt implementation of science-informed policy. In response, scientists belonging to the Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON), co-chaired by Andrew Gonzalez, professor[Read More…]
Ad Astra: McGill Rocket Team’s successful launch
On Aug. 29, 2023, the McGill Rocket Team, having driven the ten hours from Montreal to Timmins, Ontario, successfully launched their lovingly-engineered rocket Porthos. The vehicle flew to a height of 10,000 feet, and most impressively, the flight used a fully student-researched and developed hybrid engine. Project Porthos earned them[Read More…]
A guide to McGill’s first-year science lecture halls
Leacock 132 Any analysis of McGill’s intro-level science lecture halls has to start with Leacock 132, by far the most infamous room in a U0 Science student’s life. The largest lecture hall at McGill, Leacock 132 seats 650 people. While the space has an impressive resume, having hosted speakers such[Read More…]
Discovery of new mechanisms elucidates breast cancer metastasis
Finding more effective drugs that target certain aggressive forms of breast cancer first requires a deeper understanding of the disease’s progression mechanisms. The need for increased insight into the mitigation of breast cancer growth fueled a seven-year-long study at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC). Nathalie[Read More…]
The sky’s the limit—or is it?
McGill hosted the eighth Interstellar Symposium from July 10 to 13 and assembled a stellar panel of experts, ranging from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) engineers to space lawyers, to discuss how to expand civilization into space. The public panel featured: Alan Stern, the engineer in charge of the[Read More…]
McGill’s most sci-fi courses of the 2023-24 academic year
PHYS 534 Nanoscience and Nanotechnology This course, taught by professor Peter Grutter, aims to provide an overview of nanotechnology, a field that studies and manipulates incredibly tiny materials, ranging from one to 100 nanometres in length. To put this in perspective, a DNA double helix is typically 10 nanometres wide,[Read More…]
The journey of a microplastic: An unfolding story
From the packaging of an online order to the takeaway cup holding a morning coffee, plastic is everywhere. In 2019, humans produced 460 million tonnes of plastic, an enormous increase from the mid-twentieth century when roughly two million tonnes were produced annually. A key aspect of plastic pollution is that[Read More…]
Shrek at the beach: Would green sunscreen be worth it?
Eumelanin, a form of melanin typical of mammals, is a brown-black coloured pigment found in skin, hair, and eyes. It absorbs sunlight energy and transforms it into heat, acting as a natural sunscreen. For a pigment that plays this crucial role—and many more—surprisingly little is known about its composition and[Read More…]
Cyanobacterial growth: An underlying cause for unsafe drinking water
Cyanobacterial toxins are amongst the most hazardous substances for humans. Their presence in drinking water due to cyanobacterial growth can result in undesirable health effects such as hay fever-like symptoms, skin rashes, respiratory and gastrointestinal distress, and even liver and kidney damage upon exposure. Therefore, there is an urgent need[Read More…]
