The e-commerce industry has existed for over 40 years, but never in its history has it experienced such a period of immense growth as during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Within two weeks of Canadian cities beginning to lockdown in mid-March, online sales in the country had already doubled, with a[Read More…]
Science & Technology
The latest in science and technology.
COVID-19 pandemic spells trouble for wildlife
A jaguar prowls the deserted streets of a small town in Colombia. It turns, catching the scent of two hunters in the distance, but it’s already too late: They shoot before it can flee. Many animals have suffered a similar fate, according to conservationists, since the beginning of the COVID-19[Read More…]
Sun & Science returns with stars, cells, and faults
On June 6, the Faculty of Science held their second session of Sun and Science, the online rendition of the classic Soup and Science presentation series. The McGill Tribune presents the highlights from the event: Making the largest 3D maps of the universe Adrian Liu, Assistant Professor in the Department[Read More…]
Up to bat: The persistence of coronaviruses in bats
Scientists predict that many coronaviruses similar to the strain responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, such as Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), have their origins in bats. While several coronavirus strains can infect and sicken humans, bats appear to remain unaffected while carrying the virus.[Read More…]
Soup & Science goes digital for “Sun & Science”
On May 22, the Faculty of Science offered students and community members their widely popular Soup and Science presentation series, where professors from various departments deliver short talks on their research. For the first time in its history, lectures were offered in the spring and online, prompting organizers to aptly[Read More…]
Mapping the types and causes of cancer
Cancer is a family of related diseases caused by the uncontrolled division of cells known as a tumour. The Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes, a six-year project comprising the work of more than 1,300 researchers in 37 countries, is the largest, most in-depth analysis of cancer genomes to date. It[Read More…]
Medicinal cannabis: Past, present, and future
With its legalization in 2018, marijuana, or cannabis, has become more widely accessible to adult Canadians for recreational use. Most people are familiar with marijuana’s usual effects, such as feelings of euphoria and relaxation; increased sensitivity to colour, sound, and taste; clouded thinking; and hunger. Beyond recreational use, however, cannabis[Read More…]
The changing nature of sea ice
Over the last few decades, climate change has profoundly changed the shape and movement of the layer of sea ice covering the Arctic Ocean. As a result of a warming climate, melting sea ice has become more mobile. A new study conducted by McGill’s Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science[Read More…]
Modelling climate action on the response to COVID-19
Some scholars, politicians, and activists believe that the climate crisis merits the same kind of national and international response that COVID-19 is receiving, but others think that would be impossible. While climate change and COVID-19 are fundamentally different problems, they both pose massive threats to human well-being and require enormous[Read More…]
COVID-19 prompts rise in digital health services
The COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the globe is drastically changing the ways in which people approach work, play, education, and, of course, healthcare. In light of the outbreak, routine checkups have begun to shift online to relieve overcrowded hospitals and reduce opportunities for infection. This style of remote healthcare—termed telehealth or[Read More…]
