Every year, patches of Australian forests are consumed by fire, an ecologically necessary process that releases soil nutrients and stimulates plant growth. When the fire season is exacerbated by drought and high temperature, however, the devastation is so great that some citizens are forced to flee their homes. In the[Read More…]
Science & Technology
The latest in science and technology.
Making room for data science in the humanities
The Centre for Social and Cultural Data Science (CSCDS) held their first Data Science Expo on Jan. 21. Among the many speakers presenting on the new and exciting roles that data science will play in the modern world was Aengus Bridgman, a political science PhD candidate at McGill. Bridgman’s lecture[Read More…]
Top advancements of the past decade
A look into the past reveals some of humanity’s greatest achievements: The discovery of fire, the domestication of animals, the invention of the car. The past decade in particular has seen large technological change. Gadgets and apps have become so commonplace that it is difficult to imagine a time without[Read More…]
Rapid urbanization is driving biodiversity decline
Humanity is currently experiencing an unprecedented era of urban growth. By 2030, more than 1.2 billion additional people are expected to live in cities, equivalent to building a city the size of New York every six weeks. A group of international scientists, including Andrew Gonzalez, a professor in the McGill[Read More…]
Image generation is rendering advertisements artificial
Decadent delicacies in food advertisements are not always what they seem to be. In these commercials, motor oil poses as pancake syrup, mashed potatoes become scoops of ice cream, and craft glue replaces milk in a bowl of cereal. Today, a rendering technique called physically based rendering (PBR) allows advertisers[Read More…]
Exploring the myth of device radiation
Phones have become an integral part of living in modern society. Used for practically every purpose, technology has consumed the lives of almost everyone with access to it. As human interactions with electronic devices increase, controversial debates over whether cell phones cause cancer have also emerged. The idea behind this[Read More…]
29th edition of Soup and Science
McGill professors presented their scientific research to crowds of students in the Redpath Museum at the 29th iteration of Soup and Science from Jan. 13–17. After snacking on complementary soup and sandwiches, writers from The McGill Tribune compiled highlights from the week. Nutrient cycling and ecosystem science Fiona Soper, assistant professor in[Read More…]
Immortalizing the mortal: Merging art and medicine
At its annual ‘Immortalizing the Mortal’ event in November 2019, the Maude Abbott Medical Museum revealed its chosen specimen: A uterus with large leiomyoma (or fibroids), benign tumours that occur when smooth tissue or connective tissue grows in the uterus. The event, which uses medical specimens to inspire artists and[Read More…]
Weathering the storm of aerosol emissions
There has long been concern surrounding the environmental impacts of extracting oil from Alberta’s Athabasca oil sands, the world’s third largest oil reserve. According to a McGill-led study published in Environmental Pollution, contamination from the Athabasca oil sands is impacting the weather patterns of nearby regions. The study was led[Read More…]
The Internet bands together to save Earth’s forests
Many consider online influencers and the YouTube community to be a toxic cesspool of negativity. However, YouTubers Jimmy Donaldson, known by his online name MrBeast, and Mark Rober are challenging this view by bringing internet celebrities together to make the world a better place through their TeamTrees campaign. Donaldson and[Read More…]
