Those who can easily navigate new cities and unfamiliar locations might also find they have an unusually-precise ability to accurately identify a plethora of different smells, ranging from basil and cinnamon to strawberry and peppermint. A recent study conducted at the McGill Department of Psychiatry demonstrated the surprising link between[Read More…]
Science & Technology
The latest in science and technology.
Cannabis as a key for chronic illness
Since the legalization of cannabinoids—chemical compounds found in cannabis—for medical purposes in 2001, a growing number of Canadian physicians have turned to medicinal marijuana for patients suffering from cancer and other chronic disorders such as multiple sclerosis and arthritis. Cannabinoid receptors, which bind cannabinoids, influence cognitive and physiological processes and[Read More…]
Understanding the most common STI: HPV
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is an extremely common sexually transmitted infection (STI); in fact, up to 80 per cent of sexually active men and women will be infected with the virus at least once in their lives. The infection can be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact and primarily manifests on skin and[Read More…]
Living in a high-tech sci-tech world
The McGill Office for Science and Society hosted the 2018 Trottier Public Science Symposium on Oct. 29 and 30, where academics discussed information technology and its implications for humanity. Human history is punctuated with moments which completely redefined technology, the latest being the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Beginning during World War[Read More…]
Fantastic alien microbes and how to find them
The 2015 discovery of water on Mars, an essential for life on Earth, sparked theories of thriving Martian life. Ideas of interstellar travel to find extracellular beings were suddenly within reach. The second Montreal Space Symposium on Oct. 18 to 19, offered a forum for the future of space exploration,[Read More…]
Myers-Briggs’ evolution into the personality gospel
“Throughout college, I was always someone who thought that who you were was a function of what you accomplished,” Merve Emre, associate professor of English at the University of Oxford and author of the book The Personality Brokers, said. Emre, a former assistant professor at McGill, is not alone in[Read More…]
T-cells take the wheel
In recent years, modern targeted cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery have become better at effectively treating the disease. However, these methods continue to be invasive for patients, as they essentially involve racing to kill cancerous cells faster than healthy ones. Fortunately, discoveries in the field of immunotherapy—using the[Read More…]
Understanding asbestos
Asbestos: Mid-twentieth century American houses were hopeless without it. Malcolm in the Middle made a punchline out of it in an episode. Now, buildings are being forced to remove it, and some countries—including Canada—are introducing legislation to ban it completely. This is a problem that hits close to home, since many[Read More…]
United Nations stresses climate conundrum
It was a mild morning in London, England when the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its groundbreaking report in May 1990. By proclaiming that the Earth’s gradual warming is unquestionably man-made, it became the first international body to state so. The report was concise: “Unless emissions[Read More…]
A sustainable environment and basic income go hand-in-hand
In recognition of the International day for the Eradication of Poverty on Oct. 17, Asian Women for Equality hosted a panel discussion on the synergy between a guaranteed livable income and an environmentally-sustainable future. In the face of the current environmental crisis, there is a need for a massive upheaval[Read More…]
