On Sept. 17, Canada made a leap in ameliorating the health of Canadians across the country by officially adding artificial trans fats to the List of Contaminants and other Adulterating Substances in Foods. Trans fats are usually created by adding hydrogen molecules to liquid vegetable oils, turning them into a[Read More…]
Science & Technology
The latest in science and technology.
ImplementAI hackathon back for its second year
Imagine an app that can guide the visually-impaired, a program that can analyze the nutritional content of the food on your dinner plate, or software that can detect violent encounters as they’re captured on security cameras. These ideas were all implemented during ImplementAI, a 24-hour hackathon which took place from[Read More…]
Making the most of Montreal’s bag ban
Plastic is, undoubtedly, one of the greatest threats to our planet. With over eight million tons entering the ocean annually, the United Nations warns that, by 2050, the ocean could contain more plastic materials than fish. At the beginning of 2018, the city of Montreal banned plastic bags to reduce[Read More…]
Soup & Science: Heart beats, virus breach, the universe’s history, and environmental sustainability
Held at the beginning of every semester in Redpath Library, Soup and Science is an event unique to McGill during which professors from various science departments summarize their research in a series of three minute presentations. Coincidentally, the event also serves soup. The McGill Tribune sent writers to cover the Fall[Read More…]
The REM: Too good to be true?
With the sweltering heat of a Friday afternoon combined with yet another traffic jam on the Champlain bridge, almost any price might be considered worth paying for quicker and more accessible transportation. The Réseau express métropolitain (REM), also known as the Montreal light-rail network, aims to provide a solution to[Read More…]
New cities don’t mean new homes
In the past 20 years, hundreds of new cities have sprung up around the world. Some are new political centres, others are aspiring trade hubs or green cities. But, whether it’s Astana, Putrajaya, or King Abdullah Economic City, the reason is the same: To increase economic growth. Surprisingly, though, many[Read More…]
Restored museum unlocks McGill’s medical history
A newly-opened exhibition in the Strathcona Anatomy and Dentistry Building offers researchers, students, and members of the public the opportunity to explore a fascinating array of anatomical specimens, dating back almost 200 years. The Maude Abbott Medical Museum provides visitors with insight into the rich history of medical studies at[Read More…]
Honouring the creative process
It’s easy to forget that products of daily life, like video games, are the culmination of countless hours of work and meticulous design undertaken by teams as small as one person and as large as an entire company. Playing Hard – The Game Just Got Real, directed by Jean-Simon Chartier,[Read More…]
What is divestment?
On Sept. 12, the McGill Senate voted to support divestment from fossil fuels. While the term ‘divestment’ is ubiquitous on McGill’s campus, its meaning and implications remain foggy to many. To maintain financial stability, the Senate reports that McGill invests part of its $1.6 billion endowment into fossil fuel firms.[Read More…]
EpiPen shortage leaves those with life-threatening allergies scrambling
Earlier this year, Pfizer Canada, the pharmaceutical giant behind EpiPens, reported a shortage in both the 0.3 and 0.15-milligram versions of the drug. As the country’s only brand of life-saving epinephrine auto-injectors (EAIs), Pfizer’s announcement sent Health Canada scrambling for solutions as the shortage is predicted to persist into next[Read More…]
