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…]
Science & Technology
The latest in science and technology.
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…]
The psychology of fear
For some, Halloween means curling up on the couch and watching a favourite horror movie. The resulting jump scares, hellish demons, and bloody deaths provoke an emotion we are all too familiar with: Fear. “Fear is an emotional state—the unpleasant feeling of being afraid—that emerges when we perceive an imminent[Read More…]
Bridging gender inequality one Wikipedia article at a time
In honour of Ada Lovelace Day (ALD) on Oct. 9, people connected over their laptops to help close the gender gap on Wikipedia. ALD honours Ada Lovelace, a brilliant mathematician—often considered the world’s first computer programmer—as well as all women in the fields of science and technology. This year,[Read More…]
Putting your footprint in your mouth
In light of growing global concerns about oceanic pollution, Mathilde Jutras, a PhD student in McGill’s Earth and Planetary Sciences Department, produced a video proposing a solution to the continuously worsening ocean environment: Labelling consumer products with their carbon footprint. Jutras suggests that products should be labelled to indicate the carbon[Read More…]
Orgasm equality is a long time coming
Many women are familiar with the frustration of finishing a sexual encounter without actually finishing. This disparity between men and women’s sexual satisfaction, colloquially known as the ‘orgasm gap,’ refers to the fact that men are far more likely to orgasm than women in heterosexual encounters. In a recent study[Read More…]
Montreal’s wood fireplaces get smoked out
In 2011, Montreal was ranked as the city with the second-worst air pollution in Canada. Sarnia, Ontario, a place otherwise known by the nickname ‘Chemical Valley’, came in first place. It’s no secret, then, that Montreal is a polluted city—thankfully, policymakers are trying to address the problem. On Oct. 1,[Read More…]
Canada’s lasting legacy of space exploration
Space travel doesn’t normally fall within the purview of the Ministry of Transportation, but, in Oct. 1984, current Minister of Transport Marc Garneau became the first Canadian to view his home from inside a spacecraft. Since his initial trip, Garneau has spent much of his professional life commemorating the unique[Read More…]
Canada bans artificial trans fats from all foods
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…]
