In an age where human interplanetary travel is nearing feasibility and our species occupies all corners of the earth, our fragile oceans still remain a mystery. According to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), less than five per cent of the oceans have been explored. Documentary filmmakers everywhere have[Read More…]
Science & Technology
The latest in science and technology.
Decoding social media and mental health with artificial intelligence
Recent developments in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) are revolutionizing mental health care. A team of researchers from the University of Ottawa, the University of Alberta, and the University of Montpellier in France are developing an AI software that scans social media platforms and flags posts that can suggest[Read More…]
The ups and downs of child-parent relationships
The first bond a baby forms in life is with its parents. For that reason, the impacts of parenting on childhood development—both positive and negative—come as no surprise. Findings from one of the largest and most recent studies on childhood maltreatment in Canada indicate that 13 per cent of children[Read More…]
The Montreal Space Symposium explores the future of aerospace research in Canada
From Oct. 5 to 6, the Montreal Space Symposium welcomed a variety of speakers to showcase recent advancements in Canadian Space research. Sylvan Laporte discusses why space engineering matters In an exciting talk at the Montreal Space Symposium, Canadian Space Agency (CSA) President Sylvan Laporte discussed current and past achievements of[Read More…]
Dealing with tragedy thousands of kilometres away
Tupperware containers in hand, two Mexican McGill students implored hundreds of strangers in Leacock 132 to spare some change to support relief efforts in the wake of the Sept. 19 earthquake in Mexico City. Living away from home is not easy, let alone watching tragedy strike from afar. Challenging routine[Read More…]
Fantastic new science professors and where to find them
As one of the top universities in Canada, McGill boasts top-notch professors—dedicated academics and researchers from all around the world. According to Gregor Fussmann, chair of the Department of Biology, as many as 200 candidates initially apply for a single tenure track position. From these, a search committee identifies a[Read More…]
La vie en jaune: Preventing damage caused by blue light
Midterm season is approaching, and with it, many hours of studying. After long periods of staring at a laptop screen, eye strain can break focus levels. Two factors cause this deterioration in focus: Intense concentration on an object within close proximity of our eyes, and the ‘glare’ of the blue[Read More…]
From the trash and back again: The importance of recycling on campus
From the shelf, the average recyclable is typically used, emptied, and hopefully placed in a recycling container. It then awaits collection and sorting, until it can be sent to the corresponding manufacturer to be reused in the most appropriate manner. The problem in this system lies at the very start:[Read More…]
Predicting Alzheimer’s with artificial intelligence
Researchers in the Douglas Mental Health University Institute’s Translational Neuroimaging Laboratory at McGill have created an artificial intelligence-based algorithm to recognize dementia before its onset—an elusive task, even for neurologists. The algorithm uses statistics to learn what the determining markers of the disease are—a process called machine learning, a branch[Read More…]
‘Westworld’ and the ethical dilemma of sentient machines
While deep in conversation with your childhood best friend, you catch glimpse of a frayed wire and grey hinge protruding from the side of their neck. “I thought you knew,” they calmly remark at your gaze. Suddenly they swing the hinge open to reveal an intricate set of wires and[Read More…]
