On the evening of March 9, Leacock 132 was filled with anticipation and intellectual curiosity as the crowd took their seats to hear Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Professor Rainer Weiss give the Anna I. McPherson Public Lecture, sponsored by the McGill Department of Physics. Weiss’ presentation was titled “Exploring[Read More…]
Science & Technology
The latest in science and technology.
Explaining reluctance in the face of climate change
The Pew Research Center found that, in all 40 nations polled, the majority of respondents believed that climate change is a very serious problem, with the most concern found in African and Asian countries. “There has been a one and a half degree Celsius rise in temperature linked to an[Read More…]
Douglas Mental Health Institute identifies new target for slowing cancer growth
Postdoctoral student Silke Kiessling and McGill Psychiatry Professor Dr. Nicholas Cermakian conducted a study out of the Douglas Mental Health Institute to better understand how people’s biological clocks affect cancer cells. Specifically, they examined whether cancer cells’ growth can be inhibited by targeting the biological clock. The study was published in[Read More…]
Zoos: Prisons or protection?
Animal lovers everywhere can relate to the excitement and wonder associated with going to the zoo. However, many are also dismayed by the small enclosures and the often oppressed and miserable-looking animals trapped inside. Not surprisingly, animal welfare organizations, such as PETA, have spoken out against zoos, condemning their push for[Read More…]
Bias means that fact-checking Trump may not be effective
In July 2016, Newt Gingrich offered a prime example of cognitive dissonance in a CNN interview. Gingrich argued that statistics showing declining crime rates were wrong because people didn’t say that they felt safer. His argument demonstrated the strong role that feelings play in the way people determine which data and[Read More…]
What to make of NASA’s announcement of newly discovered planets
What do a beer, a Roman Catholic religious order, and a newly discovered planetary system have in common? They are all named Trappist, but only one of the three could potentially hold the key to life beyond Earth. On Feb. 22, NASA announced the groundbreaking discovery of seven new exoplanets—planets[Read More…]
Benefits of geothermal energy discussed at Engineers-in-Action event
One of the biggest issues concerning attempts at reducing greenhouse gas emissions is the world’s complete dependency on burning fossil fuels for energy. Currently, modern livelihoods rely on continuous advancements in electricity, transportation, and technology. Antonino Lagana, the principal engineer at engineering company Stantec and a 1993 McGill University graduate[Read More…]
McGill graduate spearheads PornHub’s new sex ed initiative
Pornhub, the largest online provider of pornography, launched a new initiative website on Feb. 1. Called the Sexual Wellness Center, it is the first sexual education website undertaken by a pornographic website. “At the Pornhub Sexual Wellness Center, we are fully dedicated to your health and education, and to create[Read More…]
Systemic racial discrimination of indigenous children in Canadian public policy
“What if 165,000 children were told by a government that they were going to get less education, less health, less child welfare, and less [access to] clean water […] because of their race?” Dr. Cindy Blackstock, of the Gitksan First Nation, asked in her keynote address at the third annual[Read More…]
Study shows correlation between heavy snowfall and heart attacks
Shovelling snow is a winter chore generally met with dread. But, as Dr. Nathalie Auger and her team at the Quebec Public Health Institute recently showed in a study published by the Canadian Medical Association Journal on Feb. 13, there may be real health risks involved. Auger’s study hits home for[Read More…]
