Scientists have been warning for years that it may actually be too late to stop climate change despite concerted efforts by the global community. But the world may not be doomed after all. According to a new paper co-authored by McGill Professor Natalya Gomez from the Department of Earth and[Read More…]
Science & Technology
The latest in science and technology.
Research briefs: Thanksgiving weekend
Pumpkin and mammoth pies Americans who celebrated Thanksgiving last weekend have mastodons and mammoths to thank for the pumpkin pie on the table. In a study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, researchers established a link between the extinction of Pleistocene megafauna—mastodons, mammoths, giant[Read More…]
Media response to tragedies in Paris and Beirut incite controversy
On Nov. 12, 2015, 43 civilians lost their lives in twin bombings claimed by ISIS in Beirut. The next day, 129 civilians lost their lives in multiple ISIS attacks in Paris. Both tragedies have drawn in sympathy and well-wishes from around the world, but this support has been met with[Read More…]
Montreal’s 2015 International Game Summit
Whether it’s Candy Crush Saga or Fallout 4, video games are an increasingly integral part of everyday life. The enormous range of developers churning out games means that there is more or less something for everyone on the market. The challenge remains, however, to get noticed and then get published.[Read More…]
Disclosing medical information in the work place
On Nov. 19, the Comparative Health Systems Program (CHSP), a non-profit organization within McGill, hosted a lecture on medical information privacy and its implications in the workplace. The evening’s lecture began with an image of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 1976 year-end report. Among the many issues the WHO addressed,[Read More…]
Give the flu shot a shot
Vaccinations are very much in the public consciousness right now as a small, but vocal, section of people make this medical issue into a political one. They claim regular vaccinations lead to adverse health effects such as autism and rare muscular disorders. Although the flu shot is now in their[Read More…]
Making it through final exams: ‘Stressing-out’ can make or break you
A sense of urgency begins to loom on campus as finals approach. Libraries get more crowded, lines at Tim Hortons get longer, and all-nighters become more frequent. With all the pressure to do well, finals tends to generate a great deal of stress among students. But what exactly is stress? [Read More…]
How does Google work?
Since its launch in 1998, Google has become known for its glasses, mail server, and cars. At its core, however, the multibillion-dollar company is still defined by its original purpose: Acting as a search engine. In one single day, more than three billion searches are made through Google, and it[Read More…]
McGill researchers identify racial preterm birth disparity
Today, the inequalities faced by different racial groups are far-reaching. So much so, researchers have found, that individuals can be affected before they’re even born. In the U.S., data from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics from 2004 to 2006 has shown that black women experience preterm births 4.7[Read More…]
Toying with our brains: How are optical illusions interpreted?
The human brain is an extremely complex organ that is the integrating and processing centre of the body. It helps people recognize faces, remember complex formulae, and produce emotions. Many of these reactions rely on the brain’s ability to correctly process information through its visual system. As intelligent as the[Read More…]
