Our solar system has existed for roughly 4.5 billion years—a long time, especially given that humans have only walked the Earth for the last 300,000 years. To gain an understanding of the solar system as a whole, scientists often follow clues that offer insights into the history of the universe.[Read More…]
Search Results for author "Emma Gillies"
The wonderful world of plant communication
Animals are not the only organisms capable of communication: Plants, too, are remarkably adept at exchanging information and sharing resources. By releasing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air or secreting chemicals into the soil, plants can communicate with one another, transport water and nutrients to nearby companions, protect themselves[Read More…]
AUS Legislative Council condemns award given to McGill professor
The Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) Legislative Council convened on Jan. 29 to discuss several issues, including a controversial award given to a McGill professor, expanding the Arts Undergraduate Improvement Fund (AUIF) budget, and the AUS elections. The meeting opened with the Motion Regarding Condemnation of McGill Faculty of Arts Promotion[Read More…]
The mental impacts of physical injury
When I was 16, my dream was to play soccer and run track at university, and perhaps even at the professional level. At the time, sports were my social life, my confidence booster, and my joyful escape from the stress of academics. But adolescent dreams die hard. In my third[Read More…]
Dumpster diving
Canada produced 25 million tonnes of waste in 2016, ranking as one of the highest per-capita waste generators in the world. The non-residential sector, which includes industry and institutions such as universities, produces the majority of this waste. In the past year alone, McGill’s downtown campus has generated 1,454 tonnes[Read More…]
Electric impulses help paraplegic patients walk again
Three paraplegic patients with chronic spinal cord injuries are now able to walk again thanks to new Swiss neurotechnology and a multidisciplinary team that includes two McGill graduates. The STIMO (STImulation Movement Overground) study published in Nature this month, proposed a new technology to accelerate recovery from spinal cord injuries. This new[Read More…]
Living in a high-tech sci-tech world
The McGill Office for Science and Society hosted the 2018 Trottier Public Science Symposium on Oct. 29 and 30, where academics discussed information technology and its implications for humanity. Human history is punctuated with moments which completely redefined technology, the latest being the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Beginning during World War[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…]
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…]
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…]
