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Commentary, Opinion

Don’t show me the (read) receipts

by Holly Cabrera on

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“U r bombed me,” read the notification.

My immediate reaction was, “What?” Several text bubbles later, I found myself engrossed in arduous digital warfare with this person, who believed I had ignored their earlier messages. I later learned that R-bombing means reading a message intended for you but not responding. The Rice University Neologisms Database explains that the term “[insinuates] the disappointment one feels when he does not receive any response from whom he texted to.” From my own experience with escalated misunderstandings over text messages, I am convinced that read receipts do more harm than good. These signals that supposedly confirm our awareness of a delivered message have distorted our perception of what is and isn’t an offence. If we receive a delayed reply, or no reply at all, after a certain amount of time has elapsed, we tend to interpret the other’s reaction—or lack thereof—as a direct assault on our ego. Timestamps that don’t accurately reflect when a person opens our message often result in unnecessary quarrels. Instead, we should consider a person’s words as confirmation of their awareness, rather than their read receipts.

Certainly, an advantage to activating read receipts is that they hold us accountable to not only responding, but doing so in a timely fashion. While Apple has made activating them optional, platforms such as Facebook Messenger and Snapchat don’t offer smartphone users the luxury of choosing blissful ignorance. Instead, we must confront the fact that our presumably busy texting partner did indeed “R-bomb” us.

We have come to expect that everyone we contact is constantly on their phones, anxiously awaiting yet another one of our oddly specific memes or clever comebacks.

Yet, equating read receipts with a recipient’s written acknowledgement of a message is a mistake. An opened message does not guarantee that the person with whom you are conversing has read your text in the true sense of the word. Their lack of response should not be viewed as them actively avoiding you, because the “R” may not be accurate or genuine. Keeping multiple browser tabs may easily lead you to unintentionally open a new message without actually having read it. Granted, it is difficult to entertain the possibility of someone inadvertently clicking your text while the obnoxious “seen” beside your last unanswered message is gaslighting you.

Lack of response, however, shouldn’t be viewed as active avoidance, or necessarily a bad thing. We communicate via text out of convenience, or when face-to-face interactions are simply impossible. In the middle of a heated argument, for example, instant messaging may even provide us with time to collect ourselves and carefully communicate our thoughts instead of exchanging words that we will surely regret.

Beyond making us question whether the person we’re texting really forgot to respond, read receipts contribute to larger problems with non-stop digital communication. We have come to expect that everyone we contact is constantly on their phones, anxiously awaiting yet another one of our oddly specific memes or clever comebacks. In truth, humans aren’t so devoted to online conversations—and frankly, they shouldn’t be. Our level of attachment to confirming read receipts and checking our smartphones betrays our insatiable need for validation. With our phones, as with any fickle relationship, we should consider that life may be more enjoyable when they are off. I am in no way urging that we part ways with technology—but we should accept that the deceptive read receipt is not our friend.

In the brief history of text messaging, timestamps have shown to be reassuring to some, but their use as provocation is also an irritant to many. Given that they aren’t a reliable form of acknowledgement, perhaps deactivating read receipts when possible is wise. Maybe getting away from your phone for a bit is an even better decision. Going forward, I’ve resolved to acknowledge messages that I have in fact read by responding with some sign of life, curt as it might be. At the very minimum, anticipate the passive aggressive text staple “k.” At the very most, look forward to an attempt at the next great Canadian novel followed by an unhealthy number of heart emojis. Texters, you’ve been warned.  

Holly Cabrera is a U2 English Literature student and a News Editor at the McGill Tribune.

 

@mcgilltribop | [email protected]
Science & Technology

Closing the gender gap with Women & Science

by Emma Gillies on

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Feb. 11 was the United Nations International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and to celebrate the occasion, the Montreal Science Centre hosted Women & Science, an event designed to encourage young women and girls to pursue careers in science and technology.

Even in 2018, there is a prevalent gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. According to UNESCO, only 35 per cent of STEM students in higher education internationally are female, and only 28 per cent of the world’s researchers are women.

Women & Science is a part of the mission to close this gap. Girls under the age of 18 were granted free admission to the Indigenous Ingenuity exhibit—a showcase of Indigenous science and technology—as well as permanent exhibitions that allowed them to explore everything from the human body to novel inventions and machines. The Montreal Science Centre, with its colourful floors and informative, interactive activities, was bustling with children of all ages.

An activity room with interactive scientific presentations and workshops allowed children to practice their coding skills with Kids Code Jeunesse, a non-profit organization with a mandate to teach Canadian children how to code. Falcon Ed, a company specializing in training birds of prey for conservation or ecological purposes, educated a fascinated audience on the biodiversity of these birds, with species such as the American kestrel and great horned owl present.

Numerous organizations were in attendance, including video game publisher Ubisoft, artificial intelligence solutions provider Element AI, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and science communications group L’Association des communicateurs scientifiques du Québec.

Marie-Pierre Carbonneau works at Concertation Montreal on a project called Mouvement Montréalais Les Filles & le code, which encourages young girls from ages 12 to 17 to become interested in tech. She highlighted Ma Carrière Techno and Ma Vie Techno, two websites that aim to educate and assist women in finding technology-related careers.

“[The goal of Ma Carrière Techno] is to know more about different careers in technology so that people can go on the website and see, ‘OK, if I want to be a webmaster, what does that mean?’” Carbonneau said in an interview with  The McGill Tribune.

Essentially, the website serves as a tool for exploring careers and the skills they require. Ma Vie Techno is a resource for finding opportunities with organizations and activities related to technology.

“We are here because we know that we need lots of girls in science and technology, and sometimes girls say ‘Oh, technology, it’s not for me!’” Carbonneau said. “But yes, it’s for you, and we need you.”

Amira Bencherif, from Université de Montréal’s Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, works in a multidisciplinary lab with a team of students of varying educational backgrounds, including physics, engineering, and biology. The lab’s goal is to detect cancers at early stages and at a faster rate than would be possible in a large laboratory.

“We make electronics to […] detect mutations in DNA,” Bencherif said. “The idea is that […] to detect cancers, to detect illnesses, we’re trying to make [the technologies] smaller.”

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA), which works with  Earth-observation satellites, space robotics, space exploration, and satellite technologies, was also present. The CSA operates satellites for the Canadian government that have multiple applications, from predicting natural disasters to tracking environmental damage like oil spills.

Marie-Josée Potvin, a structural engineer with the CSA, stressed the importance of teamwork, passion, and hard work in science, but said that she often sees a lack of self-confidence in young girls.

“I would say if it’s a passion, […] just go for it, and keep working hard,” Potvin said. “Everyone’s starting at the same level. No one’s born knowing science. You learn about it.”

She added that any field of science has an impact on humanity, and that women should not be discouraged from participating: They just have to be ready to work hard.

“You’re helping people adapt to this planet and live better, so this is very important work,” Potvin said.

Women & Science served as an opportunity for women and girls to gain exposure to a diversity of careers available in STEM. As more women get involved in fields that have been historically dominated by men, the overall knowledge of that field expands. Breakthroughs cannot continue to occur if we refuse to break barriers.

A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Marie-Pierre Carbonneau works at CGI in Information Technology.

In fact, Carbonneau is an employee at Concertation Montreal.
The Tribune regrets this error.

Arts & Entertainment, Theatre

McGill Drama Festival showcases all that McGill student theatre has to offer

by Sophie Panzer, Leo Stillinger, Avleen Mokha on

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For thirty years, Players’ Theatre has played host to the annual McGill Drama Festival. The 2018 edition featured six student-written, -directed, -produced, and -performed plays, with three running each night. Tackling themes ranging from religious fanaticism to quarter-life crises, these plays exhibited an energetic, bold diversity representative of Montreal student theatre as a whole.

Brunch: The Musical

Directed by Harry Skinner, U2 Music Jazz Performance

Sophie Panzer

If the word brunch typically conjures an image of a group of middle-aged soccer moms getting tipsy off mimosas, prepare to look at the topical culinary craze in a whole new light after viewing this hilarious musical. Written by Vitta Morales, U2 Music, Brunch tells the story of a kooky kitchen staff as they attempt to navigate dreams, desire, and heartbreak, all while keeping on top of the weekend rush. The characters, based on real co-workers Morales has worked with over the years, are as vibrant as the musical numbers. “Oh, Brunch!” playfully bemoans the popularity of a meal that is “too late to be breakfast and too early to be lunch, the bane of the culinary world!”  Rob Dow, U0 Cognitive Science, is hilarious as womanizing sous-chef Mike in “Call Me Big Papa In The Sack.” Victoria Stevens, U0 Music Education, shines as the cook Robin in numbers like “It’s Easier As Friends,” which celebrates the power of friendships among people who have zero interest in getting to know each other outside of work. Fans of song, dance, eggs benedict, kitchen utensil-sword fights, and navigating quarter-life crises will find this production nothing short of delightful.  

Immaculate Contraception

Directed by Steven Greenwood (2nd Year English PhD)

Sophie Panzer

Set in an evangelical church bathroom plastered with posters bearing slogans like “Resist the urgin’, stay a virgin,” Immaculate Contraception mocks the hypocrisy of religious fanaticism. Written by Concordia first year creative writing student Faith Pare, the play centers around a young churchgoer, Evelyn (Emma Broderick, U1 Political Science), played by U1 Political Science student Emma Broderick, who discovers she might be pregnant just before she is supposed to take a pledge of chastity. She calls in David (Jacob Hutnyk, U2 Computer Science), an excommunicated choir boy, to help her find a pregnancy test. Mary Looney, U0 Arts, steals the show as the “Angel Piss”-swigging Pastor Murphy, an elderly church authority with a salacious secret. The play’s rapid-fire sex jokes and biblical allusions blur the boundaries between the spiritual and the profane:  “You should have thought of daddy before you did the nasty in the confession booth!” David chastises Evelyn. And yet, this comedy offers more than just well-timed dick jokes—David’s rather secular attempts at prayer (“Dear God, and Associates”) and Evelyn’s fears of excommunication are genuinely moving. The Immaculate Contraception is sure to leave audience members reflecting on the meaning of spirituality in between bouts of laughter.

Suzanne

Directed by Thomas Fix (U3 Computer Science)

Avleen Mokha

Using a three-person cast and an unpolished living room as its setting, Suzanne has a very straightforward premise: One rainy evening, Emma (Francesca Scotti-Goetz, U2 Sociology and Communications) has an expected guest show up at her doorstep. Sophie, her guest, (Elan Schwartz, U3 Philosophy) is an organ recipient of Emma’s husband, Alex (Nick Fontaine), who died in car crash. The conversation between the two women taps into the complexity and stubbornness of mourning. The writing (Jonathan Dick, University of Toronto – Literature), with its overlapping dialogue and sustained pauses, allows you to engage with the characters very quickly. Thomas Fix’s directing is outstanding, especially for a debut. Fix connects flashbacks and the present time by having them play out in the space, allowing viewers to see Emma as a grieving woman stuck between past and present. Suzanne is one of the more heartfelt works of theatre shown in a while. Do not miss this one.

Ground Control

Directed by Huxley Anjilvel (U1 Economics)

Avleen Mokha

Ground Control is your run-of-the-mill space comedy about a doomed spaceship. While it does contain romance, betrayal, and space pirates, there are too many elements present to pull off a satisfying ending in such a short amount of time. Ground Control follows a crew of astronauts in denial about the fact that they are heading straight into a black hole, instead choosing to focus on mundanities like routine inspections and first dates. While some jokes fall flat, the script (Otman Benchekroun, U3 Electrical Engineering) does have many funny, well-delivered moments. Anastasia Krutchinsky is charming as Elena Hershey, leader of the team of astronauts. Captain Kinder Bueno 2 (Ian Kaye, U0 Arts), the space alien antagonist, has a very memorable stage presence. While Ground Control is well-paced, the final resolution is a bit too sudden and jarring. There’s not enough character development to make the story stick with viewers, but the slapstick comedy is sure to make them laugh.

My Children

Directed by Saeesh Mangwani (U1 Environment and Urban Systems)

Leo Stillinger

Animated by Lucas Amato’s (Concordia, 3rd year Playwriting) thought-provoking script, My Children is a fascinating dark comedy, that probes questions of heroism and ethics in the modern world. Three different actors play Pinnacle, a retired superhero with a dark past.

At the beginning of the play, members of the audience were invited to walk onto the living-room set and examine the strange pile of books amassed in the centre. They were suddenly interrupted by a shout: “Get out of my house!”

The audience members were chased back to their seats by a wild-eyed actor, Nick Vecchione (U0 Arts), who, as Pinnacle, proceeded to address the audience with unsettling directness: “How did you get in here?”

This startling set piece marked the beginning of a memorable, 15-minute monologue by Vecchione, who ranted, raved, and conferred directly with bemused audience members. Driven by Vecchione’s unstable magnetism, it was an effective beginning, roping the audience in immediately.

At a certain point, Vecchione departed to be replaced by a new actress (Clara Saliba, U0 Arts) in the same role, turning his character’s multi-sided personality into a literal facet of the play. Saliba was later replaced by Luke Horton (U2 Political Science). In contrast to Vecchione’s charisma, Saliba brought a sensitivity, and Horton carried his role with a manic humour. It is the performances of these three actors that elevate My Children to something truly enjoyable.

Pinot Noir

Directed by Samantha Szabo

Leo Stillinger

Pinot Noir begins as so many detective stories do: A witty male detective receives a visit from one of his attractive informants with information about a new case. Quickly, however, a twist emerges to distinguish the play from its 1950s counterparts—the detective is openly gay.

This wonderful ensemble comedy, an ode to the film noir genre, tells a believable and absorbing story of murder while keeping the audience laughing at every turn. Samantha Szabo, a first time director, has mastered the comic timing necessary for performing in a small theatre, and Steven Greenwood’s script does an artful job of balancing suspense and entertainment with serious reflections on homosexuality in pre-Stonewall North America.

The play is truly a team effort, and each character contributes memorable moments. The star of the show, however, is Alex Czegledy (U2 Management), in the role of the detective Jason Sharp. His deadpan deliveries and tongue-in-cheek bravado provide belly laughs at each line. He at once embodies the hyper-masculine detective of film noir and takes the piss out of it. Pinot Noir, a play which lovingly plays tribute to the genre while poking fun at it.

 

Players’ Theatre Drama Festival continues on Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. and Feb. 17 at 2 p.m. in Players’ Theatre, 3rd floor of SSMU, 3600 Rue McTavish. Tickets are $6 for students and seniors and $10 general admission. Tickets are available online at playerstheatre.ca/buy-tickets or at the door.

Science & Technology

Science Outreach club gives back to Montreal youth

by Jade Prévost-Manuel on

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Close your eyes, and remember the moment that first ignited your fiery interest in science. Maybe it was an episode of Bill Nye, a baking soda-vinegar volcano eruption in your sixth grade classroom, or, perhaps, it was a visit from a guest speaker inspiring the next generation about science.

In an effort to motivate the scientists and STEM professionals of tomorrow, Let’s Talk Science Outreach at McGill (LTSOM) has made it their mission to give back to the local community, by using their experience and knowledge as science students in master’s and PhD programs to organize hands-on activities with a fun twist for elementary and secondary students in the greater Montreal area.

Established in 1998, LTSOM aims to educate youth in STEM activities and engage them in various workshops, competitions, and learning opportunities. Functioning as a chapter of the Let’s Talk Science organization, a national charitable initiative that boasts a network of 40 post-secondary campuses and outreach sites across Canada, McGill’s branch has provided meaningful on- and off-campus educational activities for the last 20 years. These activities promote positive attitudes toward careers in STEM, and provide a platform for motivated science students or enthusiasts to volunteer and connect with youth.

Jasmin Chahal, a third-year PhD student in Microbiology and Immunology and LTSOM coordinator, described her first memories with the club as a rewarding experience. Chahal communicates the needs of surrounding communities and schools between the national organization and the McGill chapter. The incredible community response the chapter has received is her favourite part of the job yet.

“It would have to be the appreciation that you get,” Chahal said. “Not just from the students or the parents you encounter at a public event, but also when you’re talking about what you do [with] your colleagues. They think it’s so great what we’re doing.”

While the club hosts a number of events throughout the year, their largest is the annual Let’s Talk Science Challenge. Students from grades six to eight spend a few months preparing for either a STEM-based trivia challenge, or a design competition. Ethan Yang, a second-year PhD student in Analytical Chemistry and one of the Let’s Talk Science coordinators, told The McGill Tribune that while the event aims to expand STEM beyond the curriculum, organizers aim to make it a fun experience as well.

“[At these competitions], we give out prizes for team spirit, and most of the kids will either dress up or come up with team chants [to make it more engaging for participants,]” Yang said.

One of the club’s newest initiatives has been to establish Indigenous outreach programs for communities in the farther reaches of the province. Last year, volunteers travelled to the rural Quebec townships of Kawawachikamach and Odanak. They performed in-class, hands-on STEM activities for students, and participated in the Quebec Aboriginal Science Fair.

Relying on volunteers, LTSOM is always looking to recruit passionate individuals to join their ranks, including undergraduates.

“We’ve started to actively reach out to undergrads,” Yang explained. “[We’re] hoping to have a greater undergraduate presence in the club.”

Volunteers can expect to attend training sessions on how to create cool experiments and engaging STEM activities for the students they work with. Past workshops the club has put on have incorporated fingerprinting kits for crime lab activities, or marshmallow towers in engineering workshops.

“Right now, we’re trying to make an effort to do more events, go to more classrooms, get more funding, and raise more awareness,” Chahal said.

All Let’s Talk Science Outreach volunteers attend a training session that focuses on how to create and deliver impactful, engaging hands-on STEM activities. To learn more about becoming a volunteer, contact Susie Taylor, Program Support Coordinator, Outreach.

McGill, News, SSMU

McGill report disputes allegations of anti-Semitism at Fall GA

by Alexandra Harvey on

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McGill released a report on Feb. 6 summarizing its investigation into allegations of anti-Semitism at the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Fall General Assembly (GA). The report, written by former ombudsperson and professor Spencer Boudreau following his research and stakeholder interviews, concluded that the failure to ratify Noah Lew, a Jewish nominee to the Board of Directors (BoD), at the Oct. 23 GA was motivated by Lew’s affiliation with pro-Israel organizations rather than anti-Semitism.

Principal Suzanne Fortier commissioned an investigation by Boudreau after many students alleged that anti-Semitism motivated GA attendees’ decision not to ratify Lew’s second consecutive appointment to the BoD. The failed ratification sparked outrage from some attendees at the GA, including SSMU President Muna Tojiboeva, who said during the GA’s question period that the sole reason students did not ratify Lew was because he is Jewish. Lew also expressed this sentiment the next day in a viral Facebook post.

“I can honestly say that my conclusion about this allegation […] does not substantiate the notion that the vote was motivated by anti-Semitism,” Boudreau wrote in the report. “I can state however that Noah Lew’s affiliation with Jewish organizations that are clearly supportive of the State of Israel, in addition to his approval [as a Director] of the SSMU Judicial Board [ruling against] the BDS Movement […] was the reason for his vote of non-approval.”

Jewish student groups at McGill have since voiced opposition to the report’s conclusion in a joint statement signed by Am McGill, Chabad at McGill, Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus, McGill Jewish Studies Students’ Association, and Hillel McGill.

“The report, in our opinion, did not represent all Jewish voices, contained detrimental factual inaccuracies, and denied many students’ lived experiences of anti-Semitism at the General Assembly,” Mikaela Rath, president of Hillel McGill, wrote in a statement to The McGill Tribune.

The joint statement also asserts that rejecting Lew’s appointment because of his involvement with pro-Israel organizations is anti-Semitic.

“[Chabad at McGill] firmly believe[s] that the targeting of a student on account of his cultural and religious affiliations is anti-Semitic in consequence,” Shira Mattuck, president of Chabad at McGill, wrote to the Tribune.

However, members of Independent Jewish Voices (IJV) McGill, a Jewish student organization that supports Canadians’ right to criticize the politics of Israel, wrote that they see a clearer line between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism in an emailed statement to the Tribune.

“I am glad to see that Boudreau was able to distinguish Zionism, or support for the state of Israel, from Jewishness and Judaism,” Hani Abramson, organizer at IJV McGill, wrote. “Anti-Semitism is legitimate and frightening, and we cannot tolerate it in our spaces. But standing against apartheid and ethnic cleansing, as well as those who support those measures at our university, is not anti-Semitic.”

Following mixed response from students, Fortier re-affirmed her confidence in Boudreau’s report, attributing its mixed reception to a misunderstanding within the student body about the mandate of the investigation.

“I believe Prof. Boudreau’s report to be thorough and thoughtful,” Fortier wrote in a statement to the Tribune. “I am aware that some individuals and/or groups within McGill and outside the University had hoped that the report would address situations that were beyond the investigation’s specific mandate. As well, there are different opinions on the framing of the fundamental issue that led to the allegation of anti-Semitism and the investigation.”

In the report’s conclusion, Boudreau referenced the divisiveness of the Israel-Palestine conflict, and asked students to move beyond inflammatory dialogue.

“I remain hopeful for the possibility of at least a respectful conversation among such a passionate, and also intelligent and articulate student community,” Boudreau wrote.

Science & Technology

Planetariums: Where science meets entertainment

by Julia Kossakowski & Zoe Doran on

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For space lovers, a trip to the fringes of the galaxy is only a few metro stops away from McGill’s downtown campus at the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium. One of the facilities operating under Montreal’s Espace pour la vie at the Parc Olympique, the planetarium currently offers six films exploring topics ranging from intergalactic travel to the possibility of extraterrestrial life, with a single ticket purchase allowing admission for two films. Viewers can lean back and relax on the bean bag chairs in the Chaos Theatre and be transported through space and time in the traditional planetarium-style Milky Way Theatre, far beyond the stresses of rapidly approaching midterms.

Space Next

Space Next is a 25-minute film that explores why the allure of space’s great unknown has called to humans through our history on earth. From the Wright brothers first flight, to the Cold War Space Race, to modern day deep space explorations, Space Next challenges viewers to consider humanity’s potential future among the stars, allowing them to ponder what life on other planets could be like. Images of human life on Mars, leisurely trips to the moon for the wealthy, and even extractive economies on the Moon will leave viewers both amazed and hopeful for humankind’s interstellar future.

EXO

EXO tackles the big questions about our universe: Are we alone? Could Einstein’s theory of relativity have a loophole? A clear, 360-degree view of Montreal’s night sky leaves the audience awe-struck and curious. EXO begins by exploring the early origins of astronomy, followed by the attempts of modern scientists to discover life beyond Earth. Viewers will leave the Milky Way Theatre refreshed and excited to look more closely at Montreal’s night sky.

Edge of Darkness

Edge of Darkness is a 25-minute film describing meteorites, comets, asteroids, and dwarf planets, like Pluto, found in the Kuiper Belt, a large debris field at the edge of our solar system. Spectators learn about the birth of our solar system, the anatomy of comets, and close-call comet collisions. As humanity’s expansion into space is becoming a possibility, the film discusses how scientists and corporations are looking to comets, asteroids, and Earth’s other cosmic neighbours to serve as future docking stations and sites of resource extraction. To witness these rogue bodies in action, mark the Lyrid meteor shower on your calendar—April 22, just before dawn.

KYMA, Power of Waves

KYMA, Power of Waves is Montreal filmmaker Phillip Baylaucq’s wordless artistic representation of space and earth, produced by the National Film Board of Canada. KYMA, meaning ‘waves’ in Greek, portrays an introspective journey from the outer reaches of space down to subatomic particles and everything in between. Baylaucq’s film depicts the acoustic, electromagnetic, gravitational, and quantum mechanic waves of the cosmos through musical and visual stimuli. Unusual camera shots and oscillating visuals are accompanied by Robert Marcel Lepage’s modern score, allowing the mind to become immersed in the waves of space. KYMA is not your typical planetarium show—those who seek a unique and thought-provoking depiction of space made specifically for the domed screen at the Milky Way Theatre should definitely plan a trip.

Whatever you decide to see, stick around after the show to explore interactive exhibits outside the theatre. Learn how space technology can improve agriculture, synthesize chemical compounds on touchscreens, and see one of the oldest rocks on earth. Visitors will leave the planetarium feeling inspired by the grandeur and mystery of our common home, the universe.

With a student card, McGill students can receive discounts of 25 per cent for any planetarium show. Space Next/EXO and Edge of Darkness/KYMA will run until April 15 at the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium.

Features

Whose side is artificial intelligence on?

by Arshaaq Jiffry on

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In a rapidly evolving world, technology is at the forefront of innovation, and artificial intelligence (AI) is at the centre of attention of global tech pioneers. AI refers to a computer’s ability to exhibit signs of intelligence. This intelligence manifests itself in part in a machine’s capacity to make decisions as if it were human, using what data it has collected before, to provide the most optimal solution to a command—a process known as machine learning.

 

Given that the practical applications of AI technologies are not widely understood yet, some media outlets project an exaggeratedly negative representation of the uncertainty that comes with a rapidly-developing technological future. Shows like Black Mirror (2011) and films like Ex-Machina (2014) make it is even easier to imagine a world where humanity’s well-being is threatened by the existence of sentient machines. In reality, however, AI has many practical applications that are a lot less scary.

 

In today’s digital age, leading tech companies such as Apple, Google, and Microsoft are all investing in AI in an effort to enhance machine learning technologies. Currently, these technologies focus on data collection. In 2014, Google acquired the company DeepMind—a world leader in AI research and its applications. DeepMind’s team of researchers and engineers focus on the development of neural networks—a computational model that partially imitates the structure and functions of biological neural networks. DeepMind uses these artificial neural networks (ANNs) to expand a machine learning method based on learning data representations known as deep learning.

 

An ANN is built around a collection of nodes or “artificial neurons,” which transmit signals among one another, in the same way that neurons in a human brain do. When an ANN receives an input of information, the network also takes into consideration the many other inputs it has received in the past. Using this catalogued information, the software formulates a solution and forms a pattern so that if a similar situation arises again, the program can work out an answer faster. If the AI program were to play a game of Space Invaders for example, it would play round after round learning through trial and error until it found the optimal strategy to go about blasting all of that space scum.

McGill, News

New SSMU position to investigate the impact of 2014 austerity

by Arvaa Balsara on

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The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) has begun the hiring process for a new staff position: the Austerity Measures Researcher (AMR). The AMR will examine how measures imposed by Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard’s Liberal provincial government to reduce public expenditures have impacted McGill students and employees. The AMR will work under Vice-President (VP) External Affairs Connor Spencer for up to five hours per week for 12 weeks.

In order to achieve a balanced budget, the Liberal provincial government decided in 2014 to reduce spending in public sectors like health and education. These measures were very poorly-received by students, who took to the streets in 2015 to protest the Couillard government’s decisions.

According to Spencer, the AMR will determine which segments of the McGill student body have been most affected by these cuts and make recommendations regarding which programs need additional financial support.

“We are hoping that with this research we will be able to see exactly the effects of the Couillard government’s austerity mentality on our campus and what must be done in order to restore it to where it was before the cuts,” Spencer wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune.

Although the position has only just been established this year, there have been repeated motions from the SSMU Legislative Council for solidarity against austerity measures as well as motions for policies that support accessible education. However, according to Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Ollivier Dyens, the administration continues to devote significant sums to student aid, bursary, and scholarship programs.

“Those efforts have not stopped as government funding has begun to return to previous levels,” Dyens wrote in an email to the Tribune. “In addition, we received $7.8 million as part of the Plan d’action pour la réussite en enseignement supérieur, money we’ve put to increase students’ mobility.”

Dyens also noted that the Fonds de Recherche du Québec (FRQ), the province’s primary research funding organization, provided an average of $29.6 million of funding to McGill between the 2014 and 2016 fiscal years.

Although the amount of money the Quebec government has granted to the University for research each year has remained consistent since 2014, austerity measures had considerable effects on the university’s employees immediately after their implementation. Aside from massive layoffs, many full-time staff positions at McGill were reduced to part-time in response to austerity, and the University began to hire new staff on 3 month contracts. These employees are unionized under the Association of McGill University Support Employees (AMUSE), which has been strongly critical of austerity. In 2015, the union issued a newsletter demanding more responsible hiring processes in response to the $45 million in budget cuts between 2014 and 2016.

Understanding the effects of austerity on casual employees at McGill is one of the many topics the AMR will explore. They will also have to ensure that this information is made accessible to the McGill community, which according to Saeesh Mangwani, U1 Arts and casual employee at the university, previous anti-austerity campaigns have failed to do.

“The little information that I have about austerity measures has been because I have actively sought it out,” Mangwani said. “As a student having some sort of research of what the exact impacts of austerity have been would be helpful in terms of knowing the issues that need to be addressed. I think having that knowledge would be a good starting point to then be able to find solutions.”

A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that 2015 provincial austerity measures led to layoffs and a reduction in job security in the following years. In fact, though measures were implemented by the University to mitigate the impacts of these austerity measures, employment conditions have since improved. The Tribune regrets these errors.

McGill, News

McGill professor investigated for theft of U.S. military technology

by Andras Nemeth on

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McGill Associate Professor Ishiang Shih’s home in Brossard was raided on Jan. 19 in connection with an investigation of his possible role in the theft of military technology from the United States. I. Shih was suspected of conspiring with his brother, Yi-Chi Shih—an adjunct professor at the University of California, Los Angeles—and an associate, Kiet Ahn Mai, to illegally obtain monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs), devices used in U.S. military radars and warfare systems. The three men are accused of trying to export the MMICs to Y. Shih’s company in China: Chengdu GaStone Technology Company (CGTC).

According to a press release on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Jan. 19, the U.S. has required individuals to get a special license to trade with CGTC since 2014 on account of the company’s illicit activities.

“[Yi-Chi] Shih was the president of CGTC, which in 2014 was placed on the Commerce Department’s Entity List, according to the affidavit, ‘due to its involvement in activities contrary to the national security and foreign policy interest of the United States,’” the press release reads. “Specifically, that it had been involved in the illicit procurement of commodities and technologies for unauthorized military end use in China.”

The same press release quotes U.S. prosecutor Nicola T. Hanna condemning smuggling MMICs, calling it a threat to the country’s national security and business interests.

“The very sensitive information would also benefit foreign adversaries who could use the technology to further or develop military applications that would be detrimental to our national security,” Hanna said.

In the inquiry, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been monitoring the brothers’ emails and tracking Y. Shih’s frequent flights between Canada, the U.S., and China over a 10-year period. According to an affidavit filed by U.S. authorities, I. Shih paid Mai $800,000 to purchase the MMICs. The payment was transferred from JYS Technologies, a Brossard-based company owned by I. Shih and his wife. After the transfer and shortly before his arrest, Y. Shih sent a UPS package to I. Shih at McGill’s McConnell Engineering Building. That package is now being investigated.

I. Shih, who taught engineering courses in electrical machinery and transistor devices at McGill, denied all allegations of criminal activity in a statement to La Presse on Jan. 25, claiming the chips had been purchased for research purposes only.

“It’s a misunderstanding,” I. Shih said. “We are only researchers, we do research [….] I was in the process of writing an application for a research grant.

I. Shih is currently being held by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and is searching for a lawyer.

According to Jacques Courteau, retired director of the RCMP and international criminal law specialist, the process of prosecuting the Shih brothers will be complicated because the crime transcends national borders. He explained the complications of sending I. Shih to the U.S. for trial, or extraditing him, in an interview with The McGill Tribune.

“It’s not obvious that just because there’s been a violation of national security laws in the U.S. that Canada will deem it a breach of justice in Canada,” Courteau said. “And for a crime to be extraditable, it must be a crime in both countries [….] So it will be mandatory for the U.S. to demonstrate to the Canadian court that not only was the crime a crime against national security in the U.S., but also in Canada.”

Corteau noted that the respectable academic backgrounds of the accused may further influence judicial action.

“There are many offenses like this that the extradition treaties between countries do not recognize,” Corteau said. “For example, it is very rare to have white-collar crime recognized as an extraditable offense.”

McGill’s administration declined to comment on the events surrounding the investigation.

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