On Sept. 22, 60 ‘superheroes’ rappelled down a 22-storey Montreal skyscraper in support of a worthy cause: to promote the development and community engagement of the nation’s children with disabilities. This impressive display of courage and commitment, organized by Montreal’s Drop Zone 2012, took place at the BNP Tower, a[Read More…]
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This week in research
Flightless Birds Flightless birds are an evolutionary puzzle. The most befuddling aspect of these seemingly-related animals is their dispersion across far corners of the earth, because, well, they’re flightless. Two opposing ideas seek to explain the far-reaching origins of these birds. In one, Charles Darwin suggested that a common ancestor[Read More…]
Why leaves change colour during the fall
There is always a sense of child-like wonder that is evoked by staring at that vibrant, multi-coloured silver maple en route to work. Indeed, why trees change their colour during the fall is the kind of question a father might have to answer for his curious five-year-old daughter. Yet changing[Read More…]
Global epigenetics project granted millions in funding
Last week, scientists came one step closer to understanding the human body on a new level—down to each type of body tissue and its specific stages of phenotypic development. Through Genome Canada and the Government of Quebec, the Government of Canada finalized an agreement to supply $41 million towards epigenetic[Read More…]
Researchers find vampires not so undead after all
On Halloween, the streets will be filled with children dressed up as witches, vampires and other frightening creatures. For the past fifty years, research has speculated that the myth of one of these monsters can actually be traced back to a medical disorder. Vampires are typically characterized by sensitivity to[Read More…]
Around the Water Cooler
In case you were too busy dressing up as a Dollarama pirate, a deranged Santa, or Pauline Marois (maybe that one’s a stretch…), here’s what you missed this past week in the world of sports… BASEBALL — Another long season of Major League Baseball ended on Sunday night as the[Read More…]
Riding high into playoffs, McGill routs Bishop’s
Fired up after a 3-0 win over UQTR earlier in the week, the McGill Martlet soccer team came ready to play Bishop’s on Friday night. The Martlets defeated the Gaiters in their last home game of the regular season by an 8-1 margin. Despite the large goal differential, Head Coach[Read More…]
Football too violent? Try rugby
When I first started playing rugby, my parents were worried I was at risk of serious injury. I argued that sports like hockey—which both my brother and sister played—or football were more dangerous, despite the padding used. After a lot of pleading, my parents reluctantly agreed to let me play.[Read More…]
Martlets making magic early on, win home opener
The season may be young but the McGill Martlets look like they’re in mid-season form. On Saturday afternoon, the Martlets defeated the Carleton Ravens 6-0 thanks to a complete team effort. McGill didn’t give the Ravens a glimmer of hope, and outmatched Carleton in every aspect of the game from[Read More…]
Sports Briefs
Rugby — Redmen 45, Bishop’s 14, McGill Ends Regular Season with Win The Redmen continued to roll on Friday night, concluding their regular season schedule by defeating the Bishop’s Gaiters handily, 45-14. Third-year forward Ian Carvalho-Campos, who converted two tries in the victory, led the Redmen with a total of 10[Read More…]
