McGill’s Office of Research and Innovation invited two recent recipients of the Canada Gairdner International Award to present their research to the McGill community. Demis Hassabis, CEO and co-founder of Google DeepMind, and Lynne Maquat, J. Lowell Orbison Endowed Chair and professor in the University of Rochester’s Department of Biochemistry[Read More…]
Tag: Google
Retracing my steps
If you have been online in January, you have probably seen a Spotify Wrapped against your will. Candy-coloured and set to a nondescript background beat, the Wrapped roundup satisfies our collective desire for life stats while spawning countless imitations. One of these, as I discovered recently while knee-deep in my[Read More…]
Alexa, tell me what you’re thinking
Amazon announced its vision for home assistant device Alexa to play a more active role as a personal assistant in November. In interviews with The McGill Tribune, Will Hamilton and Jackie Cheung, professors in McGill’s Department of Computer Science, outlined the basics of the technology behind voice-controlled home assistants like the[Read More…]
Moving beyond classical computers
A Google research paper describing one of the most powerful quantum computers in human history was leaked on NASA’s website on Sept. 20. In 200 seconds, the quantum computer executed tasks that would take the fastest of today’s computers 10,000 years to compute. Google was referencing an experimental type of[Read More…]
Responding to hate: The danger of condemning without conversing
On Aug. 12, a peaceful protester named Heather Heyer lost her life and many others were injured by the senseless rage of a 20-year-old white male at a white supremacist march in Charlottesville, Virginia. Following the abhorrent scene, on Aug. 13, GoDaddy, the web hosting company of an American neo-nazi[Read More…]
The rise of artificial intelligence: Google invests in deep learning in Montreal
Google has solidified Montreal’s newly-attained reputation as an international epicentre for Artificial Intelligence (AI) research by investing $4.5 million in the Montreal Institute for Learning Algorithms, a research lab at the University of Montreal (UdeM). Artificial Intelligence refers to computer systems performing tasks by mimicking human cognition, including visual or[Read More…]
The Internet of Things: Increased connectivity in Canada
On Tuesday, Nov. 24, the McGill Intellectual Property & Information Technology Policy Club (IPITPOL) hosted a panel to discuss aspects of privacy and governance concerning the internet of things. The Internet of Things is a term referring to a continuously expanding network of physical devices with network connectivity, and the[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…]
A student’s guide to maximizing productivity
With summer winding down, laptop screens across campus are featuring less Netflix and more myMcGill—an unfortunate situation if there ever was one. However, numerous online programs have emerged over the years to improve productivity. Listed below are a couple free computer programs that help maximize workflow on your laptop.