On May 22, the Faculty of Science offered students and community members their widely popular Soup and Science presentation series, where professors from various departments deliver short talks on their research. For the first time in its history, lectures were offered in the spring and online, prompting organizers to aptly[Read More…]
Tag: research
Medicinal cannabis: Past, present, and future
With its legalization in 2018, marijuana, or cannabis, has become more widely accessible to adult Canadians for recreational use. Most people are familiar with marijuana’s usual effects, such as feelings of euphoria and relaxation; increased sensitivity to colour, sound, and taste; clouded thinking; and hunger. Beyond recreational use, however, cannabis[Read More…]
29th edition of Soup and Science
McGill professors presented their scientific research to crowds of students in the Redpath Museum at the 29th iteration of Soup and Science from Jan. 13–17. After snacking on complementary soup and sandwiches, writers from The McGill Tribune compiled highlights from the week. Nutrient cycling and ecosystem science Fiona Soper, assistant professor in[Read More…]
The science behind concussions in sports
While thousands of sports-related concussions occur each year in Canada, the mechanisms behind the injury are still shrouded in mystery. Scientists use the word ‘concussion’ to describe the symptoms of damage inflicted on the brain, but they are still working to uncover the underpinnings at the cellular level. Concussions occur[Read More…]
Searching for the first stars
Astrophysicist Jeff Peterson of Carnegie Mellon University delivered a lecture on Oct. 9 about the quest to study ‘cosmic dawn,’ the ‘turning on’ of the very first stars in the universe. Estimated to have occurred 150–300 million years after the Big Bang, physicists have sought to study signals from this[Read More…]
Uncovering past climates through paleobotany
Paleontology has long offered scientists insight into the mysteries of prehistory. Through excavations of colossal skeletons, petrified insects, and fossilized plants, researchers can uncover what life looked like long ago. Despite the extensive study of animals from the Cretaceous period, which stretched from 145.5 million years ago to the dinosaur[Read More…]
Microplastics: A ubiquitous problem
In 2017, Orb Media, a non-profit media group, sparked public concern after they published research showing that microplastics were present in global drinking water. Since then, research efforts have increased to examine the effect of microplastics on species and find ways to make the removal process more efficient. At a[Read More…]
A passion for publishing
McGill’s unique campus journals.
Funding universities is a national security issue
While the Chinese telecommunications manufacturer Huawei may be most famous in Canada for the Vancouver arrest of chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, the company’s influence is much closer to McGill than that event might suggest. Despite security experts’ concerns that the company may be operating as an intelligence asset for[Read More…]
“But, you don’t seem autistic!”
Last October, my best friend, who has autism, told me that he thought I might be on the spectrum. I was skeptical: I’m not into trains, I take turns in a conversation, and I’m good at giving relationship advice; I’m not autistic. Still, his comment prompted me to do some[Read More…]