You never know what you will find with a keen eye in a good library. While library databases bring the world of academic publications to your fingertips, there’s something about wandering the stacks, leafing through covers, and stumbling across unexpected gems that the library website’s “Browse the Shelf” function just[Read More…]
Articles by Ella Paulin
ChatGPT, three years in
Across higher education, professors, students, and administrators are grappling with how to respond to the widespread availability of fast, free, and increasingly capable chatbots like ChatGPT. In a survey conducted by The Tribune with 46 McGill undergraduate participants, only one in five students reported not using ChatGPT for class, while[Read More…]
‘Lovely Day’ brings Alain Farah’s autobiographical novel to the screen
Lovely Day (Mille Secrets Mille Dangers), directed by Philippe Falardeau and based on an autobiographical novel by McGill’s own Alain Farah, weaves together Farah’s past as a young Lebanese Montrealer with the climactic moments of his wedding on the steps of St. Joseph’s Oratory. Although it starts and ends on[Read More…]
Shop talk: We need to have a word about jargon
A 2020 study on jargon published in the Journal of Language and Social Psychology found that not only did using more jargon harm levels of understanding among lay people, but it also decreased their engagement with the material and their subjective sense of identification with the scientific community at large.[Read More…]
McGill Drama Festival showcases six student productions
From the throes of budding romance complicated by a tragic accident in Small Death to the aftermath of a long-term partner abandoned at the altar in I Don’t, the McGill Drama Festival (MDF), which took place from March 24 to 28, brought something to the table for everybody. Exploring the[Read More…]
Divest McGill protests RBC’s fossil fuel investments
On March 20, Divest McGill, Climate Justice Montreal, and other local climate activist organizations held a protest as part of Change Course’s National Day of Action, demanding that Canada’s “Big Five” banks remove their presence on Canadian campuses until they meet several conditions. Among these are the cancellation of finances[Read More…]
Ask the Trib: SciTech edition
I recently met with my counsellor and found out that I would need to take two more years of classes in order to finish my Math degree (I’m already in my third year…). I’m not sure where to go from here—I’m torn between dropping out, taking a year off to[Read More…]
Fairies square off against lords in ‘Iolanthe’
From Feb. 14-22, the McGill Savoy Society brought Gilbert and Sullivan’s 1882 comic opera, Iolanthe, to life at Theatre Plaza. The show follows young shepherd Strephon (Matthew Erskine, BA 2022), and his beloved Phyllis (Aniela Stanek, U0 Arts). After he joyfully announces their engagement, a few wrinkles become apparent: She[Read More…]
A struggle meal, among friends
I looked on, half horrified, half intrigued, as she set the timer for 10 minutes. Trying to hide my disgust, I attempted to confirm that this wasn’t some kind of strange mistake, a careless slip of the finger on the time selection wheel: “Did you mean to select 10 minutes,[Read More…]
TEDxMcGill makes waves by celebrating ripples
TEDxMcGill brought together seven speakers and two performances by McGill students at their annual conference on Feb 9. TEDx events are similar to TED Talks, except that they are independently organized all over the world by community groups who have obtained a free license from TED to use their name[Read More…]
Quebec rental tribunal recommends record rent rate increase
On Jan. 21, Quebec’s Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL) announced that its recommended rent increase rate for 2025 was 5.9 per cent for units that do not include paid heating, and between 4.1 and 5.5 per cent for units that include heating in the rent. While this recommended increase rate[Read More…]
Shane Laptiste celebrates history and future of Black architecture
McGill’s official Black History Month programming kicked off this Feb. 6 with their Black History Month Opening Ceremony and Keynote, featuring architect Shane Laptiste as the keynote speaker. Laptiste, who holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Architecture from McGill, spoke on the importance of reimagining architecture to centre[Read More…]
Black History Month in the big leagues—is it enough?
From Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists during the 1968 Olympics to Muhammad Ali’s refusal of the Vietnam draft to Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the “Star-Spangled Banner,” Black athletes have a storied history of using sporting events as platforms for political statements—and of being punished heavily[Read More…]
Who are these guys, anyway?
Have you ever taken the tunnel from Otto Maass to Burnside to MacDonald Engineering and wondered which dead, old, white men these buildings were named after? Have you picked up a bag of Redpath sugar and wondered if there was any connection with the library? Read on for a deep[Read More…]
McGill implements new room booking procedure in wake of controversial speaker
Following a five-week pause on room bookings for speaker events, McGill has released an updated procedure for event bookings on campus. The room booking pause was enacted after a talk featuring Mosan Hassan Yousef was moved online in response to a death threat—which came as part of backlash against the[Read More…]
Take The Tribune’s Science and Technology quiz
Which McGill campus building has an observatory on its roof? a) McIntyre Medical Buildingb) McCall MacBain Arts Buildingc) Burnside Halld) Ernest Rutherford Physics Building What causes the glowing green light in the sky over Montreal? a) The aurora borealis / northern lightsb) The Desjardins Complexc) Global warmingd) Aliens Barbara Althea[Read More…]
Dead languages live on campus
Nobody tell the Office québécois de la langue française, but if you keep a careful eye out, there are a handful of improperly-francized signs hiding around the McGill campus. For once, though, they’re not in English—and no, it’s not the Italian “pasta” advertised at the Royal Victoria College Dining Hall[Read More…]
Trans Day of Remembrance protest honours the past and looks toward the future
Over a hundred people gathered on the evening of Nov. 20 to mark Transgender Day of Remembrance, an annual observance that serves to honour and remember transgender people who have lost their lives due to transphobia and discrimination. The event, organized by a group of Montreal activists, began with a[Read More…]
Laurie Olin showcases storied career in landscape architecture
On Nov. 12, McGill’s Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture hosted the 2024 edition of the annual David J. Azrieli Lecture in Architecture. This year’s lecturer was Laurie Olin, a distinguished architect who began his career over 50 years ago, and is now a partner at OLIN—a Philadelphia and Los[Read More…]
2024 Mallory Lecture interrogates Canada’s pro-immigration appearance
Irene Bloemraad, professor of Political Science and Sociology at the University of British Columbia, delivered the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada’s 2024 Mallory Lecture, titled “The Limits of Canadian Tolerance” on Oct. 30. She presented her recent research on Canadians’ attitudes towards out-of-status immigrants—temporary residents whose visas have[Read More…]
Innovative approaches to modelling small-scale, Indigenous agriculture in Guatemala
Creating robust statistical models to predict crop yields, food security, and malnutrition is crucial for determining the next steps for governments, community leaders, and farmers—all of whom are stakeholders in the fight for sustainable and reliable access to food. Developing these models typically relies on detailed, long-term data, which allow[Read More…]
How to support your American friends as the presidential election looms
As Election Tuesday approaches, it’s likely to be a tense week for our neighbours to the south. Here’s some advice from a concerned American to help you look out for your friends from the States. Check in about their plans for election night With months of build-up, no clear polling[Read More…]
Peaking into the brains of bilingual students
As Quebec tightens regulations around student eligibility for education in English or other languages, the proportion of anglophone and allophone students—those whose home language is neither English nor French—attending French schools in the province has shot up. According to recent data from the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF),[Read More…]
First Board of Governors meeting of the academic year discusses admissions following government-mandated tuition increases
The McGill Board of Governors (BoG) convened for its first meeting of the 2024-25 academic year on Oct. 9. The board discussed enrolment, an update from the Committee on Sustainability and Social Responsibility (CSSR), and the university’s communications strategy. The first and last portions of the meeting were not open[Read More…]
How are Canadians who have legally used psilocybin faring?
While psilocybin, the active psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms, is illegal for both medical and recreational purposes in most countries, studies are increasingly pointing to its potential uses in psychotherapy, especially for relieving anxiety and depression in patients who have terminal illnesses. Canada, alongside Australia, is currently one of only[Read More…]
Six must-see items at the Maude Abbott Medical Museum
The Maude Abbott Medical Museum is one of the hidden gems of McGill’s downtown campus. Chock-full of real anatomical specimens, tools from bygone eras of medicine, and unnerving 20th-century medical models, the collection is not for the faint of heart, but if you have a strong stomach, it’s worth the[Read More…]
Comparing prices at go-to student grocery stores
With rising prices and an increasing cost of living, many students are keeping a close eye on grocery prices, but comparing deals across stores can be time-consuming and tedious. Luckily, we’ve done some of the work for you! The Tribune visited Metro, Provigo, and Segal’s to compare prices for 12[Read More…]
How can ChatGPT be an asset in your research project?
Disclaimer: Different professors have varying opinions and rules about the appropriate use of ChatGPT, and in many cases have serious consequences for misusing it in their classes. While some only have restrictions against using text written by ChatGPT, others also restrict the use of ChatGPT for outlining and research. It[Read More…]
Is oral tradition dead?
“I can always point out your great uncle Charlie right away. I think he must’ve had a different father,” my grandmother says, only half-joking, as we page through family photos together. This conversation was one of many small moments where a piece of family history was passed on to me—usually[Read More…]
Players’ McGill Drama Festival showcases the best of student theatre
From exploring dusty old houses in A Farce About Time Travel to a complicated reunion with old friends (or more than friends) in Coping Mechanisms, the McGill Drama Festival (MDF) had something for everybody. With prizes handed out for Best Script and Best Directing, the festival’s only real loser was[Read More…]
Upping the ante: The latest research on communication in ant societies
On Feb. 29, McGill’s Department of Biology hosted a lecture on ant societies, led by Daniel Kronauer, an associate professor at Rockefeller University and a leading researcher in the field of ant evolution, genetics, and neuroscience. “In my lab […] we try to understand how ant societies have evolved, how[Read More…]
‘It’s like a lose-lose situation’: Students report lacking accommodations at McGill
Jordan* has been registered for exam accommodations through McGill’s office for Student Accessibility and Achievement (SAA) for approximately a year. At the end of last semester, they wrote their final exams at alternate locations with extra time, as per their accomodations. When grades were released at the end of the[Read More…]
Searching for sustainable heating methods in McGill’s basements
With the advent of sustainable architecture, complex and innovative techniques for increasing energy efficiency have proliferated. But what if the key to this puzzle lies in the basements of 19th-century Canadian institutional buildings, built to resist the extreme cold of Canadian winters prior to the widespread adoption of electricity? In[Read More…]
What’s the matter with antimatter?
Since the mid-1970s, the Standard Model of particle physics has, as the name suggests, served as the standard theory for what fundamental particles exist in the universe, and how they interact with each other. While a mountain of experimental evidence from the last 50 years supports the model, there are[Read More…]
Swimming upstream: The case of U.S.-Canada collaboration in fishery management
While “transboundary fishery governance” may not immediately evoke images of glamorous public servants heroically striving toward healthy ecological practices, it turns out to be a critical, yet often overlooked aspect of our food supply. Fishery management is the practice of regulating the extent of fishing, specifying permitted and restricted areas,[Read More…]
SSMU Legislative Council debates fee increase referendum questions
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) convened for its second Legislative Council meeting of the year on Thursday, Feb. 1. The meeting discussed motions regarding fee increase referendum questions in the Winter 2024 referendum cycle. Deputy Speaker Sierra Fallis began by announcing that a motion regarding approval of the[Read More…]
Cracking into the mysteries of avian eggshells
Bird eggs, with their delicate embryos encased in protective shells, have been fine-tuned by millions of years of evolution. In a fertilized egg, each component is optimized to help the chicken embryo grow, protect it from bacterial invasion and predators, and ultimately allow it to break out of the shell[Read More…]
Keeping up with new chemicals in our drinking water
As McGill students, we rely on access to clean water from the city’s infrastructure, but few of us know where our water is actually coming from, how it is filtered, or where it goes once we are done using it. Every day, the city must clean, store, and distribute water[Read More…]
Making scientific data accessible to all
On Nov. 30, neuroscience and data-sharing experts came together for a day of insightful talks at The Neuro’s fifth annual Open Science in Action Symposium. Kicking off the event, Annabel Seyller, CEO of the Tanenbaum Open Science Institute (TOSI), emphasized the growing prevalence of open science across scientific institutions in[Read More…]
TNC Theatre brings ‘Importance of Being Earnest’ out of the closet
As I took my seat among a sea of Doc Martens and flamboyantly vintage clothing, I began to feel underdressed for this performance where everything from the audience to the antique couch was stylish, carefully chosen, and, above all, queer. Tuesday Night Café (TNC) Theatre’s contemporary, lesbian rendition of Oscar[Read More…]
How do we study language?
In the Feature of the Week: SciTech Editor Ella Paulin digs into the tensions between her two majors: linguistics and literature. Although both of these fields study language, their methods are worlds apart, and overlap between them is surprisingly rare.
Fuzzy Robots: Karon Maclean showcases emotionally-aware machinery
On Nov. 13, Karon MacLean, professor in the University of British Columbia’s Department of Computer Science, gave a talk covering her lab’s research on emotionally-interactive robots. MacLean’s work, which began with constructing robots at MIT in the 1980s, has always gone against the grain of traditional robotic engineering. “The hierarchy[Read More…]
Statistics Canada researcher shares insights into Canadian heat wave
Matthew Quick, a research analyst at Statistics Canada, gave an insightful talk at McGill on Friday, Nov. 3, about the impacts of extreme heat across Canada and the many socio-economic factors that contribute to an individual’s vulnerability to these effects. He presented three of his recent studies, each illuminating a[Read More…]
Hot science tickets for a cold month
The Science and Technology team at The Tribune have gathered around our fall campfires to bring you the best of McGill’s upcoming science-related talks and events this November. Hand on My Heart: A Journey of Healing and Impact Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023 – 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Coming up[Read More…]
The many colours of bio-imaging
From Oct. 15 to 19, the Art of Imaging exhibition showcased a remarkable collection of medical imagery created by scientists across Quebec, peeking out between the pink concrete towers of the Montreal Convention Centre’s Lipstick Forest. The exhibition by the Quebec Bio-Imaging Network (QBIN) was held during Amazing Brain Week[Read More…]
Diary of a Dad Friend
Sometimes I wonder if I was destined to become the “Dad Friend.” The label attached itself to me well before my friends bought me “#1 Dad” socks for Christmas. It became almost certain when my roommate began saying “Thanks, Dad” as they slid over their leftover dinner for me to[Read More…]
Science in the city: ALL IN 2023 unveils future of AI in Montreal
On Sept. 27 and 28, Montreal hosted ALL IN 2023, a conference bringing together industry specialists and cutting-edge researchers in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) at the Palais des Congrès de Montréal. Experts gave speeches and participated in panels on a wide variety of topics, including AI’s impact on[Read More…]
A guide to McGill’s first-year science lecture halls
Leacock 132 Any analysis of McGill’s intro-level science lecture halls has to start with Leacock 132, by far the most infamous room in a U0 Science student’s life. The largest lecture hall at McGill, Leacock 132 seats 650 people. While the space has an impressive resume, having hosted speakers such[Read More…]
McGill’s most sci-fi courses of the 2023-24 academic year
PHYS 534 Nanoscience and Nanotechnology This course, taught by professor Peter Grutter, aims to provide an overview of nanotechnology, a field that studies and manipulates incredibly tiny materials, ranging from one to 100 nanometres in length. To put this in perspective, a DNA double helix is typically 10 nanometres wide,[Read More…]
McGill Science Writing Initiative pushes students to share their knowledge accessibly
On April 9, the McGill Science Writing Initiative (MSWI) announced the winner of their third annual Case Competition. For this competition, McGill undergraduate students presented their projects in a variety of formats, including children’s books, podcasts, and literature reviews. Five teams made it to the final round of the competition,[Read More…]
Life in a patterned shirt isn’t so bad
At the beginning of the fall semester, I went thrifting. Alone. I spent a couple of hours walking through aisles, paging through shirts and sweaters before deciding on three button-down shirts: One plaid, one polka-dot, one gingham. They were the first patterned shirts that I’ve owned since the first grade. [Read More…]
SEDTalks showcases the wonders of McGill graduate student research
The Trottier Institute for Sustainability in Engineering and Design hosted the fifth annual edition of SEDTalks, a program where three graduate students work throughout the winter semester to present their research to the public in an accessible, engaging way. This year’s students presented a wide array of research in public[Read More…]
SciTech Presents: A Pi Day Pie Recipe
Happy Pi Day! In a break from our regularly-scheduled McGill research coverage, The McGill Tribune’s Science & Technology section brings you one of our favourite apple pie recipes to celebrate an iconic day. Pi is a mathematical constant that represents the ratio of a circle’s diameter to its circumference. Crust[Read More…]
Making soup with methane, vitamin D, mRNA, and shellfish waste
The 35th semesterly Soup & Science was one for the books, with top-notch student and professor research presentations accompanied by delectable soup. The McGill Tribune brings you the presentations we liked best for a little taste of the event. Improving mRNA resilience by combining it with other molecules U4 chemistry[Read More…]
Five must-see items at the Redpath Museum
If you haven’t been to the Redpath Museum since it reopened on Jan. 10, it is definitely worth a visit. The McGill Tribune combed through the collections to find five interesting objects that you might not have noticed to explore the science behind them. 1. Buddha Pearls Right after checking[Read More…]
A PhD in love? Relationship advice from McGill psychologists
Valentine’s Day may be about celebrating love, but it’s also a chance to celebrate the science that helps us understand love and other intimate interpersonal relationships. The McGill Tribune spoke to Catalina Enestrom, a graduate student working at McGill’s Lydon Lab, about the latest research on the psychology of relationships. Assessing[Read More…]
Flying cars must make way for the real future of transportation
Elon Musk and other Silicon Valley–style futurists would like you to believe that the future of transportation holds flying cars, conveyor-belt tunnels for high-speed vehicles, and completely self-driving cars. All of these innovations are designed to free drivers from driving and the annoyance of getting stuck in traffic. While those[Read More…]
Photogrammetry: A new approach to detailed, accessible flower imaging
There are hundreds of thousands of flower species in the world, each with their own shapes, colour patterns, and natural habitats. Scientists aim to accurately preserve and document every single species, but the complexity and delicateness of these natural decorations make this a challenging endeavour. Researchers from McGill and the[Read More…]
Could invasive species biologists bring their expertise to NASA?
In February of 2021, NASA’s Perseverance rover landed on Mars. Perseverance was the fifth rover that the space agency sent to the planet, but it had a unique purpose. The rover conducted the first mission to Mars designed to collect samples to be brought back to Earth, where they would[Read More…]
The transforming landscape of linguistic diversity
The Montreal Underdocumented Languages Linguistics Lab (MULL-Lab) houses linguists from McGill and the wider Montreal community who focus their research on languages that are considered to be at risk of extinction because so few people speak them. For example, MULL has ongoing research on Inuktitut and Tlingit, two Indigenous languages[Read More…]
Trottier Foundation gives $16 million to McGill Space Institute
The Trottier Family Foundation announced on Nov. 21 that they would be making a donation of $16 million to the McGill Space Institute (MSI)—which will now be called the Trottier Space Institute (TSI)—as well as $10 million to L’Université de Montréal. Half of the money donated to McGill will go[Read More…]
Introducing neuromaps, a Python toolbox for neuroscience research
A team of McGill researchers published a paper in Nature Methods showcasing neuromaps, an open-source Python toolbox that allows neuroscientists to analyze brain imaging data using a consistent set of tools and compare it with a curated brain-map database. PhD candidate Justine Hansen, one of the paper’s first authors, spoke[Read More…]
Innovative algorithm develops theories on rules of human language
Over the last several years, artificial intelligence (AI) has made huge strides forward in the areas of language modelling and translation. Recent improvements are exemplified by the accuracy of machine translation services such as Google Translate, the ability of devices like Amazon’s Alexa to interpret and respond to instructions given[Read More…]
McGill researchers use drones to collect volcanic samples
Gasses emitted from volcanoes can provide crucial insight into their activity and eruptions, but gas samples are difficult, and often dangerous, to collect by hand. McGill scientists are among the first to overcome this issue by employing drones to collect samples remotely by piloting them into the crater of a[Read More…]
McGill’s Catalyst Awards celebrate community contributions to sustainability
In September 2022, McGill’s Office of Sustainability granted three Catalyst Awards recognizing students, staff, and projects that have made exceptional strides in pushing sustainability forward at McGill. “Since its first edition in 2011, the purpose of the awards has always been to acknowledge and celebrate those who led the way[Read More…]
As ice sheets melt, will Greenland mine?
While many are worried about large swaths of land disappearing under water as global sea levels rise due to melting ice sheets in the Arctic, Greenland finds itself with a different problem: Its coastline is growing. Scientists have observed that when Greenland’s ice melts, it runs down to the ocean,[Read More…]