How is spider silk so strong? It’s so thin and light! The properties of spider silk—also known as gossamer—can seem mysterious if we try to think of it as a kind of string; however, the strength of spider silk comes primarily from its complex structure on the microscopic scale. Gossamer[Read More…]
Author: Daniel Galef
Dr. Cindy Blackstock joins McGill’s School of Social Work
Dr. Cindy Blackstock will be joining McGill’s School of Social Work starting in Sept. 2017. Dr. Blackstock is famous for her work as an advocate for indigenous children, namely during a case brought before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal regarding equal access to child and family services for indigenous children.[Read More…]
Quebec promises to abolish health care accessory fees by early 2017
On Sept. 14, Quebec Minister of Health Dr. Gaetan Barrette announced that as of January 2017, Quebec doctors will no longer be allowed to charge accessory fees—additional fees on services already provided by the Quebec health insurance. Accessory fees have generally been charged for services such as eye drops, injections,[Read More…]
Advances in veterinary practice: Doggy acupuncture and the technological future
Anyone who has ever taken an introductory biology class probably recalls the effort that goes into learning a few evolutionarily basic phyla characteristics. Those who remember will likely appreciate a profession that builds exponentially upon that introductory class in order to diagnose and treat species across the animal kingdom. “Veterinarians[Read More…]
Pop Dialectic: Snapchat Spectacles and the rise of wearable social media
Snap to it When Snapchat first arrived on the social media scene, it was hard to see its purpose beyond sending nudes. The app started as a project created by a group of Stanford students. On Snapchat, the user snaps a picture and sends it to a friend who can[Read More…]
Montreal pit bulls victims of impulsive decision-making
Last week, the Montreal City council passed a bylaw that will prevent the city’s residents from adopting any new pit bulls and introduce a set of rules governing existing pit bull owners. This decision has garnered much attention, mainly in the form of outrage and criticism: Montreal residents have set[Read More…]
In defence of laptops: Students must not be forced to take handwritten notes
When entering their first classes of the semester, students are often apprehensive as they wait to hear the professor’s policy on laptops in class. While insisting on handwritten notes is not the norm at McGill, some professors nonetheless present students with articles and studies that explain how writing notes by[Read More…]
MTL Blog’s repurposing of Instagram content highlights grey area of control on social media
MTL Blog is a normally benign clickbait website known for publishing articles such as “The Whole Foods Market Close to Montreal You Have To Road Trip To ASAP.” Recently, however, the blog moved away from think pieces on snow and poutine, and engaged in truly tasteless journalism. Two of the pieces[Read More…]
Saskatchewan doctors seek state of emergency over HIV rates
In response to high rates of HIV and AIDS within the province, a group of Saskatchewan physicians is urging the provincial government to declare a public health emergency. According to an open letter signed by a group of 30 physicians on Sept. 19, the 2015 provincial rate of HIV was[Read More…]
McGill Redmen baseball mercy UdeM Carabins in one sided match-up
The Université de Montréal (UdeM) Carabins (3-10) committed six errors and walked seven batters before begging McGill for leniency. The Redmen (13-1) coasted to a 10-0 mercy-shortened victory this past Wednesday at Gary Carter Field in Cote St. Luc, Quebec.
