Earth’s surface is constantly changing due to a number of natural processes: Rivers transport sediment, glaciers carve valleys, and colliding tectonic plates build mountains. One of the planet’s most impressive talents, however, is the formation of islands. In recent decades, various new islands have popped up. The island of Nishinoshima[Read More…]
Science & Technology
The latest in science and technology.
March for Science to unite Montreal community
On both sides of the Canadian-American border, governments are enacting environmentally harmful policies. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is, controversially, expanding the Kinder Morgan Pipeline, and American President Donald Trump plans on weakening fuel economy regulations, which would counter former president Barack Obama’s strides in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through[Read More…]
A story of community: Trees, fungi, and microbes work hand-in-hand
Researchers at McGill, in partnership with the Université de Montréal’s (UdeM) Plant Biology Research Institute, have discovered a hidden ecosystem that works to clean polluted land. The project consisted of a collaboration between Nicholas Brereton, a research fellow at UdeM’s Plant Biology Research Institute and senior author of the study,[Read More…]
Giggle Juice: The science behind booze
A few drinks into one Saturday night in late November, my brother and I made a sacred pact to speak exclusively in freestyle. Walking along the pavement, I giggled as the city spun slightly, my stomach soaring with euphoria. My brother was in what he calls “the happy place”—a state[Read More…]
McGill develops new screening method for Canada’s deadliest women’s cancer
Just hearing the “C” word is enough to send chills down anyone’s spine—and with cancer warnings splashed across everything from cigarette packages to coffee cups, it’s difficult to avoid. In 2017, the Canadian Cancer Society amassed over $80 million in donations. According to their 2017 report, 206,200 Canadians are expected[Read More…]
The universe at odds: Quantum mechanics versus general relativity
For over a century, the field of theoretical physics has been in a perpetual state of quandary. In recent weeks, following noted physicist Stephen Hawking’s death, popular media has turned the spotlight onto the unsolved mysteries of physics. With physicists searching for the next steps to advance the field, the[Read More…]
Combatting reluctance: Why is climate action so hard?
On March 22, Philip Kitcher, a professor of philosophy at Columbia University, discussed the difficulties of implementing climate change policy during the 2018 Mossman lecture. The lecture series, named after McGill alumnus and chemist Donald Mossman, seeks to raise awareness about scientific thought that is pertinent to solving the issues[Read More…]
Lufa Farms: Using Montreal’s rooftops to feed the growing urban population
Lufa Farms, a Montreal urban agriculture company, is working on revolutionizing the city’s food system, based on two key ideas: Growing food where people live and growing it more sustainability. Best described as an online farmer’s market, Lufa Farms operates three rooftop greenhouses in Montreal, which produce more than 100[Read More…]
Immortality in the natural world
Harry Potter fans know that Fawkes the phoenix’s fiery demise wasn’t the end of him; he was simply reborn from the ashes. Phoenixes, of course, are mythical creatures. Immortality in real animals is likely the stuff of fantasy. Yet, as it turns out, biological immortality only refers to creatures that don’t[Read More…]
McGill Multiple Sclerosis research leads the fight against the disease
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system (CNS) which causes circulating immune cells, called T cells, to gain access to the CNS across the blood-brain barrier. This causes inflammation, myelin destruction, and neuronal damage. MS affects over 2.5 million people world-wide and is the leading cause[Read More…]