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Off the Board, Opinion

Roll for initiative

by Jackie Lee on

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The door squeaks on its hinge, and a child, freshly orphaned, emerges from her room and pads toward the cusp of the ornate staircase. Tiny fingers thread through the balusters as she surveys the manor’s foyer. 

Our party—seven of us, a rag-tag bunch bound by circumstance and fate—freezes. Waits with bated breath. 

“Roll for stealth,” the dungeon master (DM) instructs our party’s wizard, who’s only half-concealed below in the shadow of the handrail. Discovery mid-heist would jeopardize the stability of the city, and also land us in prison. Or worse.

“…natural 20,” my friend says, smug like a sun-warmed cat, syllables stretched in satisfaction.

Filtered through my laptop speakers, the responding chorus is tinny, but our collective relief echoes through the audio.

My friends and I are playing Dungeons and Dragons, commonly abbreviated as D&D. Although some were already veterans of the game during high school, to me the game remained peripheral, overly time consuming and complex. As graduation passed and university lodged its talons into our free time, it wasn’t until the pandemic started that we decided to begin our own campaign. 

And we weren’t the only ones: As many turned to online spaces for connection and entertainment during the pandemic, D&D catapulted from the Forgotten Realms back into the zeitgeist. Sales jumped 33 per cent last year, contributing to its six-year growth streak. Originally published in 1974, the fantasy role-playing game has long held a place in popular culture as the quintessential nerd activity. But it has evolved from its roots. The fifth edition, released in 2014, prioritized storytelling over convoluted battle mechanics, attracting new players. While sessions are ideally held in person, online platforms such as Discord and Roll 20 allow sessions to be held regardless of location or time zone separating friends—or even strangers, as avenues like reddit threads or tabletop clubs in local libraries have proliferated.

Though there might not be a physical board to gather around, the game’s framework remains the same. The players design characters, the DM charts quests, and the dice dictate everything in between. Roll a one on a perception check, and my half-elf druid could stumble right into a den of thieves; roll a 20 on a dexterity saving throw, and she might successfully leap to cover. 

No other game holds a candle to the complete creative freedom D&D offers. As the adventure unfurls into being, the DM and players can manipulate its strands to weave dynamic, thoughtful narratives, a tapestry suspended between collective imaginations. Visual components like set pieces or miniatures, though they might compliment gameplay, are dressings for the ultimate stage: The theatre of the mind, an endlessly customizable space. 

It’s also inherently co-operative: Each member of the party works together during combat, diverting an attack or casting a healing spell, but also collaborates via the role-playing element. Some players value the game mechanics, tailoring warriors with carefully calibrated stats that will deliver the strongest attacks; others, like me, favour the improv aspect, an excuse to exercise intuition and think on the fly. For more still, especially young people, D&D can act as an outlet, an opportunity to project real issues onto fictional avatars in order to safely unpack trauma or experiment with gender expression or personality. In conceptualizing elements of the self onto a new form while remaining omniscient, you can explore your own identity—it’s free group therapy! 

What I find most valuable are the memories my friends and I forge together, sharing a laugh over in-game jokes or reflecting when combat goes wrong. As my character levels up with each completed arc, outside the game, I do too. Despite the perpetual essays my major requires, I’ve never considered myself a capital-w Writer. D&D gives me permission to have fun with the craft, and revel in the communal storytelling at its heart. 

Our campaign will reach its 1.5 year anniversary in a few days. Even through dozens of six-hour sessions, it’s taken me until now to solidify my character’s identity—a representation, perhaps, of the nebulous distress I’ve felt over these long months. Regardless, I’m proud of us. And not only for our characters’ successful heist, but the story we’ve authored, together. 

Editorial, Opinion

Trans liberation requires multifaceted action

by The McGill Tribune Editorial Board on

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Transgender Day of Remembrance takes place every Nov. 20, and, while not officially acknowledged in Quebec, acts as a dedicated time to reflect on the lives of transgender, non-binary, and two-spirit individuals taken too soon. Trans individuals continually experience higher rates of violence than cisgender people, with racialized trans people disproportionately affected. While Transgender Day of Remembrance pays tribute to those lost, it also presents an opportunity to chart a path forward toward trans liberation. This struggle requires a layered approach on legislative, educational, and personal levels. In order to move toward change at McGill, there must be a long-term commitment at both the individual and institutional levels to dismantle societal norms that isolate queer communities.

This year has been a tumultuous one for the trans community in Quebec, bringing with it both victories and disappointments. In January, Superior Court Justice Gregory Moore invalidated several articles of the Civil Code, such as one prohibiting individuals from changing their sex on their birth certificate, citing their transphobic and discriminatory nature. His decision noted the acute risk of suicide when one is denied the ability to affirm their gender identity on legal documentation. In response, the Quebec government introduced Bill 2, which they wrongfully believed would benefit trans people by separating gender and sex on identifying documentation. However, the bill’s proposed changes, which were allegedly made in good faith, lacked proper consultation and resulted in major push-back from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and their allies. The bill has now been tabled and awaits edits after the government agreed to engage in proper community consultation. Fundamentally, meaningful legislation pushes for change and is developed in a way that both respects and amplifies the voices of those most affected by the policy. 

Governmental bodies are not the only institutions in Quebec rife with transphobia. Take, for example, the healthcare field. Gender-affirming surgery is essential for many to alleviate body dysphoria. Yet, it is inaccessible to those who cannot pay out of pocket for operations deemed “non-essential, including”  breast augmentations and other feminizing surgeries. A body that is representative of one’s identity should not be a luxury, but a right. 

At McGill, the administration can make changes that could contribute to breaking down the gender binary. One such action might be increasing the number of gender-inclusive bathrooms on campus. Studies have shown that over 70 per cent of trans and gender nonconforming individuals experienced discomfort when using gender-specific bathrooms, which can be detrimental to one’s mental health. The very few gender-neutral bathrooms currently available at McGill are not enough, and their sporadic and specific placement might make trans and non-binary students feel outed.  

McGill also has a role to play when it comes to supporting and encouraging trans scholarship and representation. The first step to this commitment is creating a safe space for students and staff alike. McGill has the power to mandate professors to respect their students’ pronouns––this is not. a privilege, but a necessity. 

Similarly, these changes can occur at the individual level. Trans voices must be respected and uplifted as they lead the charge toward liberation––but allies must ultimately ensure the burden of education is not placed solely on trans individuals. Being an ally must go beyond posting about Bill 2 on Instagram; it involves an active commitment to intervening in ignorant, transphobic behaviour or jokes. While positive changes such as the new inclusion of the gender-neutral personal pronoun “iel”  in the major French dictionary Le Petit Robert are welcomed, it is important to remain vigilant against backlash from those who are transphobic.

Trans communities have long been politicized by politicians and excluded by many feminists and queer activists—many of whom follow movements that were kickstarted by trans women of colour, such as Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. The fight for liberation is not over until it is a reality for all, so it is important to diffuse demands for change across the many institutions that all work together to isolate the trans community. Progress must be multifaceted if it is to be effective, from government and educational structures to interpersonal interactions. Transgender Day of Remembrance should double as a time for cisgender people to reflect on how to uplift trans voices, and support the push for a thriving future that supports all. 

Science & Technology

The changing landscape of industrial mining

by Adam Matthews-Kott on

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From the diamonds in Nunavut to the gold in British Columbia to the iron ores in Labrador, Canada has a multitude of resources spanning from coast to coast to coast. Producing over 30 different minerals and metals, it is no surprise that Canada plays a substantial role in the global mining industry. As priorities shift within the industry to account for environmental and economic changes, Canada has the opportunity to set the bar for the future of mining. One way toward a new mining frontier is to embrace technological innovations that will help the industry continue playing a pivotal role in the country’s economy. 

“We can’t stop mining, but if we want to have our current society […]  if we want to keep this planet and some of our last remaining wildernesses, then we have to look at how we mine and do it very responsibly,” Scott Berdahl, the CEO of Snowline Gold Corp, a junior mining company based in the Yukon, said in an interview with The McGill Tribune.

The life cycle of a mine consists of several stages, beginning with the initial discovery of a viable reserve, to planning, then production, and finally to the closure and reclamation of the mine as operations wind down. With each stage being relatively distinct from one another, both large and small mining companies are implementing creative technological solutions to improve each stage of the mining process. 

The first stage in establishing a mine is the search for reserves. The scouting is often considered the most swashbuckling of mine operations, where small teams work in vast and often remote locations to find a viable deposit to mine. This is the stage where junior mining companies work alongside major mining companies, often selling their properties to the major players when a quantifiable increase in property value is discovered.   

One technology that has proven useful in these remote environments is x-ray fluorescence (XRF). Exposing rock samples to x-rays causes the different elements found inside to enter a higher energy stage. The elements then re-emit light at specific wavelengths, allowing scientists to determine the elemental composition of the rock sample.  

Traditionally, samples that were thought to contain sought-after minerals and metals would be sent to the assay lab so that geologists could get a completely accurate composition of the rock. In the context of exploration geology, this could mean shipping samples hundreds of kilometres away to get tested. With portable XRF, it is now possible to get compositional analyses of rock samples without ever having to leave the field. Although lab tests are still an essential part of exploration geology, as XRF technology develops, geologists will be able to get results faster and with higher accuracy.  

Another technological innovation that has revolutionized the field of exploration geology is the use of drones for surveillance. Drones have an advantage over other survey methods because they can cover vast swaths of ground while still keeping the scale of the survey specific to the area. This is in contrast to walking, which is restricted to the ground level, and satellites, which lack the necessary resolution to identify areas of interest on the single kilometre scale. 

Drones can perform a wide range of measurements using visible and near-infrared light to detect colour variation and any changes in the earth’s magnetic field. In addition to these specialized functions, they can capture high-resolution photography of exposed rock faces. Drones then allow geologists to develop more accurate models of the geology they are working with and to pinpoint specific areas of interest to explore. Due to these advantages, drones are rapidly becoming the swiss-army knife of mining exploration. 

Following the discovery of a viable deposit, the planning phase begins. This part of the operation can take years to progress as a multitude of factors must be weighed, including production and environmental costs in comparison to the value derived from the extracted materials. In addition to the extremely high start-up costs, with initial investment often being upwards of billions of dollars, mine operators need to be confident that the mined materials will offset the cost. This can be challenging as profits are tied to the value of the resource which then experiences large fluctuations, whether it be a material like lithium, nickel, and quartz or a precious commodity such as diamonds. 

One group working to make this process faster and less risky is COSMO laboratory, led by  Roussos Dimitrakopoulos, a professor in McGill’s Department of Mining Engineering.

“We are looking at industrial mine composites,” Dimitrakopoulos said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “You have tens of millions of variables, and so, how do you follow them?  Suddenly you look at this and say we would like new methods to optimize the whole thing.” 

The project aims to optimize models to estimate ore bodies and their economic viability while taking the entire supply chain into account.

“[Our] models perform better because they account for what may or may not be in the ground,” Dimitrakopoulos said. “The conventional way is to take an average of what’s in the ground. This does not fully represent what is there [because] average in does not mean average out.” 

Once planning is complete, construction can begin, followed by the start of mine operations. In contrast to the early exploration stage of mine operations, in this phase, the landscape is fairly well understood, and the goal is to begin extracting resources from the ground. 

A group of technologies that are predicted to become commonplace by 2025 are autonomous machines. The key word here being autonomous, these machines are able to work with minimal supervision 24/7 on a variety of tasks, including drilling, blasting, loading, and hauling. Load Haul Dump (LHD) vehicles are an example of the types of machines used. These vehicles are primarily designed to cart ore out of the mine to be processed into various materials. 

Along with ore that is extracted, economically unviable material called tailings are generated as a by-product. These tailings have the potential to create major environmental damage through leaching salts and heavy metals into nearby water sources and spreading harmful dust particles to surrounding communities. Scientists are currently looking into how to mitigate the environmental risk that tailings pose. 

Greg Dipple, a professor in the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of British Columbia, is leading a research project that aims to combat this source of environmental disturbance. The project looks to repurpose mine tailings from nickel, diamond, platinum mines as carbon traps to offset carbon emissions released throughout the mining process. 

After the resource is depleted and primary production grinds to a halt, it’s time for the closure and reclamation process to begin. This involves maintaining the mine to avoid contaminating nearby areas and returning the site back to its original state as much as possible. 

New and emerging technologies within the mining sector have exciting implications for the industry. As we begin to reevaluate how resource extraction is done in Canada, it is important to continue to find new methods to make mining more efficient, economically sustainable, and environmentally conscious.

McGill, News

Divest McGill and Divest For Human Rights Coalition host democratization assembly

by Joseph Pappas on

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Divest McGill and Divest For Human Rights McGill hosted Democratize McGill, a hybrid open assembly, on Nov. 19 to facilitate discussion about ways to democratize the university’s many governance structures. The approximately 100 students in attendance—both in-person at Leacock 132 and on Zoom—were encouraged to share their thoughts on McGill’s current governance structure and propose formal solutions, which the entire assembly then voted on. 

In a binding vote that occurred at the end of the meeting, the assembly unanimously determined that Democratize McGill would become an independent coalition separate from Divest McGill. Votes on whether to pursue solutions were non-binding. Instead, they provided direction and objectives for the coalition to strive for.

Participants discussed how to increase student involvement and representation in McGill’s various decision-making bodies. While the event focussed on integrating democratic values and processes into current governance structures, attendees also introduced ideas about democratizing other areas such as academics and the university’s financial investments. Iryn McMechan, U1 Arts, described the energy and environment of the assembly.

“Being at this event, it was easy to detect tension in the voices of many McGill students,” McMechan said. “We are tired of not having our voices heard and experiencing a total lack of transparency when it comes to a lack of decisions.”

Many of the students present expressed discontent with McGill’s current governing structure. Participants cited the university’s ongoing investment in fossil fuels and their exclusion of Black, Indigenous, and Palestinian voices in their decision making as evidence of the disconnect between the McGill community’s values and the university’s actions.

Attendees proposed different—sometimes contrasting—solutions to address the many issues on the table. Propositions included electing—rather than appointing—the 17 members of the McGill Board of Governors, recording and releasing all meetings of the Board of Governors in a more accessible way, and transitioning McGill’s governance structure from one of a representative republic to one of direct democracy. 

Although attendees’ conception of how the university should go about democratization varied, certain concerns and ideas resonated unanimously. Sebastian Wittekindt, a second-year PhD candidate in neuroscience, feels that student organizations and political assemblies wield little power in affecting change McGill’s current governance scheme.

“The fact is that these organizations really only have a consultative role,” Wittekindt said. “We need to push for [the] direct influence of students [….] If we propose these ideas just as us sitting here, they’ll go back to lunch and ignore us.” 

While the event did not establish a concrete list of directives Democratize McGill would follow, common sentiments and ideas were highlighted as essential to the student movement going forward. Maya Garfinkel, U3 Arts, outlined an important feature of the Democratize McGill movement for the future.

“Going forward, we must prioritize and centre people who have been historically marginalized in the McGill community, specifically Arab, Palestinian, Black, and Indigenous students, staff, and faculty, in order for our movement to be more equitable,” Garfinkel said in an interview with The McGill Tribune.

Laura Doyle Péan, a U3 law student and Divest McGill organizer, explained to the Tribune that they were happy with how the event went.

“The assembly was very successful in terms of getting students excited about democratization and starting the coalition, which was our intention from the start,” Doyle Péan wrote. “We strongly encourage all community members, groups, clubs, unions and associations interested in democratizing the university to reach out and join the coalition.”

McGill, News, SSMU

Barrage of emails from Elections SSMU confuses voters

by Ghazal Azizi on

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The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Fall 2021 Referendum’s results were released on Nov. 15 following a string of technical errors and discrepancies in communication that resulted in widespread confusion. Initially, the voting period was scheduled to start on Nov. 8 and end on Nov. 12. However, a day after the polls were opened, SSMU notified students by email that the original ballot had been replaced with a new ballot, which would be open until Nov. 15 at 17:00.

In an interview with The McGill Tribune, Éric Sader, SSMU’s vice-president (VP) Finance, explained that the initial ballots lacked information about budgetary details for each motion. 

“The motions were amended during the Legislative Council to each include the budgets, […] but there was a miscommunication on who was responsible to make sure those budgets were a part of the questions,” Sader said. “We didn’t want people to have voted […] without seeing the budgets, so we had to rerun the referendum.”

Despite the opening of a new ballot, the Fall 2021 Referendum saw a higher voter turnout than the 2020-2021 year. 19.5 per cent of electors cast a ballot this fall, marking a 3.6 per cent increase from the previous Winter 2021 Referendum. 

Citing the increase in voter turnout, as well as the increased margins by which the motions passed, Sader believes that the rerun had minimal impact on the outcome of the referendum. 

“[The error] was caught relatively early, and generally people who vote in SSMU referendums early are people [who] are very motivated to vote,” Sader said. “My hope is [that] those people were able to vote in the new ballot immediately. I am quite confident that [the results] reflected the desires of the student body.” 

In addition to the initial technical problems, a Nov. 15 email from Elections SSMU stated that voting would be open until Nov. 17, even though polls closed on Nov. 15, inciting further confusion among some voters. 

Sarah Paulin, SSMU’s VP Internal Affairs, clarified that the email was only sent out to undergraduate students in the Faculty of Arts and directed voters to the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS)’s departmental referendum, which had been mistakenly labeled as the Fall 2021 referendum.

“[The discrepancies in the emails] is a problem, but I do not think it is a problem of that big of a magnitude because there was no [narrow margin of victory] in any of the referendum questions,” Paulin said in an interview with the Tribune. “We will be talking to the AUS, but apart from that we will be keeping the results as it is.”

Sam Lowery, U3 Management, expressed frustration and a lack of trust in SSMU, describing its agenda as irrelevant to the average student. 

“I struggle to take SSMU seriously, because to me it’s a bunch of kids who are set on going into government and want to play politician in university,” Lowery said in an interview with the Tribune. “I don’t feel like what SSMU does or how any of the referenda turn out affect my day-to-day life, and honestly I don’t want SSMU to affect my day-to-day life. Good on them for getting the voter turnout to increase, but at the same time I think [the low turnout] is still definitely reflective of a general apathy towards whatever it is [that] [SSMU] is doing.”

Sader acknowledged that the lack of interest from students is a significant issue that SSMU aims to address in order for the society to make decisions with the confidence of its membership. 

“There have been a lot of good initiatives from the [Chief of Electoral Office] to try to improve participation [by] making sure that the questions are easily accessible, easily understandable,” Sader said. “At the same time, we need to be realistic in the sense that a lot of students don’t care about [elections and referenda] and that’s fine [because it’s] a student’s right not to care.”

McGill, News

McGill Artificial Intelligence Society’s panel discusses ethics and regulation of artificial intelligence

by Dhanishta Ambwani on

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The McGill Artificial Intelligence Society (MAIS) held its first in-person event of the school year, a panel titled “Ethics in AI,” on Nov. 17. The audience was at full capacity, drawing in a crowd of approximately 35 people from the McGill community to the Trottier lecture hall.

The panel featured three professionals who engage with issues surrounding AI ethics in their respective disciplines: Masa Sweidan, McGill alumna and business development manager at the Montreal AI Ethics institute (MAIEI); Ignacio Cofone, assistant professor of privacy law, AI law, and business associations at McGill; and Mark Likhten, legal innovation lead at Cyberjustice Lab at L’Universite de Montreal (UdeM).

Kaustav Das Sharma, U4 Engineering and team lead of the McGill AI Podcast, moderated the event. The panellists acknowledged that AI is often misrepresented in media and popular culture, and agreed that  it is important for the public to gain a more holistic understanding of AI and the ethical barriers that emerge with its advancement. 

“What is important is to […] be clear about what AI is,” Likhten said. “It is a very powerful tool, but it’s still a tool which needs […] human intervention.”

Cofone considered more precise issues, namely bias, transparency, and privacy within AI, as the issues that should garner more public attention. These three issues are at the core of his research in AI regulation.

“One important aspect to be aware of […] is AI bias,” Cofone said. “AI decision-making affects everyone, everyday [….] Transparency [in AI] is important particularly with decision-making processes such as calculating credit scores to see if you would get a house [or] calculating your risk score to see if you go to jail [….] Privacy is important because most AI is trained with [sensitive] information about us.”

There was also discussion regarding how public institutions can work to push inclusivity and diversity to the forefront of AI research and development. Sweidan stated that diversifying AI education is a crucial first step.

“Having education that includes women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ [communities] is extremely important,” Sweidan said. “Having people with different backgrounds, looking at it from the philosophy standpoint, [from computer science], from law, I think that is what leads to a more holistic education, and I think that is an extremely important first step.”

Panellists also discussed the potential of AI systems to inflict harm, and the importance of adequate personal data protection regulation. Ending on a positive note, Das Sharma asked panellists what makes them excited for a future blossoming with cutting-edge AI development. Sweidan said that she is excited by the possibilities for AI creativity, while Likhten cited the applications of AI in justice.

“I am actually very optimistic for the future,” said Likhten. “[Cyberjustice Lab] works a lot with tools [using] AI to improve access to justice, and the possibilities that we see in that field are endless [….] We talk a lot about people getting stripped of their personal data […], and the bad sides of AI, but there are lots, and lots of […] good things that you can do with AI that remain within the boundaries of ethical principles.”

Science & Technology

Biology symposium investigates modes of language learning

by Bryana-Alexa Liberta on

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How language plays a role in the evolution of human societies remains a fascinating question for language researchers, given the diversity of language learning techniques and abilities. Some McGill researchers, however, are one step closer to finding the answer. On Nov. 15, a symposium on the “Cultural Evolution of Communication” discussed how society plays a role in the formation and learning of language and, conversely, how language plays a role in constructing societies. The event, hosted by Jon Sakata, a professor in McGill’s Department of Biology, presented the research of Pauline Palma, a PhD candidate in experimental psychology, and Logan James, a McGill alumnus who completed a PhD in 2019 with the Department of Biology. 

Pauline Palma: How bilingualism affects the progression of language 

Many have wondered what the advantages of being bilingual are and how bilingual societies differ from monolingual ones at the cognitive level. In her latest research, Palma addressed this question, looking specifically into whether prior linguistic knowledge in individuals can affect language evolution.

In order to test for the ability to learn a language, Palma recruited young adults who identified English as their first language and French as their second. In a training phase, she used two types of word sets as stimuli—a “French-like” word set containing made-up words resembling French words, and an “English-like’ word set containing made-up words resembling English words. 

Each set contained 12 words. However, during the training phase,  Palma only presented nine words to participants, who were then shown all 12 words at the test phase. This technique measured if the participants were able to use what they had learned in the training phase and apply it in the test phase—in other words, the researchers wanted to test whether the bilingual participants were able to learn this “new” language, and whether this had implications for the way they learn language compared to monolingual speakers. 

Palma’s results showed that the learnability of one’s native language, whether that be English or French, increased over time. As well, the structure of a language increases for the English-like languages when learned first, whereas the French-like languages developed structure in both conditions. Palma explained that her results demonstrate a phenomenon in bilinguals called an asymmetric switch cost. 

“An asymmetric switch cost is when switching to your dominant language becomes more difficult because of intuition, which was seen at the societal level,” Palma said. 

Moving forward, Palma hopes to explore whether these results are reproducible and whether individuals’ differences in their modes of language acquisition can alter these results. 

Logan James: The biology of birdsongs

James, who is currently conducting field work in Panama, presented his research on the biology behind the formation of birdsong. In his studies, James used zebra finches as a model to test how environmental factors can have an impact on the sequencing and timing of their songs, and whether or not there are biological biases behind certain song patterns. 

 “So the question we have is, how do [zebra finches] select which pattern to produce and what timing to produce?” James said. “In general, they’re going to be learning this from their fathers.” 

One experiment that he performed was playing back a random birdsong sequence during song learning and observing its impact on zebra finch song production later on. The results showed that even with a randomized input, the birds produce a song that was similar to the formal birdsong of the zebra finch due to certain biological biases. James compares this to how humans process sound.

“There is a similar [process taking place] in humans, where we as humans use these internal filters to produce particular sequences and timings,” James said. 

Commentary, Opinion

‘Post a picture of your pet’: Imagining an online future for activism

by Valentina de la Borbolla on

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Last month, many found their Instagram story feeds flooded with Plant a Tree Co.’s viral “Post a picture of your pet and we’ll plant a tree” sticker. The trend comes after the platform added the new “Add Yours” sticker feature, which allows users to attach their own pictures to a public prompt on their stories. Days later, Plant a Tree Co.’s prompt had over four million uploads and showed no signs of slowing. Following the growing reach of the post, many Instagram users began to question the viability of the account’s tree-planting promises. Plant a Tree Co. clearly backpedaled because they deleted the original post just after 10 minutes of putting it online. But because of the new sticker feature, the post kept circulating, effectively granting it a life of its own. Plant a Tree Co. will not be planting four, five, or six million trees. They have, however, redirected their goals and started a fundraiser instead. 

While it was a mistake on the part of Plant a Tree Co. to make a promise that they knew could spin so far out of their control, the post’s quick virality indicates the complicated relationship between activism and social media. While it has the potential to be a tool for change, social media amplifies the performative aspect of activism––of which “Post a picture of your pet and we’ll plant a tree” is the perfect example. When activism is performative, it is usually a means to virtue-signal or show support for a cause without meaningful engagement. Treating activism as a fad without focussed intent and motivation will always be ineffective.

This trend, also known as “slacktivism,” does highlight how activists can benefit from social media: A single post can reach millions of people in a matter of minutes. This rapid spread of information renders participation in social movements more visible and accessible to a wider audience. Despite worries about the rise of slacktivism, collective action facilitated through online platforms has undeniably led to real change. Online campaigns like #MeToo gained the traction they did almost entirely because of social media. When much of our lives transitioned online during the pandemic, Black Lives Matter (BLM) activism shifted to social media as well, albeit with varying degrees of success. Performativity is even more striking when comparing the traction BLM gained in 2020 versus in 2014—when people were less present online. Without the internet, notifying people of protest locations, mutual aid needs, and community dangers was completely different. For one, mobilizing people through traditional channels, like physical posters or word of mouth, is far less effective because the internet has profoundly changed how we form communities and movements. Whereas potential protestors might have learned of a demonstration at a Sunday service, they are now more likely to find it on their feed online. 

However, despite the potential for mass mobilization and visibility that online platforms enable, it is crucial to question whether they can sustain  movements, and to what extent this visibility risks distorting a movement’s message. It would be naive to disregard the fact that most of the power of social media comes from posts being looked at and reacted to by others. When you mix the performative aspect of social media with white privilege, the revenue opportunities of platforms like Instagram, and easily digestible infographics, you are bound to produce a diluted movement. The type of mobilization encouraged by posts like “Post a picture of your pet” is low effort, and consequently, low benefit. It takes nothing to post a picture of your dog. It also gets you nothing, or nothing more than nicely curated feed. 

Undergraduate students, made up mostly of avid social media users, need to find the balance between convenience and complacency. The reason why a lot of social media activism is ineffective is not because movements are poorly organized or because Instagram distorts messages; it is ineffective because it is performative. Online activism can host the nuanced and complex conversations that social issues require, but in order for that to happen users need to be more intentional in how they participate in social movements. There is revolutionary potential in the internet, and it doesn’t need to mimic life offline to thrive. It just needs to be authentic.

Commentary, Opinion

Physical books are worth their cost

by Courtney Squires on

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The holiday season is approaching, and as many people start the scramble to find gifts for loved ones, friends, or coworkers, a harsh discovery awaits them. Tried and true, books have remained one of the best gifts to give on any occasion, the perfect balance between thoughtful and casual. However, the tumultuous pandemic economy has caused paper, ink, and printing presses to be in high demand, leading to an increase in book prices. The days when a hardcover novel did not cost an arm and a leg are long over, with the average adult fiction book priced at around $34.00 CAD. The rising price of books is just one of the negative effects of current inflation trends threatening the extinction of libraries and smaller book businesses. Everyone must do their part by buying books from local bookstores, and remembering to plan ahead to avoid resorting to large corporate sellers like Amazon. 

Though the pandemic has led to a recent spike in demand for books, it is getting progressively more expensive to produce them. The price of wood pulp rose approximately 71 per cent this year after an environmental initiative in China led to the shutdown of many pulp and paper mills. The large price change has made book prices skyrocket and production timelines slow. Further, the supply chain has taken a hit due to the pandemic, and lengthy shipping delays are predicted for this upcoming holiday season. This seeming book shortage will certainly put a hamper on many people’s plans to shop last minute, as there will be fewer books stocked on the shelves, and delayed projected delivery times—some stretching well into the new year. 

With the many roadblocks to obtaining physical copies of books this year, the growing market for online literature like e-books, Kindles, Kobos has skyrocketed. Online literature tends to be cheaper—no manufacturing, distribution or shipping costs—so with book prices increasing this year, more cost-conscious consumers might pursue those options in lieu of purchasing a physical copy. Also more environmentally friendly, investing in a Kindle or another digital library, saves paper. While there are benefits to making the switch to online, physical books are still overall the better choice. 

McGill, too, has hopped on this online literature bandwagon. Many English courses have started to offer their texts in PDF form, selecting readings available from online resource platforms or offering online course packs so students do not have to purchase an entire short story collection. McGill courses in general have also adapted to online life: The majority of assignments can be submitted online, reducing the need for physical copies of papers—and even some exams are now delivered online. Though, with the hybrid learning scheme, many students find themselves struggling to adapt to fully remote learning. If physical copies of textbooks and novels are slowly phased out, it is almost certain that students’ productivity will suffer, with  reading on paper being important for neurological comprehension. Reducing screen time by doing readings and note-taking offline helps both concentration and retention, and reduces eye strain.

This phenomenon also has consequences for libraries. They, too, risk being rendered useless. This is especially dismaying, as libraries are one of the only public places people can visit without having to pay. Small businesses are also affected, with non-chain bookstores relying heavily on an in-person customer base. While larger names like Indigo and Barnes & Noble may be able to stay afloat in this transitioning market, smaller names like Montreal’s S.W. Welch Bookseller might not. 

However, it would be unlikely that such a change in the literary market would happen before it could be prevented. Yet, to keep the magical world of printed literature alive, everyone must do their part: Keep buying books—especially from small businesses—and get any holiday shopping done sooner rather than later to ensure there are no empty presents under the tree. 

Science & Technology

Computational witness stand: A new way to prevent credit card fraud

by Atticus O’Rourke Rusin on

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In 2018 alone, reported fraud cases increased by 18.4 percent from the previous year and over 20 billion dollars were lost. Although not the only source of card fraud, one major concern is the security of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs). With the spread of ATMs throughout the world, personal banking security has become an increasingly prevalent issue. From hijacking ATM terminals using “skimmers,” a device that collects messages sent on the ATMs data lines, to installing cameras to record individuals inputting their PINs, there are numerous ways for scammers to steal sensitive information from under your nose. 

To prevent fraud, Claude Crépeau, a professor in McGill’s School of Computer Science, along with researchers from other institutions, is looking to find methods for beefing up modern bank security systems. 

Once your bank PIN falls into the wrong hands, the process of resetting it can be a hassle. All the while, your account can be accessed and funds can be taken out. This is where Crépeau’s work comes into play. Using a type of cryptographic method known as zero-knowledge proofs, combined with Einstein’s theory of relativity—which stipulates that matter, and in turn, electronic information, cannot travel faster than the speed of light—the team has developed a new method of combating card fraud. 

To understand zero-knowledge proofs, imagine that person A has two identical containers. One contains a coin and the other contains a die. Person B wants to prove to person A that they can identify which container has the coin and which one has the die, even after they are mixed up. In order to do so, person A will mix up the containers and person B will guess which one has each object. If person B does this correctly several times, person A will accept that person B knows which container has the coin. However, person A will still be unaware of how person B knows this. 

Although not yet present in ATMs, bank machines could use zero-knowledge proofs in order to verify a cardholder’s identity; the cardholder proves their identity with their PIN, and the ATM machine verifies it without accessing the encrypted information. However, even this method of verification would not be foolproof. Therefore, the difficulty of cracking zero-knowledge proofs often rests upon how difficult it is to solve these equations. Some zero-knowledge proofs have already been cracked, while others may only be solved once quantum computing becomes more advanced. This raises the issue of never knowing the level of security of the proof used by banks until it is too late.

Einstein’s theory of relativity is the second piece of the research puzzle. A fraudulent ATM could record the answers given and attempt to solve the equation used to encode them, thereby cracking the zero-knowledge proof. The team decided to use multiple devices mimicking ATMs, set up approximately 60 metres from one another. A cardholder inserted their bank card into each one, and then the machines performed zero-knowledge proofs in order to prove the cardholder’s identity. For this process to work, the devices were not allowed to communicate with each other. Otherwise, fraudulent devices could potentially share information to help each other crack the code. However, if they aren’t able to collaborate, then it is similar to an investigator interviewing two witnesses separately—if their testimonials do not match up, then their story is impossible to corroborate, and the devices will be proven fraudulent.

If the devices are prevented from communicating, any potential hijacker would be forced to solve not one, but two, highly complicated equations in order to work back to the zero-knowledge proof. Since that information cannot travel faster than light, the transfer of useful information between devices will be limited, preventing access to the encrypted information.

“What we have demonstrated makes it tremendously closer to being practical in the sense that it has never been demonstrated before,” Crépeau said. “We strongly believe that with […] more important investment [in] equipment of a higher quality […] we can bring [the distance between ATMs] down to a couple metres or maybe even a single metre.”

Combining zero-knowledge proofs with Einstein’s theory of relativity could allow for a more secure method of validating one’s own identity that won’t be threatened by the advancement of quantum computing.

Although still just a proof of concept, the team’s research has the potential to dramatically improve currently vulnerable banking security. The research into the dynamic between information, light, and zero-knowledge proofs could have important implications for the future of personal banking security. 

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