Curiosity Delivers.

Research Briefs

Research Briefs

From skin cells to brain cells: McGill researchers generate a cell critical to Alzheimer’s research

Researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (MNI) of McGill University have recently discovered a method for transforming patients’ skin cells into a type of brain cell critical for understanding and treating neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. According to the McGill Newsroom, the artificial cells are “virtually indistinguishable from human-derived microglia.” Postdoctoral fellow Luke… Keep Reading

Research Briefs

How invasive species change more than just ecosystems

An invasive species can be any kind of living organism—bacteria, fungi, plants, insects, fish, or even the organisms’ eggs—that has no evolutionary history in a particular region, but is able to establish a self-sustaining, reproducing population. Given that there are no natural mechanisms that control their influence over an ecosystem, invasive species often disrupt them, increasing… Keep Reading

Research Briefs

Research briefs: pictures of proteins, rape culture, and Reddit

First ever picture of a protein The study of proteins has always been essential to understanding diseases. Proteins, which are the little worker bees of the human body are responsible for cleaning out debris, transporting vitamins and nutrients, and even fighting off foreign invaders. Because the function of an individual protein is largely dependent on its structure,… Keep Reading

Research Briefs

Research briefs: Thanksgiving weekend

Pumpkin and mammoth pies Americans who celebrated Thanksgiving last weekend have mastodons and mammoths to thank for the pumpkin pie on the table. In a study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, researchers established a link between the extinction of Pleistocene megafauna—mastodons, mammoths, giant sloths, and others—and the existence… Keep Reading

Research Briefs

This week in space

Throughout history, blood moons have been associated with bad omens. In Chinese tradition, a blood moon foreshadowed famine or disease. Mesopotamians believed that a lunar eclipse resulted from attacks by demons. But on Sept. 27, from 10:11 p.m. to 10:37 p.m., when the moon turned red, there were no famines or attacks. Beautiful and eerie,… Keep Reading

Research Briefs

Summer research briefs: Brain power

Molding memories Some people find it hard to remember what they had for lunch yesterday, while others can remember every detail of the house they grew up in. Understanding how memories are retained and recalled has always intrigued researchers, especially when seeking therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. Researchers speculate that the lifespan of the… Keep Reading

Research Briefs

Research Briefs—Mar. 10, 2015

  Working out boosts grey matter A recent study of adult twins has shown that an exercise routine can do more than just burn fat. Researchers from the University of Jyväskylä in Finland analyzed data from 10 pairs of adult male twins who had grown up playing the same sports, but in recent years had… Keep Reading

Research Briefs

Research Briefs—Feb. 24, 2015

Giving the finger The notion that there exists a correlation between the length of a person’s finger and their amicability may seem strange. However, researchers from McGill University are showing exactly that—but only in men. Scientists, by comparing the length of the index second finger (2D) to the fourth finger (4D), have created a reproducible… Keep Reading

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Research Briefs—Feb. 17, 2015

  #engaged Charting into unprecedented territory, relationships are now using digital platforms to display signs of love and appreciation. A study from Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of Interactive Computing will be presented at California’s iConference in March. Entitled She Said Yes! Liminality and Engagement Announcements on Twitter, the study focused on Twitter feeds following… Keep Reading

Research Briefs

Research Briefs—Jan. 27, 2015

Is being bilingual better? A 2011 census of Canada revealed Montreal to have the highest rate of bilinguals in the country. While this figure may not come as a surprise to many, it does make Montreal the ideal candidate for demonstrating the ‘bilingual advantage.’   Evidence has shown that raising a child in a multilingual… Keep Reading

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