India is the world’s second-most populous country and home to one of the fastest-growing world economies. Much of this economic growth results from the burgeoning health services industry. And yet, India is experiencing a health care dilemma, with a growing disparity in care and resources between the country’s rural and[Read More…]
ABCs of Science
Social chatbots are abetting the loneliness epidemic
Isolation. Anxiety. Depression. The loneliness epidemic rages onward even as the era of lockdowns is mostly behind us. Around 33 per cent of adults worldwide report often feeling lonely, with research showing that social isolation is correlated with greater physical and mental health risks, including heart disease, weakened immune system,[Read More…]
How STEM’s leaky pipeline persists at McGill
At the end of this semester, I will have completed half of my neuroscience undergraduate degree at McGill, and the number of women professors in my science courses so far is slightly alarming. Out of the 22 professors that I have had spanning disciplines like neuroscience, biology, mathematics, physiology, and[Read More…]
Tribune Explains: 3D Printing
Three-dimensional printing (3D printing) feels like one of those buzzwords we heard all the time growing up; we were told that it would be revolutionary and change the world. But, in 2022, the media’s excitement has nearly disappeared. Surprisingly though, the 3D printing market is booming. In 2021, it was[Read More…]
Picture this: The illustrious world of medical illustration
Before writing was used as a means for communication, ancient civilizations relied on pictorial representations of objects, which included visual representations of medical concepts. Medical illustrations date back to 15,000 BCE, and have continued to evolve over time. Over the course of many millennia, advancements in art and technology have[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…]
How peppers both produce and prevent pain
Scorching heat, exasperated breathing, and trickles of sweat aren’t necessarily the result of a lengthy stay in a sauna or running on a hot day. They can instead result from a bite of spicy food. The chemical capsaicin causes the spicy sensation that some hate and others love. This compound[Read More…]
What’s under the hood? The ins and outs of your laptop
When most people think about computers, only a couple of images come to mind: A laptop or a desktop with internet-browsing capabilities. However, a computer is much more than a tool for browsing Facebook feeds or doing school work. A computer is an information processor. It takes in raw information[Read More…]
La vie en jaune: Preventing damage caused by blue light
Midterm season is approaching, and with it, many hours of studying. After long periods of staring at a laptop screen, eye strain can break focus levels. Two factors cause this deterioration in focus: Intense concentration on an object within close proximity of our eyes, and the ‘glare’ of the blue[Read More…]
When is the best time to get sick?
Catching a cold in the morning or at night can make a big difference. A new study from the McGill University and the Douglas Department of Health Institute suggests that the severity of an infection might vary significantly depending on the time of day we contract a pathogen—an agent causing disease[Read More…]
