In 1957, the boundaries between Earth and space were first breached: The USSR launched the satellite Sputnik into space, marking the first contact between humans and our galaxy, setting off the aptly named space race between the Soviet Union and the U.S. Even after icy international relations began to thaw[Read More…]
Ask a Scientist
Could invasive species biologists bring their expertise to NASA?
In February of 2021, NASA’s Perseverance rover landed on Mars. Perseverance was the fifth rover that the space agency sent to the planet, but it had a unique purpose. The rover conducted the first mission to Mars designed to collect samples to be brought back to Earth, where they would[Read More…]
Get excited about endophytes
In the world of industrial production, there is often one resource that goes forgotten—microbes. Microbes are everywhere and have adapted to almost every environment, from the inside of nuclear reactors to the outside of the International Space Station. When thinking of natural interactions with microbes, we often think of disease,[Read More…]
Exploring the beneficial applications of virtual reality
Facebook recently announced that it would be rebranding itself as Meta. It will become the parent company of its social media platforms—Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram—and will roll out new ways of experiencing these platforms. Facebook also explained that it would be focussing on developing virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality[Read More…]
Dr. Lucy Gilbert honoured among Top 25 Women of Influence
Women’s achievements and contributions to medical science have long been overlooked. To combat this prejudice and recognize their accomplishments across all disciplines, the annual Top 25 Women of Influence awards highlight Canadian women who have inspired positive change in their field of work. This year, Dr. Lucy Gilbert, a professor[Read More…]
Discussing the necessity of positive rhetoric on climate change
On Sept. 16, the Trottier Institute for Sustainability in Engineering and Design held its seventh annual symposium titled “Lessons from a Pandemic: Solutions for Addressing the Climate Change Crisis.” The first speaker, Dr. Naomi Oreskes, an affiliated professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University, discussed why people should[Read More…]
Facing the back-to-school blues
Stress levels of university students have peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether these students return to campus or continue their studies remotely, that stress is unlikely to dissipate. In a recent survey, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 62.9 per cent of individuals aged 18-24 disclosed[Read More…]
COVID-19 prompts rise in digital health services
The COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the globe is drastically changing the ways in which people approach work, play, education, and, of course, healthcare. In light of the outbreak, routine checkups have begun to shift online to relieve overcrowded hospitals and reduce opportunities for infection. This style of remote healthcare—termed telehealth or[Read More…]
In conversation with Laura Pavelka
International Women’s Day on March 8 recognizes the accomplishments of women in various fields all over the world. The International Women’s Day website describes the day as an opportunity to “[celebrate] the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.” While all of these are important pursuits that should be[Read More…]
The causes and symptoms of allergies
Allergies always seemed so simple: Here’s a list of foods and environmental factors that you should avoid, since your body treats them like enemies. Dr. Christine McCusker, an associate professor in the Faculty of Medicine at McGill, is the Director of the Division of Allergy & Immunology at the Montreal[Read More…]
