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Astronomy / Space Science - Campus - 09.06.2021

Over 500 new FRBs detected in single year due to CHIME telescope
Fast radio bursts, or FRBs, blaze for a few milliseconds before vanishing without a trace. Their origins are unknown, and their appearance is unpredictable. In the decade following their discovery in 2007, only 140 FRBs had been seen. Now, thanks to the launch of a large stationary telescope in the interior of British Columbia in 2018, the number of new FRBs detected has almost quadrupled - for a total of 535.

Physics - Campus - 07.06.2021

’Surfing’ particles: Physicists solve a mystery surrounding aurora borealis
The spectacularly colorful aurora borealis — or northern lights — that fill s the sky in high-latitude regions ha s fascinated people for thousands of years. Now, a team of scientists has resolved one of the final mysteries surrounding its origin. Scientists know that electrons and other energized particles that emanate from the sun as part of the "solar wind" speed down Earth's magnetic field lines and into the upper atmosphere, where they collide with oxygen and nitrogen molecules, kicking them into an excited state.

Health - Campus - 04.06.2021

Vitamin D may not protect against COVID-19, as previously suggested
While previous research early in the pandemic suggested that vitamin D cuts the risk of contracting COVID-19, a new study from McGill University finds there is no genetic evidence that the vitamin works as a protective measure against the coronavirus. "Vitamin D supplementation as a public health measure to improve outcomes is not supported by this study.

Life Sciences - Campus - 02.06.2021

Synthetic SPECIES Developed for Use as a Confinable Gene Drive
Researchers create novel CRISPR-based fly species as a new method of controlling gene drive spread CRISPR-based technologies offer enormous potential to benefit human health and safety, from disease eradication to fortified food supplies. As one example, CRISPR-based gene drives, which are engineered to spread specific traits through targeted populations, are being developed to stop the transmission of devastating diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.

Campus - 01.06.2021

Early bird or night owl? Study links shift worker sleep to ’chronotype’
Getting enough sleep can be a real challenge for shift workers affecting their overall health. But what role does being an early bird or night owl play in getting good rest? Researchers from McGill University find a link between chronotype and amount of sleep shift workers can get with their irregular schedules.

Earth Sciences - Campus - 31.05.2021

Hidden magma pools pose eruption risks that we can’t yet detect
Scientists' ability to estimate eruption risks is largely reliant on knowing where pools of magma are stored, deep in the Earth's crust. But what happens if the magma can't be spotted? Shane Rooyakkers , a former PhD candidate at McGill University's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and now a postdoctoral scholar at GNS Science in New Zealand, grew up in the shadow of Mount Taranaki on the country's North Island, hiking on the island's many volcanoes.

Environment - Campus - 31.05.2021

The secret lives of Canada lynx
Using a Fitbit and a spy mic, scientists have discovered new insight into the behaviour of the elusive Canada lynx. A new study by researchers from McGill University, University of Alberta, and Trent University provides a first look at how miniaturized technology can open the door to remote wildlife monitoring.

Campus - Pedagogy - 28.05.2021

National study of high school students’ digital skills paints worrying portrait, Stanford researchers say
Researchers charged 3,446 American students with vetting news stories and other digital content. Students tried, mostly in vain, to find truth. A new national study by Stanford researchers showing a woeful inability by high schoolers to detect fake news on the internet suggests an urgent need for schools to integrate new tools and curriculum into classrooms that boost students' digital skills, the study's authors say.

Pedagogy - Campus - 28.05.2021

Extra classroom time may do little to help pupils recover lost learning after COVID-19
Adding extra classroom time to the school day may only result in marginal gains for pupils who have lost learning during the COVID pandemic, a study says. Simply keeping all students in school for longer, in order to do more maths or more English, probably won't improve results much Vaughan Connolly The University of Cambridge analysis used five years of Government data, collected from more than 2,800 schools in England, to estimate the likely impact of additional classroom instruction on academic progress, as measured at GCSE.

Campus - Health - 27.05.2021

Exoskeleton designed by Queen’s researchers that improves walking efficiency is the subject of a new study featured in the leading academic journal Science
News Release - Exoskeleton designed by Queen's researchers that improves walking efficiency is the subject of a new study featured in the leading academic journal Science Thursday, May 27, 2021 For immediate release May 27, 2021 - The science of walking is taking its next big step with the aid of a unique exoskeleton that allows users to walk further while using less energy.

Life Sciences - Campus - 25.05.2021

Algorithm to compare cells across species
Researchers created an algorithm to identify similar cell types from species - including fish, mice, flatworms and sponges - that have diverged for hundreds of millions of years, which could help fill in gaps in our understanding of evolution. Cells are the building blocks of life, present in every living organism.

Physics - Campus - 25.05.2021

Odd angles make for strong spin-spin coupling
Rice physicists' RAMBO reveals magnetic phenomenon useful for quantum simulation and sensing Sometimes things are a little out of whack, and it turns out to be exactly what you need. That was the case when orthoferrite crystals turned up at a Rice University laboratory slightly misaligned. Those crystals inadvertently became the basis of a discovery that should resonate with researchers studying spintronics -based quantum technology.

Research Management - Campus - 21.05.2021

A New Replication Crisis: Research that is Less Likely to be True is Cited More
Papers that cannot be replicated are cited 153 times more because their findings are interesting, according to a new UC San Diego study Papers in leading psychology, economic and science journals that fail to replicate and therefore are less likely to be true are often the most cited papers in academic research, according to a new study by the University of California San Diego's Rady School of Management.

Campus - Earth Sciences - 21.05.2021

Clues from soured milk reveal how gold veins form
For decades scientists have been puzzled by the formation of rare hyper-enriched gold deposits in places like Ballarat in Australia, Serra Palada in Brazil, and Red Lake in Ontario. While such deposits typically form over tens to hundreds of thousands of years, these "ultrahigh-grade" deposits can form in years, month, or even days.

Social Sciences - Campus - 20.05.2021

Physical activity may help to close the wealth gap in school attainment by improving self-control
Guaranteeing every child the opportunity to participate in certain types of physical activity could support their academic attainment and help to close the achievement gap between wealthy and less-advantaged pupils, new research indicates. In the context of COVID in particular, there may be a real temptation to encourage schools to maximise classroom time to stop children falling behind.

Environment - Campus - 18.05.2021

’Stressed out’ corals thriving thanks to mangroves
Tropical coral reefs are the most biodiverse underwater ecosystem, providing a home to more than a quarter of all marine species. No strangers to environmental stressors and the on-going impacts of climate change, the survival of corals has increasingly been under threat in recent years. A collective of researchers, including from McGill University, have analyzed how environmental factors influence the growth and health of corals and found that more species of corals are living in the mangrove forests than in nearby shallow reefs.

Campus - Environment - 06.05.2021

PCB contamination in Icelandic orcas: a matter of diet
Accurate forecasting of health risks to killer whale populations may depend on looking at individual variations in their diet Image caption: These killer whales may appear healthy, but a new study has found extremely high levels of PCB contamination in some of the whales. There was a 300-fold difference between the levels of PCBs among the most contaminated orcas compared to the least contaminated ones.

Campus - 28.04.2021

How gender bias impacts college career guidance-and dissuades women from certain jobs
Women are twice as likely to receive unprompted info on work-life balance, study finds With job recruiting season in full swing, college students are busy seeking out business professionals who can help them explore potential career choices. As the candidates expand their networks, these informal exchanges can alter career expectations and choices.

Health - Campus - 26.04.2021

Pandemic creates extra challenges for international exchange
Monday, April 26, 2021 — Within the academic world, international exchange students and researchers have been particularly affected by the pandemic. In an opinion article in the journal Ethnobiology and Conservation, Farid Dahdouh-Guebas of the Biology Department of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Ina Vandebroek of the New York Botanical Garden defend this group and propose some solutions.

Campus - 22.04.2021

New algorithm reveals birdsong features that may be key for courtship
Researchers from McGill University and the University of California, San Francisco have developed a new algorithm capable of identifying features of male zebra finch songs that may underlie the distinction between a short phrase sung during courtship, and the same phrase sung in a non-courtship context.