Flying cars? Not so fast
Certain tech companies are promising dazzling futures when it comes to transportation, like Uber’s vision of skies buzzing with helicopter-like flying cars, and Elon Musk’s design for layers upon layers of automobile tunnels below city streets.
Significant reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions still possible
About a quarter of the world’s electricity currently comes from power plants fired by natural gas. These contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions (amounting to 10% of energy-related emissions according to the most recent figures from 2017) and climate change.
Women experiencing intimate partner violence three times more likely to contract HIV
Women who experience recent intimate partner violence (IPV) are three times more likely to contract HIV, according to a new study led by McGill University researchers. In regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, women face an intersecting epidemic of intimate partner violence and HIV.
The other paleo diet: Rare discovery of dinosaur remains preserved with its last meal
Microraptor was an opportunistic predator, feeding on fish, birds, lizards – and now small mammals. The discovery of a rare fossil reveals the creature was a generalist carnivore in the ancient ecosystem of dinosaurs.
Story ideas: Environmental impact of holiday shopping; increasing vaccine uptake in Parc Extension
Circular economy may alleviate environmental impact of holiday shoppingCut-rate deals may be enticing around the holidays, but low prices can come with a high environmental cost. If shoppers don’t make choices wisely, their purchases could end up in the landfill.
Bots with feelings: Study explores how human customers react to AI chatbots with emotions
Artificial intelligence chatbots that show positive feelings — such as adding an “I am excited to do so!” or a few exclamation marks — do not necessarily translate into positive reactions or contribute to higher customer satisfaction, according to a recent study by researchers from the University of South Florida, the Georgia Institute of Technology and McGill University.
Frequent genetic cause of late-onset ataxia uncovered by a Quebec-led international collaboration
Discovery will improve diagnosis and open treatment possibilities for thousands of people with this debilitating neurodegenerative condition worldwideA new study published on Dec. 14, 2022 in the New England Journal of Medicine reports the identification of a previously unknown genetic cause of a late-onset cerebellar ataxia, a discovery that will improve diagnosis and open new treatment avenues for this progressive condition.
The hidden secrets of flowers
To better understand the evolution of flowers, researchers from Montreal are harnessing photogrammetry – a technique commonly used by geographers to reconstruct landscape topography. This is the first time scientists have used the technique to study flowers.
Methane from manholes and historic landfills: significant sources of gas go unrecognized
Cities are responsible for almost 1/5th of the global methane emissions caused by human activities. But most cities don’t capture information about the full range of sources of this powerful greenhouse gas. In 2020, a team led by McGill University, measured methane emissions from various sources across the city of Montreal.
Lottery Tickets Aren’t Child’s Play
Research shows that early childhood gambling experiences, including those with lottery products, can be a risk factor for gambling problems later in life.
Eleven Quebec universities unite for biodiversity
Eleven Quebec universities have joined forces and signed the Nature Positive Pledge, becoming founding members of an international movement that includes 117 universities worldwide.
Enhancing and protecting Canada's carbon stocks is essential but insufficient to meet GHG emission targets: expert panel report
Enhancing carbon storage in natural ecosystems could put a small but significant dent in Canada’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but an aggressive commitment to reducing human-caused emissions remains critically important, according to a new expert panel report from the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA), co-authored by McGill Professor Gail L. Chmura in the Department of Geography.
What AI-generated COVID news tells us that journalists don’t
AI can help identify biases in news reporting that we wouldn't otherwise see. Researchers from McGill University got a computer program to generate news coverage of COVID-19 using headlines from CBC articles as prompts. They then compared the simulated news coverage to the actual reporting at the time and found that CBC coverage was less focused on the medical emergency and more positively focused on personalities and geo-politics.
Cindy Blackstock Awarded SSHRC’s highest honour
Today, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced the five winners of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council’s (SSHRC) 2022 Impact Awards.
