Staff

(McGill's Dan Levitin): Tom was one of those people we all have in our lives -- someone to go out to lunch with in a large group, but not someone I ever spent time with one-on-one. We had some classes together in college and even worked in the same cognitive psychology lab for a while. But I didn't really know him. Even so, when I heard that he had brain cancer that would kill him in four months, it stopped me cold…

(Chris Barrington-Leigh, economist at McGill University’s Institute for Health and Social Policy): Over the last 25 years, Quebec has gone from by far the least happy province in Canada to one of the most content places on the planet. What happened?

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(Antonia Maioni, Associate professor of political science at McGill University):  Most of North America counts down to New Year's through images from Times Square in New York. For most Quebeckers, however, the holiday tradition is an annual Bye-Bye comedy revue. From Bye-bye Jean Charest to Bonjour Charbonneau commission, 2012 served up plenty of political fodder. The new year in Quebec promises to be just as interesting. Here are five things to watch for.

(Desautels' Karl Moore): No regrets, none at all. Over the last couple of years I have read a number of retiring CEOs asked by various newspapers whether they have had any regrets, all that I read said they had no regrets.  My initial reaction was to roll my eyes; I found this a bit much because in my career, I have and have had many regrets.

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(Joe Schwarcz): It was back in 1961 that I had dinner with the Montreal Canadiens. Well, not exactly with them. But I did eat in the old Texan restaurant across the street from the hallowed Forum, at the same time that my boyhood idols, “Boom Boom” Geoffrion, Jean Béliveau, Dickie Moore, Bill Hicke (my favourite), Jacques Plante and the rest of that legendary team were digging into their pregame meal. And I vividly remember what they were digging into. Steak! That was standard fare for athletes at the time. The more protein, the better the prospects for butt kicking.

It may seem bizarre that Canada has a maple syrup cartel at all. But think of it this way: Quebec, which produces about 77% of the world’s maple syrup, is the Saudi Arabia of the sweet, sticky stuff, and the FPAQ is its OPEC. The stated goal of the cartel, in this case, is keeping prices relatively stable. The problem with maple syrup is that the natural supply of it varies dramatically from year to year. “It’s highly dependent on the weather,” explains Pascal Theriault, an agricultural economist at the McGill University in Montreal.

Parents of hyped-up, candy-fuelled kids, brace yourselves: There is no such thing as a sugar high... Hyperactive behaviour is more likely attributable to excitement around the activities that typically come with extra treats – such as holidays and birthdays, says Katherine Gray-Donald, an associate professor of dietetics and nutrition at McGill University, and president of the Canadian Nutrition Society.

It's hardly a secret that Barack Obama, like every president no doubt, muses about his ultimate legacy and spot in the presidential pantheon. He approaches his second term confronting tough and shifting challenges that will play big roles in shaping the rest of his presidency and his eventual place in history… "Americans are yearning for leadership," said Gil Troy, a presidential scholar at McGill University.

With a new planet-wide analysis of vertebrate life, an international team has used 21st century science to update an iconic 1876 map of Earth’s zoological regions. By incorporating data on 21,037 species of mammals, birds and amphibians, Jean-Philippe Lessard, now at McGill University in Montreal, and his colleagues have revised a zoological map created by Alfred Russel Wallace, an oft-overlooked cofounder of the theory of evolution. Wallace’s map divided Earth’s landmasses into six major regions, each with its own distinctive blend of vertebrates.

The Schulich School of Music has talented graduates and talented professors. Richard King is up for his 10, 11 and 12th Grammy Award. Christine Long reports.

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