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GPS puts our brains on autopilot and that could be shrinking our grey matter
“In the past we may never have had to go on autopilot. With GPS, you might have even less of a reason to pull out that cognitive map. The hippocampus may be lacking this requirement to work for decades when you only use it once in a while.” Véronique Bohbot, neuroscientist at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute and an associate professor at McGill University. ...
Why the grey jay soared to victory as Canada's would-be national bird
Op-ed by David M. Bird, Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of Wildlife Biology, McGill University, and Leader of Team Gray Jay. Read more: Montreal Gazette
Marketplace tests today's weed
Dr. Mark Ware, an associate professor of family medicine and anesthesia at McGill University, who is serving as vice-chair of the federal task force on the legalization and regulation of marijuana, says there's some suggestion that cannabis has been bred to boost THC levels and push down CBD levels. Read more: CBC News
Who’s top monkey? How social status affects immune health
“There's really a lot of plasticity in the way the cells are responding to infection that is directly controlled by social status,” says study co-author Luis Barreiro of McGill University. Read more: Scientific American
Opinion: Canada's private dental care system fails the most vulnerable
Op-Ed by Paul Allison, dean of the Faculty of Dentistry at McGill University and president of the Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry. He will be speaking on this topic, along with a panel of experts, at a public event on Thursday, Nov. 24 at 6:15 p.m. the Omni Hotel, 1050 Sherbrooke St. W. Free admission....
Part of your ear is hundreds of millions of years old
The brain then sends signals to eyes and muscles to help us move around and orient ourselves without falling over. But a new study by Dr. Kathleen Cullen, who did her research at McGill University in Montreal, has found that these two channels transmit that information in very different ways. One is very slow and smooth, while the other is fast and precise. ...
Missing lynx no more: Researchers learn of Yukon animals' epic journey
"It was the end, or around, mating season so we're not sure if that anything to do with it, or if they were just, 'see you later, Canada, we're going to a better place,' or a different place — we're not sure." Alysson Menzies, researcher at McGill. Read more: CBC News
Trump win sparks flurry of American interest in Canadian universities
"We've faced elections, we've faced currency devaluations and earthquakes and wars. There's a lot of world events that can have an impact on the number of applications. But admissions requirements stay the same." Kim Bartlett, director of admissions. Read more: CTV News
In the Trump era, Canada can be a beacon for innovators
Innovation is less about technology than it is about people and institutions. This is the good news for Canada in the wake of Donald Trump’s election. As the United States becomes less welcoming and tolerant, Canada can use the election outcome to escape the innovation morass into which it has fallen. History teaches us that building tolerant places where people and views collide and combine – backed by smart public policy – lies at the heart of innovation....
Study yields surprising insights about people found not criminally responsible of crimes
“A lot of what the general public, decision- and policy-makers know about mentally ill persons in conflict with the law is through popular media portrayals. Whether it be the news, TV shows, or movies which are often sensationalistic. We know from research that individuals with mental illness are generally more likely to be victims of violence rather than perpetrators of violence.” Dr....
‘Arrival’ raises profile of linguists, making them almost cool
“A lot of people don’t know what linguists do, or even that we exist, apart from some idea that we just translate lots of languages.” Jessica Coon, associate professor of linguistics who consulted on the film. Read more: The Washington Post
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Canadians differ from Trump on view of public health care, poll shows
Antonia Maioni, a political-science professor at McGill University who has written extensively about health care, said Wednesday that she and her colleagues recently conducted their own poll about Canadian and American attitudes on health care. It found that there is much more polarization in the U.S. than in Canada around the issue of public funding....
Leonard Cohen has died, but he hasn't gone anywhere
Op-Ed by Andrew Potter, director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada. Read more: Montreal Gazette
How to restore your faith in democracy
In dark times, it’s tempting to give up on politics. The philosopher Charles Taylor explains why we shouldn’t. Read more: The New Yorker
What President Donald Trump will mean for Canada
Catherine Potvin, a biology professor and climate change expert at McGill University, said her biggest worry is that Trump will reverse many of the green initiatives launched under President Barack Obama, and that it will have a direct impact on Canada. “Because the Congress is largely Republican, I think it’s pretty bad news for the climate,” she said....