Research findings challenge long-held assumptions about how we learn or regain speech

Learning to speak a new language, or regaining speech, depends more on areas of the brain that process sound and physical sensation than on the parts of the brain that govern motor control, according to new research findings. 

The study, by researchers at McGill University and the Yale School of Medicine, has implications for speech-learning theory and for the development of speech processing and recognition technologies. 

Novel origami pattern turns flat sheets into load-bearing 3D technology

McGill University researchers have discovered a new way to fold flat sheets into smooth, curved shells that can switch from floppy and flexible to stiff and load-bearing on demand. By designing a special origami pattern and threading cable-like elements through it, they can control the material’s final three-dimensional shape and how rigid it becomes.

Historic plant collections offer a window into genetic change

Pressed plant specimens collected centuries ago and stored in herbaria around the world could play a key role in facilitating the tracking of genetic change and extinction risk in plants, a McGill University-led study indicates.

Study finds early complex life lived in oxygenated seas, challenging long‑held views of evolution

The earliest known eukaryotes, the ancestors of all complex life on Earth, lived in oxygenated, shallow marine environments nearly 1.7 billion years ago, according to a new study led by researchers at McGill University and the University of California, Santa Barbara. The findings cast doubt on the long-held belief that early complex life emerged in oxygen-poor environments or floated freely in the open ocean.

Teaching children to be better, more critical internet users

A digital literacy program for elementary school students designed by researchers at McGill University was successful in improving students’ ability to evaluate websites and their content.

Skills targeted included how to search for information, how to identify credible websites, how to evaluate the quality of information sources and how to address conflicting information.

McGill Nursing students providing care for homeless and at-risk Montrealers

According to a 2015 census, there are just over 3,000 homeless people living in Montreal. This number does not account for those who are dealing with hidden homelessness, such as temporarily living with friends or family or other short-term accommodation.

In addition to the many challenges and stresses of homelessness—such as meeting immediate survival needs for food, water, clothing and shelter from the elements—taking care of health needs might seem insurmountable.