Freshwater ecosystems at risk due to glyphosate use
One of the few species that was found to be resistant to severe glyphosate contamination was Scapholeberis mucronata, a freshwater zooplankter commonly found in Québec and elsewhere in North America. CREDIT: Marie-Pier Hébert
Lighting the way to improved biomaterials
Researchers from McGill University believe that they have found a way to improve the development of biomaterials that could be instrumental in drug delivery, tissue regeneration, nano-optics and nanoelectronics.
Cell structure previously associated with disease actually improves brain function
Researchers at McGill University have shown that a brain cell structure previously thought to be pathological in fact enhances cells’ ability to transmit information and correlates with better learning on certain tasks.
Faecal records show Maya population affected by climate change
A McGill-led study has shown that the size of the Maya population in the lowland city of Itzan (in present-day Guatemala) varied over time in response to climate change. The findings, published recently in Quaternary Science Reviews, show that both droughts and very wet periods led to important population declines.
Songbirds and humans share some common speech patterns
If you listen to songbirds, you will recognize repeated melodies or phrases. Each phrase is made up of distinct sounds, strung together. A study from researchers at McGill University has found that the song phrases of many songbird species follow patterns that are similar to those used in human speech. At least in some respects.
Most rivers run dry - now and then
A new study led by researchers from McGill University and INRAE found that between 51-60% of the 64 million kilometres of rivers and streams on Earth that they investigated stop flowing periodically, or run dry for part of the year. It is the first-ever empirically grounded effort to quantify the global distribution of non-perennial rivers and streams.
Training the next generation of leaders in the responsible use of artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming our world in powerful ways, from improving medical care and changing the retail landscape to enabling convenient features on our smartphones. But as AI increasingly underpins our daily lives, important questions about its application – and potential misuse – will continue to arise.
Six New Canada Research Chairs, and Three Renewals for McGill
Today, at l'Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry announced investments of more than $635 million for science, research, and engineering in Canada.
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.
Zero-carbon energy from sea water a step closer
Researchers at McGill University have demonstrated a technique that could enable the production of robust, high-performance membranes to harness an abundant source of renewable energy.
Blue energy, also known as osmotic energy, capitalizes on the energy naturally released when two solutions of different salinities mix – conditions that occur in countless locations around the world where fresh and salt water meet.
Hidden magma pools pose volcanic eruption risks we can’t yet detect
New research co-authored by McGill Earth and Planetary Science professor John Stix challenges conventional views about scientists' ability to reliably predict volcanic eruptions.
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Sea level rise: rapid and unstoppable unless Paris Agreement targets met
Image Caption: The Mackenzie River Delta on the Beaufort Sea, a low-lying region in the Canadian Arctic that is vulnerable to rising seas in a warming climate. CREDIT: Nadia and Harold Gomez
Fast radio bursts shown to include lower frequency radio waves than previously detected
Since fast radio bursts (FRBs) were first discovered over a decade ago, scientists have puzzled over what could be generating these intense flashes of radio waves from outside of our galaxy. In a gradual process of elimination, the field of possible explanations has narrowed as new pieces of information are gathered about FRBs – how long they last, the frequencies of the radio waves detected, and so on.
Telescopes unite in unprecedented observations of famous black hole
In April 2019, scientists released the first image of a black hole in the galaxy M87 using the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). However, that remarkable achievement was just the beginning of the science story to be told. McGill University astronomers were part of this global effort.
First images of magnetic fields at the edge of black hole in M87 Galaxy
The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration, which includes researchers from McGill University, who produced the first ever image of a black hole, has revealed this week a new view of the massive object at the centre of the M87 galaxy: how it looks in polarized light. This is the first time astronomers have been able to measure polarization, a signature of magnetic fields, this close to the edge of a black hole.