Not so sweet after all: are candy-striped spiders a threat to ecosystems across North America?

For years, pollinator declines have been a pressing issue for ecosystem health and food security in the face of climate change and human impacts on the environment. Even in their sleep, pollinating insects cannot catch a break – for fear they’ll be taken down by a small, but mighty predator: the candy-striped spider.

Reducing fatigue and errors among nurses working night shifts

Nurses exposed to 40 minutes of bright light before their night shifts feel less fatigued and make fewer errors at work, according to a study led by McGill University. The nurses also slept better after their shifts.

Meet the first global cohort of McCall MacBain Scholars

Thirty students from 10 countries will form the first global cohort of McCall MacBain Scholars at McGill University, arriving in September 2023.

Designed to encourage purposeful leadership, the scholarships are the result of a landmark $200 million gift in 2019 by John and Marcy McCall MacBain, the second-largest single donation in Canadian history.

Tastes differ – even among North Atlantic killer whales

Killer whales (also known as orcas) are intelligent predators. While it’s known that killer whales in the Pacific Northwest exploit widely different food types, even within the same region, we know much less about the feeding habits of those found throughout the North Atlantic.

How different were galaxies in the early universe?

An array of 350 radio telescopes in the Karoo desert of South Africa is getting closer to detecting the “cosmic dawn” — the era after the Big Bang when stars first ignited and galaxies began to bloom.

Cutting down on social media to improve teens and young adults’ body image  

Teens in North America are spending several hours per day on screens, and there’s growing concern over how social media may affect their mental health.

What areas should Canada protect to save species at risk of extinction? 

At the recent COP 15 conference in Montreal, Canada committed to protecting 30% of its land by 2030, but which areas are most crucial to protect for at-risk species such as the spotted turtles?

From sex education to online misinformation

McGill University is pleased to announce the winners and runners-up of the 2023 Principal’s Prize for Public Engagement through Media. The Prize was created to recognize outstanding achievement among those who share their knowledge on a vast range of subjects with the public and the media.

Does immigration really increase crime?

Many people who oppose immigration say that it increases crime. But does immigration really affect crime? Studying a country whose proportion of migrants has tripled in less than ten years, researchers find immigration significantly impacts people’s perceptions of crime but has no effect on actual crime.

How the brain's 'internal compass' works

Scientists have gained new insights into the part of the brain that gives us a sense of direction, by tracking neural activity with the latest advances in brain imaging techniques. The findings shed light on how the brain orients itself in changing environments – and even the processes that can go wrong with degenerative diseases like dementia, that leave people feeling lost and confused.

Towards reducing biodiversity loss in fragmented habitats

When natural habitats are cleared to make way for cities, roads and agriculture, this often leaves behind “islands” of fragmented habitat that can place species at risk of extinction. Species are at risk when they find it hard to move among habitat patches to find resources and reproduce.

Fresh produce contaminated with toxic BPA-like chemicals found in food labels, study finds

Steps were taken in Canada to reduce the use of Bisphenol A (BPA), a toxic chemical linked to prostate and breast cancer, commonly found in plastics, the lining of food cans, water bottles, and paper receipts. But in many cases, it has been replaced with similar hormone disrupting chemicals, like Bisphenol S (BPS).

The first known visual acuity chart in Inuktitut, Cree, and Ojibwe

A large majority of Nunavik Inuit report Inuktitut as their first language. In their work in Puvirnituq, McGill University ophthalmologist Dr. Christian El-Hadad and his colleague Shaan Bhambra, a recent graduate of McGill’s medical school, noticed that many patients either read only, or mainly, Inuktitut. This made visual acuity testing using the standard Latin alphabet chart difficult for some patients.

Teaching hope during the climate crisis

Headlines about severe climate events can make the future seem bleak.

Genes shed light on why men and women experience different depression symptoms

Depression is widely reported to be more common in women than in men, with women twice as likely to receive a diagnosis than men.