Researchers warn of risks posed by ‘contaminants of emerging concern’ found in crops, agricultural soil

A new international study offers insights into the health risks posed by crops’ absorption of “contaminants of emerging concern” (CECs) and flags knowledge gaps the authors say must be addressed.

Humans share acoustic preferences with other animals, study shows

A McGill University-led study has found that humans share acoustic preferences with other species, at least when it comes to animal calls. The results provide experimental evidence that shared sensory processing mechanisms may shape aesthetic judgments of sound.

Study shows how tree cover shapes freshwater ecosystems over millennia

Researchers at McGill University used 2,000-year-old stone jars in Laos to observe long-term ecological processes, enhancing understanding of how strongly tree cover shapes small freshwater ecosystems. Their findings stand to help scientists predict how freshwater habitats will respond to environmental change, the researchers said.

Findings of McGill study could lead to new longevity therapies and improved fall prevention

A new McGill University study has found a direct link between age‑related declines in neuron activity in the cerebellum and worsening motor skills, including gait, balance and agility. While it is well known that these abilities diminish with age, this is the first research to pinpoint how changes in Purkinje cells – a key type of cerebellar neuron – drive this decline and translate into measurable changes in behaviour and physical function.

Plants retain a ‘genetic memory’ of past population crashes, study shows

Researchers at McGill University and the United States Forest Service have found that plants living in areas where human activity has caused population crashes carry long-lasting genetic traces of that history, such as reduced genetic diversity.

People can learn to reject unfair advantages, even when it costs them

A new study co-authored by McGill University researchers suggests people can be taught to reject unfair advantages.

Freshwater browning threatens growth and populations of economically important fish, McGill researchers say

Freshwater browning is stunting fish growth of some species, shrinking populations of others and changing the composition of fish communities, McGill-led research suggests. “Browning” refers to freshwater bodies turning tea-coloured, a phenomenon driven by higher levels of dissolved organic matter and/or higher levels of iron in the water. Causes include changes in land use and climate, and reduced acid precipitation.

McGill researchers develop a cheaper, safer material for use in solar panels, sensors and optical devices

Using proteins from a common tobacco plant virus, McGill chemistry researchers have developed a simple, eco-friendly way to arrange gold nanoparticles into ultrathin sheets, strengthening the particles’ optical properties. The result: cheaper, safer materials for solar panels, sensors and advanced optical devices. 

Exoplanet is observed shedding its atmosphere in real time

Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a team led by McGill researcher Vigneshwaran Krishnamurthy has observed a giant cloud of helium gas evaporating from a distant giant exoplanet called WASP-107b.

Bringing environmental policymakers together to focus on the future sparks empathy for nature and later generations, McGill study finds

When environmental policymakers are invited to imagine the future together, they don’t just think differently, they feel differently, too.

McGill researchers track boulders’ influence on snow melt, watersheds using unique combination of methods

Thanks to their use of a unique methodology, a McGill-led research team has obtained new insights into how boulders affect snow melt in mountainous northern environments, with implications for local water resources.  

The team found that snow near boulders melts faster, not only because rocks radiate heat, but also due to subtle processes that reshape the snow’s surface. This information will help researchers understand how small-scale processes affect downstream water resources. 

Climate change could result in contaminant spread in the High Arctic, McGill study finds

Warming temperatures and increased precipitation in the Canadian High Arctic are mobilizing new pathways for subsurface contaminants to spread from more than 2,500 contaminated sites associated with industrial and military sites across the region.

Ancient mammoth tooth offers clues about Ice Age life in northeastern Canada

A worn-down mammoth tooth discovered nearly 150 years ago on an island in Nunavut offers new insights into where and how the Ice Age giants lived and died.

Experts: Social prescribing

As part of a new partnership with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (MSO), member doctors of Médecins francophones du Canada can now prescribe tickets to live performances.  

Experts: Hurricane Melissa

Hurricane Melissa, now a Category Five tropical cyclone, has made landfall in Jamaica. It is the strongest storm to hit the island country in at least 150 years and the most powerful recorded anywhere in 2025. It has caused severe flooding and mass evacuations across Jamaica and along the storm’s projected path, which includes Cuba and the Bahamas. 

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