Featuring the Articles and Artworks of this year’s contributors The 2025-2026 The Abstract Editorial Team is pleased to present our … More
Category: j – Other
The first-ever ‘The Abstract’ Magazine! – Fall Edition (Part 1)
Featuring the Articles and Artworks of this year’s contributors The 2025-2026 The Abstract Editorial Team is pleased to present our … More
Standing on the shoulders of giants – progress has never been achieved alone: How interdisciplinary, collaborative projects lead to scientific and artistic growth
By The Abstract Editors: Kiarah Geertsema, Natalie Co, and Adele Lopes, in partnership with McGill’s Office of Science Education.
Ten interviews with Building 21 scholars at the Undergraduate Science Showcase.
AI spy with my little eye: The future role of artificial intelligence in medical diagnostics
Many healthcare workers are afraid of being replaced by AI in the workforce–but as far as we know, there’s no reason for medical practitioners to worry.
Diving into winter: The effects of cold water immersion
The thought of going for a swim may seem crazy as winter approaches, but for some, the dropping temperatures indicate the start of polar plunge season. A quick dip in the frigid Canadian waters sends a shock through the body–but upon returning to shore, this is replaced by a sweeping refreshing sense of calm. Is this activity, seen as reckless by some, actually beneficial to one’s physical or mental health.
Can animals think about thinking?
An overview of metacognitive studies in non-human animals. This may make you feel guilty about killing that insect crawling on your wall at 1A.M.…
An Investigation on our love for blackboards
By: Mathilde Papillon The blackboard. This archaic teaching tool is in practically every single class of any science student. It … More
Floorball
(image: wikimedia commons) What a new form of hockey can contribute to skill development for our national sport Joshua Shapiro … More
Wine and cheese tips for the socially awkward
Pretty much every department at McGill hosts at least one wine and cheese night. These events are a great … More
A silver (or mother-of-pearl) lining
Located in a coastal region at the southern tip of Ross Island – a scant 1,360 km north of the … More
[Photo] The Borexino Experiment
“BOREXino” refers to an experiment performed by an international collaboration centered on solar neutrino physics. Neutrinos are released in radioactive … More
[Photo] Bikini (Atoll)
What do a popular bathing suit style and a nuclear testing site have in common? Their name. Fun fact: “Bikini” … More
[Photo] What does a social network look like?
Jeffrey Heer and Danah Boyd are co-founders of the powerful program Vizster, a software which allows users to visualize online social networks in clean, … More
Infinity Series I: Finite area with infinite perimeter
This is the first entry of the “Infinity Series”, which will introduce you to the peculiar world of infinity. Today, … More
[Photo] An augmented reality sandbox
The Augmented Reality (AR) Sandbox was created by the joint forces of the Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) of the University … More
Sergeant scientist: McGill’s role in military research
McGill has a long and fascinating history of pseudo-military research: for example, the CIA conducted extremely damaging experiments on depatterning … More
Apartment Hunting 101
It’s the time of the year again when we begin to consider whether we should stay at our current place … More
[Photo] Tongariro Crossing, aka Mt. Doom
Tongariro Alpine Crossing is located in Tongariro National Park – New Zealand’s oldest national park and a dual cultural and … More
[Photo] Glowing catsharks: Biofluorescence at work
Anyone who has heard of GFP should know that some marine organisms – such as corals and jellyfish – can … More
From fly sex to lizard saliva: Why we must fund all scientific research
It is vital that we recognize the value of pushing the frontiers of knowledge, even in the most unlikely of … More
[Photo] Your next hiking trip: Paria Canyon
The Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness is a wilderness area created by the United States Congress in 1984 to protect the … More
Study zones on campus
Welcome back to school! Is one of your New Year’s Resolutions to be more studious? If so, you’re probably looking … More
[Video] A cappella physics
What do you get when you cross “Bohemian Rhapsody” with a burning passion for physics? “Bohemian Gravity”, of course! … … More
The hidden businessperson: Money’s conspicuous absence in the concept of “doctor”
I recently searched Google Images for the keyword “doctor.” The page of results was flooded with attractive (predominantly white and … More
[Photo] Sundarbans, Bangladesh
Mangrove forests are on the decline, yet they are precious havens for many endangered species. The largest remaining mangrove forest … More
Get your writing groove on
Everyone needs epic essay writing music. Nothing makes writing a paper go faster than putting on some beats and rocking … More
The exam survival guide
By now, you have no doubt either had your first midterm or you are busy studying for one. You might … More
[Photo] Light-in-a-ball
Light and matter seem to be two completely separate types of stuff, but an accumulating body of research is showing … More
[Photo] Meteor showers & the dark sky program
The Dark Sky Program in Hungary has nominated several areas for protection from light pollution – all the better to … More
[Photo] Close-up of achondrite
Not all meteorites are created equal. The most common sort are chondrites. Chondrites are stony meteorites which compose approximately 80 percent … More
Seven types of professors you will meet
Even to a first year, it’s obvious that McGill has many wonderful professors. Your profs will make you laugh and … More
UPDATE: IP dispute over McGill students’ million-dollar business plan appears unresolved, but settlement near.
As reported earlier this week, a team of McGill students who had entered an international business plan competition found themselves in … More
[Photo] The trials of a baby star
Do you want to be a star? Well, you’ll have a bit of work to do. First, you start as … More
[Photo] El collar del hierro, The ferro-necklace
Ferrofluids are nifty stuff. A fluid which can become strongly magnetized in the presence of a magnetic field, they create … More
Scandal: Is academic integrity on the decline?
McGill University values academic integrity. Therefore all students must understand the meaning and consequences of cheating, plagiarism and other academic … More
[Photo] Rim wildfire in yosemite
The Yosemite National Park has become the site of a massive wildfire. One of California’s largest wildfires in history, it … More
[Photo] Antartica’s blood falls
Discovered in 1911 by explorer Griffith Taylor, Antarctica’s Blood Falls are a unique and fascinating natural phenomenon. The distinctive red … More
Welcome Back!
We hope you’ve had a great summer and are ready for a wonderful year! This year will undoubtedly bring a … More
Storify: Expedition 35 lands
Read our live Storify of Commander Hadfield’s return to Earth here!
Done with exams? Need some reading material?
How about some award-winning science books! The Canadian Science Writers Association just awarded two prizes to “honour outstanding contributions to … More
Welcome Back!
Welcome back, McGillians! If you’re anything like us, you’ve promised yourself that you’ll really buckle down and study more this … More
Happy studying, and see you next year!
Hello, readers! This is our final post of the semester. We hope that finals are going well! To help you … More