A new study from McGill University researchers suggests the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to rapidly analyze vast amounts of biodiversity data could revolutionize conservation efforts by enabling scientists and policymakers to make better-informed decisions.  A collaboration between a computer scientist, an ecologist and an international team of researchers, the review published in Nature Reviews Biodiversity examines the seven “global biodiversity knowledge shortfalls,” ...

A new discovery about the slime ejected by velvet worms could revolutionize sustainable material design, according to a study by McGill University researchers. Their findings outline how a naturally occurring protein structure, conserved across species from Australia, Singapore and Barbados over nearly 400 million years of evolution, enables the slime’s transformation from liquid to fibre and back again. It’s a discovery that could inspire next-generation recyclable bioplastics. "Nature has already figured out a way to make materials ...

A new study from McGill University is reshaping how scientists date dinosaur fossils in Alberta’s Dinosaur Provincial Park (DPP). Using advanced drone-assisted 3D mapping, researchers have uncovered significant variations in a key geological marker, challenging long-standing methods of determining the ages of dinosaur fossils. The researchers say their findings, published in Palaeontologia Electronica, could lead to more accurate reconstructions of ancient ecosystems, helping us better understand Earth's history and how past biodiversity changes inform present and future life. “We’ve ...

A new study, “Inter-Species Interactions in Dual, Fibrous Gels Enable Control of Gel Structure and Rheology” published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), uncovers how fine-tuning the interactions between two distinct network-forming species within a soft gel enables programmable control over its structure and mechanical properties. The findings reveal a powerful framework for engineering next-generation soft materials with customizable behaviors, inspired by the complexity of biological tissues. The study uses simulations to investigate how varying the strength and geometry of interactions between two colloidal species impacts network formation and ...

McGill University researchers, in collaboration with Mexican scientists, have discovered two previously unknown species of crocodiles, one living on the island of Cozumel and the other on the atoll of Banco Chinchorro, both off the Yucatán Peninsula. The findings challenge long-held assumptions about the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) and highlight the urgent need for conservation efforts, the researchers say. "Biodiversity is disappearing faster than we can discover what we’re losing," said Biology Professor Hans Larsson, the principal investigator. ...

An international study co-authored by McGill psychologist Caroline Palmer suggests our brains and bodies don’t just understand music, they physically resonate with it. These discoveries, based on findings in neuroscience, music, and psychology, support Neural Resonance Theory (NRT).  NRT maintains that rather than relying on learned expectations or prediction, musical experiences arise from the brain’s natural oscillations that sync with rhythm, melody and harmony. This resonance shapes our sense of timing, musical ...

A team of McGill University researchers has developed a cost-effective, high-throughput technology for detecting nanoplastics and microplastics in the environment. These particles are pervasive, posing health and environmental risks, yet detecting them at the nanoscale has been difficult. The 3D-printed HoLDI-MS test platform overcomes the limitations of traditional mass spectrometry by enabling direct analysis of samples without requiring complex sample preparation. The researchers say it also will work for detection of waterborne plastic particles. HoLDI-MS stands for hollow-laser ...

Stem cell scientists from around the world will gather in Montréal, Canada, from 8–11 July 2026 for the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) 2026 Annual Meeting. This global event will unite experts who are leading progress in stem cell research and regenerative medicine. The meeting will center around five key scientific themes curated by the 2026 Annual Meeting Program Committee: Clinical Applications Chairs: Catherine Priest, USA and Stuart Forbes, UK Capturing Development Chairs: Kat Hadjantonakis, USA and Dasaradhi Palakodeti, ...

Customers often prefer companies aligned with their values, but it has been less clear how they react to firms taking a stance on a polarizing topic. A new study published in Strategic Management Journal explores how individuals respond to firms' communications around a polarizing political issue: whether firms take an apolitical stance, say nothing, or choose an ideological stance. The findings highlight how firm and communication characteristics influence the ways in which individuals' opinions of the firm are affected by management’s political activism, and how individuals may prefer firms to stay neutral. The research team — Tommaso ...

The number and sophistication of cyberattacks has increased significantly in recent years. According to the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, economic losses from cybercrime in the US exceeded $4 billion in 2020 and skyrocketed to $16 billion in 2024. Beyond their monetary impacts, cyberattacks can cause significant harm. “A significant number of cyberattacks are on critical infrastructure, like smart electrical grids or water meters,” said Himanshu Thapliyal, an ...

The substances behind the slimy strings from okra and the gel from fenugreek seeds could trap microplastics better than a commonly used synthetic polymer. Previously, researchers proposed using these sticky natural polymers to clean up water. Now, they report in ACS Omega that okra and/or fenugreek extracts attracted and removed up to 90% of microplastics in ocean water, freshwater and groundwater. Rajani Srinivasan and colleagues have been exploring nontoxic, plant-based approaches to attract ...

More frequent hot weather and droughts have dealt a significant blow to crop yields, especially for key grains like wheat, barley, and maize, according to a Stanford study published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The analysis finds that warming and air dryness – a key factor in crop stress – have surged in nearly every major agricultural region, with some areas experiencing growing seasons hotter than nearly any season 50 years ago. The study also pointed to two important ways that models have missed the mark ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The hospitality industry can leverage the gender characteristics of service robots to influence customers’ decisions, according to new research from a team in the Penn State School of Hospitality Management. Service robots with characteristics typically associated with males may be more persuasive when interacting with women who have a low sense of power, according to the researchers. The team also found that “cute” features in the design of robots — such as big eyes and raised cheeks — may reduce the effect of portrayed robot gender on persuasiveness, as male and female ...

Electronic devices rely on materials whose electrical properties change with temperature, making them less stable in extreme conditions. A discovery by McGill University researchers that challenges conventional wisdom in physics suggests that bismuth, a metal, could serve as the foundation for highly stable electronic components. The researchers observed a mysterious electrical effect in ultra-thin bismuth that remains unchanged across a wide temperature range, from near absolute zero (-273°C) to room temperature. “If we can harness this, it could become important for green electronics,” said Guillaume ...

Drywood termites, the ones that hide in wooden structures, molt about seven times in their lives. UC Riverside researchers have found a chemical preventing them from growing new exoskeletons will also end their infestation of your home. The chemical, bistrifluron, and its ability to kill about 95 percent of a termite colony without off-target effects on mammals, are documented in a paper published in the Journal of Economic Entomology. “This chemical is more environmentally friendly than ones traditionally used for drywood termite infestations,” said Nicholas Poulos, corresponding author of the paper and a doctoral student in UCR’s Department of Entomology. ...

U of T Scarborough researchers have harnessed artificial intelligence (AI) and brain activity to shed new light on why we struggle to accurately recognize faces of people from different races.  Across a pair of studies, researchers explored the Other-Race-Effect (ORE), a well-known phenomenon in which people recognize faces of their own race more easily than others. They combined AI and brain activity collected through EEG (electroencephalography) to reveal new insights into how we perceive other-race faces, including visual distortions more deeply ingrained in our brain than previously ...

BALTIMORE, MD, May 6, 2025 – As communities across the U.S. continue grappling with public safety and police reform, a new study published in the INFORMS journal Management Science offers compelling evidence for a path forward: procedural justice training for police officers, backed by leadership support, can significantly improve officer behavior and strengthen community trust. “At a time when communities are calling for both safer streets and meaningful police reform, our findings offer an important starting point,” says Rodrigo Canales, lead author of the study and professor at Boston University. “When backed by leadership, ...

LOGAN, UTAH, USA -- About 240 miles long, Utah’s Wasatch Fault stretches along the western edge of the Wasatch Mountains from southern Idaho to central Utah, running through Salt Lake City and the state’s other population centers. It’s a seismically active normal fault, which means it is a fracture in the Earth’s crust that has moved many times in the past. “Normal faults are observed along different tectonic systems, where the tectonic plates are moving apart,” says Utah ...

„Looking Through Objects. Women in Contemporary Polish Design” – exhibition at Design Museum Brussels The traveling exhibition spotlighting Polish women designers is making its way to Belgium. Opening on May 8 at Design Museum Brussels, Looking Through Objects brings together works of 16 creatives who have been shaping the evolving landscape of Polish design. The curatorial team behind the show includes Agnieszka Jacobson-Cielecka, dean of Faculty Design at SWPS University in Warsaw, along with Gian Luca Amadei and Dario Lombardi.  A story of women shaping Polish ...

WASHINGTON, D.C. [May 6, 2025] — The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) hosted an Oncology Policy Summit in Washington, D.C., today, focused on improving care coordination between primary care and oncology providers. The program featured a diverse group of patients, advocates, practitioners, and policy makers weighing in on how to improve cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and long-term survival. Elizabeth Fowler, PhD, JD, of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, former Deputy Administrator and Director of the Innovation ...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—An online physician-led plant-based nutrition intervention program for patients with type 2 diabetes is practical, cost-effective, and successful at improving patient health, finds a new study by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. The program led to reductions in diabetes medications, body weight, A1C, and total and LDL cholesterol levels. “An abundance of research already shows that a plant-based diet is optimal for helping patients ...

Patients suffering from long COVID may exhibit persistent inflammation in the heart and lungs for up to a year following SARS-CoV-2 infection—even when standard medical tests return normal results—potentially placing them at elevated risk for future cardiac and pulmonary conditions. These findings come from a new study conducted by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published April 30, in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. The study, the largest of its kind using advanced PET/MRI imaging, discovered significant abnormalities in cardiovascular and pulmonary tissues, as well as altered levels of circulating immune-regulating proteins, ...

May 6, 2025 - Albert Einstein College of Medicine has announced the launch of a new Data Science Institute, a dynamic, state-of-the-art resource that will strengthen researchers’ ability to harness vast amounts of data to drive biomedical breakthroughs and innovations in scientific discovery and patient care. Mimi Kim, Sc.D., professor and head of the division of biostatistics in the department of epidemiology & population health and associate director of the Harold and Muriel Block Institute for Clinical and Translational Research at Einstein and Montefiore, has been named the institute’s inaugural director. With seed funding from a $7 million anonymous philanthropic gift, ...

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Half of U.S. adults say they know eating a plant-based diet can improve their health and help prevent chronic diseases, according to a new Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine/Morning Consult survey. However, the survey also showed that just 1 in 5 primary care practitioners discuss this lifesaving message with patients. The poll included 2,203 U.S. adults surveyed April 15 to April 16, 2025. Xavier Toledo, a registered dietitian with the Physicians Committee, a health advocacy group with 17,000 physician members, lauded the findings, which show most people recognize the health benefits of plant-based eating. “What’s missing,” ...

The modern Western-style diet—high in processed foods, red meat, dairy products, and sugar—alters the composition of the gut microbiome in ways that can have a huge impact on health. This dietary pattern, which is also low in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, reduces the variety of microbes in the digestive system and the metabolites they produce. This, in turn, increases risk for several immune system-related conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease. In new research published in Nature, ...