Science – Page 2 – Blogue du RBIQ

The Art of Imaging: Science meets beauty

By Carlos Gevers-Montoro and Zoha Deldar / 2021-02-18 / Art, Initiatives, Science / Art, Bio-Imaging, History, Image competition, Neuroscience

While art and science are often presented as opposing forces in today’s world, the aim of the two disciplines has always been fundamentally the same: to provide a representation of the real world. This intricate link between art and science becomes more obvious as we look to past discoveries that were made before the invention of modern scientific technologies that help us capture reality, in a time when it was in many ways necessary for scientists to be artists as well.

This is your brain on COVID: Is the pandemic changing human nature?

By Sivaniya Subramaniapillai / 2021-02-09 / Science / Cognitive Science, COVID-19, Neuroscience

With the COVID-19 pandemic persisting for close to a year now, our daily routines and habits have changed dramatically. Those of us working from home have only a short commute from our beds to our desks, which may be convenient, but also reduces our exposure to different environments and blurs boundaries between work and leisure. Those who have lost their jobs or are shouldering childcare responsibilities on top of their work are facing numerous other challenges and changes to their lives, all of which may have lasting consequences. Most obviously, the change in routine due to public health restrictions has resulted in the visible dwindling of our social interactions. Could it be that the pandemic-related shift in our normal routines is also fundamentally changing the way we think and behave as human beings? It might be too early to tell but it’s definitely an interesting question to speculate about.

Fighting loneliness with intergenerational Wisdom Exchange

By Sivaniya Subramaniapillai / 2020-10-29 / Initiatives, Science / Aging, COVID-19

Although physical distancing does not necessarily mean social distancing, as it was first referenced in the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, they are often one and the same. Being social usually means spending time with others in a shared physical space, which is undeniably different than the virtual interactions that have become the accepted norm. Seeing our friends and family from behind a monitor is especially dissatisfying when we are only kilometers apart, and while having hundreds of social media “friends” means that we are in many ways more connected than ever, greater use of social media has actually been linked to increased loneliness.

Open Science in a time of closed borders: How COVID-19 shows that open science is both necessary and possible

By Estrid Jakobsen / 2020-05-25 / Explainer, Opinion, Science / COVID-19, Open Science

There is a growing movement in the scientific community known as open science that aims to make scientific research fully transparent, reproducible, collaborative, and accessible to all people at all levels of society. In the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of open science is clearer than ever, and its feasibility is undeniable.

The silver linings of cancelled conferences

By Carlos Gevers-Montoro and Zoha Deldar / 2020-04-30 / Explainer, Science / COVID-19, Open Science, Virtual Conferences

COVID-19 has shaken our whole world upside down. Our minds are racing with stress and anxiety as we read the news, worry about our loved ones, and feel pressure to stay productive during this unusual time. Coping with this new situation is extremely taxing and resource-consuming, especially for early-career researchers, as we face increasingly unpredictable futures.

Gender differences in memory: Does brain function tell a different story?

By Sivaniya Subramaniapillai / 2020-01-27 / Research, Science / Aging, Cognitive Science, Neuroscience

Aging is often associated with memory loss for personal events and their rich contextual detail (known as episodic memory). Episodic memory is the type of memory that allows you to remember where you parked your car in a mall parking lot, or whether or not you took your medication earlier in the day. It is also intricately involved with your personal identity, enables you to learn from past experiences, and helps you plan for your future.

What is Bio-Imaging?

By Estrid Jakobsen / 2020-01-27 / Explainer, Science / Bio-Imaging, Methods

Bio-imaging is a term used to describe any scientific technique that can be used to look at (or inside!) biological tissue and organisms. This explainer will teach you about some of the many different bio-imaging methods used by researchers across Quebec from the microscopic to the macroscopic levels.