By Sonja Soo, Environmental & Earth Sciences editor Many people know that they risk contracting Lyme disease — a serious illness with symptoms such as a bullseye-shaped rash, fever, chills, fatigue and headaches — if they venture into tick-infested areas. You can contract Lyme disease if a tick carrying a specific bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi […]
Health, Medicine, and Veterinary Science
The flu shot: all about the what, why, and when
By Dorottya Harangi, Health, Medicine & Veterinary Sciences co-editor If you live in Canada, you know that every flu season you are bombarded with messages about getting your flu shot. Experts advise people to get their flu shot as soon as it becomes available, as it takes 2 weeks for the vaccine to take effect. […]
Air pollution is a major threat to our health
By Jenna Finley, Biology & Life Sciences co-editor Man-made pollution is one of the biggest threats we face — microplastics everywhere, contaminated drinking water, plastic garbage floating on the oceans. Data show that pollution is already causing deaths, and new evidence suggests that it may be worse than previously assumed. In 2016, the World Health […]
Music and the human body: the effects of live performances
By Amanda Scanga, Science in Society co-editor Music is a form of art enjoyed by many, including myself. Throughout my life, I have used music as a form of entertainment, as a stress reliever, and as a mood booster. And whenever my favourite artists announced a concert in my hometown, I would buy tickets the […]
What we know and don’t know about Alzheimer’s disease
By Michael Ralph Limmena, Health, Medicine & Veterinary Science co-editor Canadians are living longer than ever — 2015 marked the first year that the number of Canadians older than 65 surpassed the number of children younger than 15. Unfortunately, the Alzheimer Society of Canada’s latest projections paint a grim picture for the future for many […]