From Our Own Borealis Blog

No pain, more gain: A new way to monitor glucose

Zahra Nasser and Nada Salem, Chemistry editors People with diabetes have measured their blood sugar the same way since the 1970s – a painful daily prick of the finger. While most have no choice but to get used to this, it shouldn’t have to be that way. Monitoring technology has come a long way over […]

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The controversy behind the new FDA-approved drug for Alzheimer’s disease

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Rana Semaan, Science in Society editor On June 7, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug Aduhelm™ (aducanumab-avwa) for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease under its accelerated approval pathway. I felt overjoyed and excited reading this news. I’d seen the disease up close and lost my grandmother to Alzheimer’s. I immediately […]

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Astronomers have discovered a Moon-sized white dwarf more massive than the Sun

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Chenoa van den Boogaard, Physics & Astronomy editor Astronomers have discovered the smallest white dwarf yet, and it is helping them to understand the lifecycle of these celestial objects. White dwarfs are what remain when low-mass stars reach the end of their life. After around 10 billion years of turning hydrogen into helium through nuclear […]

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The history of science: The story of humanity’s pursuit of knowledge

University of Toronto laboratory where insulin was discovered. Photo from University of Toronto Archives. Public domain.

Mary Anne Schoenhardt, Science & Society editor The summer of 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin, which is credited to the two Canadian scientists Frederick Banting and Charles Best. Insulin has saved the lives of millions of people who have diabetes. This discovery won the Noble Prize in Physiology and Medicine […]

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Feeling zine: Developing science communication skills through reflection

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Raymond K. Nakamura, Multimedia editor   “I was so proud of my public lecture. All my scientist friends say I did an excellent job. But I saw the glaze in my parents’ eyes; I missed the mark.” – Lia Formenti, from her reflection on science communication in the McGill Space Institute’s zine.   Reflection involves […]

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