public posts

The select public posts from syn·op·sis, written and reviewed by iSci students at McMaster University. Each post is interdisciplinary in nature, and a wide variety of subject matter is covered. So sit back, relax, and start learning.

Birth Control – But for Whom?

In light of the changing political climate, specifically with the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade in the United States, the rate of birth control prescriptions is on the rise (Langmaid, 2022). The most common form of birth control remains oral contraceptives (OCs), with 75% of Canadian and 88% of American females taking OCs at Read the full article…


Being Mindful of the Mindfulness Trend

Have you ever participated in any of the mindfulness or meditation trends? Using the new Calm app, going to meditation circles, or delving into the ‘self-help’ plans propagated by the media? Before you dive into the mindfulness meditation (MM) trends, you should ensure you’re aware of both their benefits and faults. MM trends have swept Read the full article…


The Microscopic Elephant in the Room

Life as humans know it is slowly but surely being altered by the crucial issue of climate change (Tiedje, et al., 2022). Greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), largely contribute to this problem and are in surplus due to altered biogeochemical cycles. These gases are produced and Read the full article…


Impact of Climate Change on Grapevine Genetics and Wine

It is no surprise that our changing climate does not only affect humans. Plants are also greatly impacted by environmental fluctuations, especially grapevines. Viticulture is the farming of grapevines used in winemaking and this agricultural system is recognized as an indicator of climate change due to its climate sensitivity; the lifecycle of grapevines, is so Read the full article…


Heavy Metals and Crop Contamination

Implementing a sustainable framework for agriculture to promote food security and produce safe food is a facet of goal two within the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (United Nations, 2022). However, as the world becomes increasingly industrialized, environmental contaminants are released from more and more anthropogenic sources, particularly from the fields of agriculture and industry, Read the full article…


Bedtime Procrastination

Before you begin reading, please take the time to respond to each of the following nine phrases with a simple yes or no (Kroese et al., 2014). I go to bed later than I intended to. I go to bed late, even if I have to get up early in the morning. If it is Read the full article…


Fly Away Little Salamander

Humans have long been fascinated by flight. As a dominant terrestrial species, the notion of sustained suspension in the air has created a wonder that transcends both cultures and generations (Alexander, 2002). While the flight of birds has created an entire industry, from bird watching to backyard feeders (Tobalske, 2006), many other species have mastered Read the full article…


Do I Help My Sports Team Win?

The Effect of Fans on Sport While you can “take [yourself] out to the ball game” and “root, root, root for the home team”, will it really alter the game’s outcome (Norworth and Von Tilzer, 1908)? Many sports fans, as well as sports literature, believe that fans’ stadium presence with their team, wearing the team’s Read the full article…


Cichlid Speciation Explosion in Lake Tanganyika

Located in the heart of Africa lies the Great Rift Valley. Situated on a divergent plate boundary, this 7000 km series of trenches has fashioned a string of great lakes. The greatest of them all, Lake Tanganyika. As the second oldest lake and second largest lake by volume, Tanganyika has been an evolutionary powerhouse for Read the full article…


Thwaites Glacier: are we skating on thin ice?

The impacts of climate change are all around us and can be observed in our everyday lives. A direct and progressively concerning consequence of climate change is the rise of global sea levels. Conservative trajectories predict that the sea level will rise 49-56 cm by 2100 (Kopp, et al., 2017). Worst-case scenarios predict increases of Read the full article…


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