Student Contributors

Why Sunscreen Still Beats Steak

Sophie Tseng Pellar BSc — Fri, 01 May 2026 03:39:26 +0000

This story started like many modern tales of data distortion do, where the science isn’t denied outright, but bent just enough to fit a more convenient (and lucrative) narrative. Let me regretfully introduce you to Kashif Khan—a self-proclaimed “Truth Teller and Longevity Innovator”. It should be noted, however, that for a man who has built his career around dispensing health advice, his résumé appears to be entirely free of anything resembling a medical or scientific qualification. No degree, no training, not even a suspiciously vague wellness certification.

“Talk to Me in French, Talk to Me in Spanish”: Exploring the Benefits of Bilingualism

Eva Kellner B.A.Sc. — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Despite not being bilingual myself, from growing up in New York City, to my undergraduate days spent in Montreal, to now calling Prague home, I have always been immersed in bi- and multilingual worlds. (Bilingualism being the ability to speak/use two languages, and multilingualism is the ability to speak/use more than two.) I even had the privilege to grow up in a home with a bilingual father yet was never taught his native language, Czech. I always resented this, as I dwelled on the fact that I didn’t have the opportunity to learn Czech the “easy way.”

The Leggings That Promise to Fix Your Knees

Sophie Tseng Pellar BSc — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 20:28:39 +0000

Back when I was a varsity athlete (before I became old and washed up), I spent my final season dealing with a particularly stubborn ankle injury. As it turns out, sprinting down a runway and launching yourself into a sandpit while transferring large amounts of force through a compromised joint is not exactly a recipe for orthopedic success. Who would’ve guessed.

Thermal Clothing: Lessons in Engineering

Eva Kellner B.A.Sc. — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

As soon as the temperature dips below 0ºC, you will find me covered head to toe in thermal clothing. I am not picky when it comes to brands, although I do love Uniqlo’s HEATTECH. As long as I am warm, I am game. However, when it comes to shopping for these products, the magic word among the stock seems to be “moisture-wicking.” It turns out the science behind moisture-wicking plays a pretty significant role in why certain fibers and fabrics are off the table when it comes to layering up.

Lessons in Going Slow: Vaccination Schedules, Tuberculosis, and What Happens When Faster Isn’t Always Better

Sophie Tseng Pellar BSc — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Earlier this year, the United States dramatically scaled back its universal childhood immunisation schedule recommendations. Under an overhaul spearheaded by US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the number of diseases for which vaccines are universally recommended dropped from 17 to 11. Vaccines for polio and measles remain on the list, but others—like hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and Covid-19—are now recommended based on risk or “shared clinical decision-making” between doctors and parents.

Navigating Life Gingerly: Do Red-Haired Individuals Experience Pain Differently?

Eva Kellner B.A.Sc. — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Red hair is the rarest natural hair color, expressed in only 1-2 percent of the world’s population. Of course, that number does not include salon-goers who seek to mask their original hair color.

Is Your Sauna Session Sabotaging Your Swimmers?

Sophie Tseng Pellar BSc — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 05:01:58 +0000

Over the past few months, a not insignificant number of my male friends have asked me (unprompted) whether going to the sauna is ruining their sperm. Bold questions. Intimate questions. But fair ones. Sauna culture has exploded in North America, and with it, men now face an understandable worry: is the sauna accidentally slow roasting fertility?

When Your Phone Makes Time Disappear

Lia Erisson — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 18:41:46 +0000

When I think about the first few hours of my day, I picture myself getting up, making breakfast, picking out my outfit, and tidying my apartment. What I don’t often recall are the 30 or so minutes I spend doomscrolling on Instagram or playing video games as soon as I wake up. To be honest, that time barely registers as having existed at all.

In all likelihood, you have similar experiences in your day-to-day life.

Man Flu and Other Near-Death Experiences

Sophie Tseng Pellar BSc — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 23:22:43 +0000

A few months ago, an orthopedic surgery resident told me a story I still think about. The worst patients to reset fractures on, she said, were men in their thirties. They scream, beg for anesthetic, and prolong the process as much as humanly possible. The best patients? Women in their sixties, who will sit unflinchingly still and remark in surprise when the process is “over already”.

Degree ABCs

Sophie Tseng Pellar BSc — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 16:37:00 +0000

Five minutes on health TikTok is all it takes. A pair of scrubs. “Dr.” in the bio. And a confident voice assuring you they can detox your liver, balance your hormones, or fix your chronic illness, with a supplement conveniently available through the link in their profile.

Credentials are flashed like VIP wristbands on social media, but what do they actually mean?

The Uninvited Guest in Your Cup of Tea

Harshita Arora — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 11:00:00 +0000

I love a good cup of tea as much as the next person. Rainy afternoon indoors? A cup of tea sounds about right. A suspicious tickle in my throat that suggests a cold might be brewing? Tea, obviously. Mild emotional inconvenience? Tea again. Now imagine my surprise, when I learned that a comforting cup of tea also comes with a dose of microplastics.

Say Toodle-oo to the Winter Boo-hoos

Eva Kellner B.A.Sc. — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Each October, like clockwork, a dear friend of mine reminds me to begin taking vitamin D supplements– just in time for the perils of daylight savings time. His reasoning? Its prophylactic effects against seasonal depression. In his words: “[it is] the most important thing you can do for your mental health.” For many years, I haphazardly followed his advice, both out of the appreciation I had for him to think about my wellbeing in the face of winter’s darkness, but also because I figured, why not? But can regularly taking vitamin D really have such an effect?

Facial Filler, Reversibility, and the Science We Don’t See

Sophie Tseng Pellar BSc — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 16:42:17 +0000

I talked about Botox a lot in 2025. Which, in the social circles of a 22-year-old woman, raises a fair question: why? We don’t have wrinkles yet. Our frontal lobes aren’t even finished developing. And yet, Botox and filler, procedures once reserved for red carpets and midlife crises, have become casual conversation, slipped between Pilates classes and oat-milk lattes.

A Beginners Guide to Time Travel: Explaining the Time Zones

Eva Kellner B.A.Sc. — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 11:00:00 +0000

In a way, time travel does exist. Just hop on a plane from Montreal to Vancouver, and you jump back three hours. Or better yet, fly in the other direction to Auckland, and find yourself 18 hours in the future. Of course, we owe these time differences to the Earth’s rotation, but also to the human-decided lines that identify various time zones. (This subject is, in fact, very personal to me because I am currently writing this at 5:30 in the morning due to the infamous jetlag most of us have experienced at some time.)

Taking off the Rose Coloured Glasses: The Pink Himalayan Salt Grift

Sophie Tseng Pellar BSc — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Open Instagram and you’ll see it within minutes: a wellness influencer solemnly instructing you to ditch your “toxic” white table salt for pink Himalayan salt, preferably scooped from a minimalist ceramic jar. Even Tom Brady’s TB12 diet insists on the rosy stuff. The implication is clear: this salt is purer, healthier, and possibly spiritually aligned with your chakras.

There’s just one problem. It’s mostly nonsense.