Science & Tech Archives - The Glasgow Guardian



Augmented humanity: AI and society

16th January 2024

AI models have quickly taken a comfortable role as our personal translators, problem solvers, and even friends- how did we get here? ChatGPT was launched over a year ago, in November 2022. It, and OpenAI’s other public AI model, Dall-E (launched a year before ChatGPT), have become a figurative black hole in the tech discourse ...


A Glasgow state of mind

16th January 2024

Some call it fate, others call it the “Glasgow effect”. Exceptionally high levels of mortality within the city of Glasgow have earned it this name; but what does it mean? A 2010 study analysed how in Glasgow, a post-industrialised city, deaths were 14% higher in comparison to similar de-industrialised cities such as Manchester and Liverpool. ...


Bloody hell: period products tested with blood

16th January 2024

A recent study was the first to test period products using blood, concluding with interesting revelations for women’s health. Why wasn’t this done sooner? Jo’s monologue in Little Women, The Hot Priest saying “it’ll pass”, Tom Holland’s Lip Sync Battle performance: all credible answers to the tired question, “What’s the female version of the Roman ...


Animal testing – do we need it?

16th January 2024

Animal testing is inherently controversial, is there an alternative, and most importantly, how do we get there? In science, few debates acquire more ethical friction than the one about the use of live animals to establish the safety of pharmaceutical products or cosmetics. The necessity of animal use in labs has been questioned repeatedly through ...


From one season of terror to the next: how the horror genre can help us prepare for exams

21st December 2023

Horror to switch off, an anxiety coping mechanism? Horror movies tend to be a divisive subject. For some, simulated terror is the epitome of culture, an artistic delve into the darker parts of the human psyche. Others can’t stomach it—even Paranorman might be a stretch. But experimental research has indicated that ardent fans of the ...


The age of pseudoscience

21st December 2023

Is your cleanser really “scientifically proven” by dermatologists? The evidence would suggest no, actually, it’s just a marketing ploy. Let’s start by dispelling some myths: were you aware that blue-light glasses do not help with eye strain? Or that alkaline water cannot regulate your internal pH? Or that Nesquik is not actually a healthy start ...