McGill Headliners

From a tempest in a coffee cup to primetime McGill

Neale McDevitt | Do you hear that? That's the sound of the already tawdry prize-winning Tim Hortons' coffee cup scandal hitting rock bottom. It's bad enough that greed has pitted the families of two 10-year-old friends against each other in an ugly spat over a new SUV. Now, a Montreal lawyer is asking for DNA tests on the cup in question in a shameless effort to prove that his unnamed client was the original owner of the problematic chalice - and the rightful winner of the vehicle. On CTV.ca, law professor David Lametti points out that because the cup was found in a public dumpster, this most recent claim is groundless. Lametti calls this recent development "ridiculous" - an apt description of the entire tasteless affair.

Sure, music soothes the savage breast, but what about surly subwayers? In an effort to take the edge off, users of the London Underground are now being serenaded by the dulcet tones of Vivaldi, Mozart and Schubert. The Financial Times cites a study done by Robert Zatorre, neurology professor, that showed how listening to classical music increased blood flow to the same regions of the brain triggered by food, sex and drugs - thereby keeping listeners in quiet rapture. Provocative stuff, for sure, but somehow "Sex, Drugs and Rachmaninov" doesn't have the same ring.

Would you marry the love of your life even if you knew that your combined genetics would increase by tenfold the chance of your children being afflicted with a fatal disease? Would you want to know now if you will develop Alzheimer's later in life or would you rather not spend your remaining years fretting about the onset of the inevitable? These are just some of the thorny questions that arise when discussing the always-contentious issue of genetic screening. In an interview in The Scotsman Margaret Lock, Majorie Bronfman professor of social studies in medicine, says that while advancements have been made, the results of such screening are far from perfect. Lock says that, at present, this type of genetic speculation can be misleading; leaving a person with false optimism when they think they are in the clear for developing certain diseases. On the other hand, predictions can also burden patients with the fear of becoming ill, even though there are no guarantees - especially since studies have shown that other factors, such as environment, diet and lifestyle, also contribute to the onset of illness.

Yo, yo, yo, McGill's in the House. McGillians pop up so regularly in such respected media outlets as the New York Times, Newsweek and the Wall Street Journal that it's getting a little ho-hum. But here's one that will appeal to the Entertainment Tonight set. The Hollywood grapevine has it that Dr. Wilson, resident heartthrob of the primetime hit House, will be sporting a McGill T-shirt in some upcoming episodes. My sources say to keep your eyes peeled on March 28 and April 4.