SPECTRUM Director

By: Julia Paiva, SPECTRUM Writer Starting university can be nerve wracking. Whether it’s the first time you’re living on your own, trying to navigate Quercus, or figuring out how you’ll balance coursework while maintaining a social life, university comes with plenty of first-time situations. For many of us, new experiences are accompanied by both excitement, as well as nervousness. But why do we feel nervous when we logically know no… Read More »The Science of Starting Something New

By: Sarah Nanquil   CHMA10, the first chemistry course you will take at UTSC. There must be tonnes of questions running through your head as you prepare for success; What should I bring to my lectures? Should I take hand-written notes, or type on my laptop? Should I do my readings before or after the lecture? Should I review my notes from Gr. 12? This article is written to alleviate… Read More »Introduction to Introductory Chemistry: The Do’s and Don’ts

By: Deanna Saminathan, SPECTRUM Writer As midterms are approaching, I think it is safe to say that we have already started worrying about following a study plan for reading week, and how to get the most out of our break. I learned in a recent study conducted by Microsoft that out of the standard 45-hour work week, most people will be unproductive for 17 hours! Fortunately, I am here to… Read More »THE SCIENCE OF PRODUCTIVITY

By: Deeana Saminathan, SPECTRUM Writer        Have you ever wondered how candy is made? How about how it’s able to stay fresh well past Halloween? While candies come in all shapes and textures: chewy like fudge, fluffy like cotton candy, hard like a lollipop and crunchy like rock candy, the method to making these different types of candies follow a similar chemical process (The Sweet Science of Candy making, 2014-2015).  … Read More »The Science of Candy

By: Talia Ho, SPECTRUM Writer         Have you ever dreamt of life outside of Earth? The idea of alien life has captivated the imaginations of millions through television and movies. It seems like everyone has met someone with a UFO or alien abduction story. Extraterrestrial life isn’t just important in the media, though. Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA’s Washington Science Mission Directorate, states that “…answering the… Read More »We May Not Be Alone: NASA’s new discovery