/oss/articles/rss en /oss/article/history-did-you-know-general-science/its-hermetically-sealed <p>According to Greek mythology, Hermes moved freely between the worlds of the mortal and the divine and it was his job to conduct souls into the afterlife. He was quick and cunning, often outwitting other gods for his own satisfaction or for the sake of humankind.</p> Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:43:40 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10326 at /oss /oss/article/medical-critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition/are-sex-and-pickleball-keys-longevity <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/article745632.html">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> <hr /> <p>Want to lead a long life? Play pickleball and have sex. Who says so? Dan Buettner, a guy who knows something about longevity. After all, he is responsible for popularizing the concept of “blue zones,” regions of the world where people apparently have exceptionally long lives. And therein lies an interesting and somewhat controversial story.</p> Fri, 14 Feb 2025 22:44:36 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10262 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition-did-you-know/truth-about-oysters-valentines-day-aphrodisiac <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/article746035.html">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> <hr /> <p>As you are reading this you have just enough time left to make Valentine’s Day plans and salvage the looming disaster brought on by your forgetfulness. The premium you will pay on flowers purchased at this late date should be a learning experience. You may try to be creative and bring some fresh oysters as a surprise. But lest you delude yourself into thinking they are an aphrodisiac, they are not.</p> Fri, 14 Feb 2025 22:18:26 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 10261 at /oss /oss/article/medical-critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition/mitochondrial-dysfunction-bit-fad <p>There is a shell game at the heart of Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s <u><a href="/oss/article/medical-critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition-pseudoscience/kennedys-coalition-quacks-wants-feed-america-diet-lies" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="/oss/article/medical-critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition-pseudoscience/kennedys-coalition-quacks-wants-feed-america-diet-lies">Make America Healthy Again campaign</a></u>, and it has to do with the mitochondrion.</p> Fri, 14 Feb 2025 22:06:49 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 10260 at /oss /oss/article/critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition-did-you-know/ode-chocolate <p>I have always liked chocolate. I grew up on it. Every morning my mother blended a heaping spoonful of cocoa powder with a little milk, some sugar and a touch of salt (to decrease the bitterness). She then stirred the mix into gently boiling milk. This was my breakfast beverage. I was told it was “good for me.” I never questioned that fact. Why should I? It tasted great. I really didn’t see the need to put up a fuss, like say, for spinach. As I got older, the love of hot chocolate naturally paved the way towards chocolate bars. Mostly Lindt and Suchard.</p> Wed, 12 Feb 2025 17:45:15 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10254 at /oss /oss/article/critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition-did-you-know/dark-chocolate-reduces-risk-diabetes-dont-count-it <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/article727996.html">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> <hr /> <p>Valentine’s Day is rolling around and we can expect a flood of articles about chocolate. Some will trot out the tired old trope about phenylethylamine in chocolate stimulating amorous adventures by enhancing the release of dopamine, the “feel good chemical” in the brain. Don’t bank on it! While chocolate does contain phenylethylamine, it is metabolized before it can reach the brain.</p> Fri, 07 Feb 2025 21:12:38 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10251 at /oss /oss/article/critical-thinking/square-one-fallacy <p>I recently had the chance to speak to an anti-vaxxer in person. Of course, he did not identify as such: they never do. He didn’t want to be pinned down and was just asking questions about vaccine safety.</p> <p>He told me that he wasn’t opposed to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. being confirmed as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services in the United States. After all, Kennedy wanted to see studies done on vaccine safety. Was I against that? Shouldn’t we know if all these vaccines are safe?</p> Fri, 07 Feb 2025 20:37:51 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 10250 at /oss /oss/article/critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition-pseudoscience/medicinal-garden-kit-will-probably-not-save-you <p>The ad is quite confrontational. “The Plants That Will Disappear First in a Crisis.” Given the disaster that is unfolding in the United States right now, it caught my attention. In a crisis, the ad continues, people will turn to plants to nourish and heal themselves, as their ancestors used to do. With this Medicinal Garden Kit, you can grow a whole pharmacy in your backyard and be self-sufficient in an emergency.</p> Fri, 07 Feb 2025 18:58:10 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 10249 at /oss /oss/article/critical-thinking-history/rhinoceros-horn-ginseng-or-spanish-fly-boost-romance-hardly <p>Named after Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and passion, these substances are meant to specifically stimulate the libido and represent the Holy Grail for people who in some way feel unfulfilled.</p> Wed, 05 Feb 2025 21:42:39 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10246 at /oss /oss/article/big-tobacco-gets-boost-trump <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/article707711.html">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> <hr /> <p>Back to basics. Smoking is bad for you and menthol cigarettes are no safer than regular cigarettes.</p> Fri, 31 Jan 2025 22:17:52 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 10243 at /oss