Office for Science and Society - Separating Sense from Nonsense

How Dreams and Frog Hearts Led to the Discovery of Neurotransmitters

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 23:44:10 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

The banging on the door at 3 in the morning of March 12, 1938, by Gestapo agents was fierce. They were rousing Otto Loewi out of bed to drag him off to jail. His crime? Loewi was Jewish. It didn’t matter that two years earlier he had been awarded the Nobel Prize for a landmark experiment that was destined to change the course of medicine.

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”.

Everyone Else Is Wrong: The Dr. Amen Story

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 21:18:07 +0000

When a psychiatrist diagnoses you with anxiety, depression, an eating disorder or a learning disability—or even a serious pathology like schizophrenia—they don’t typically look at your brain. Dr. Daniel Amen thinks they should.

Paying Attention to My Own Lectures

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 20:00:01 +0000

“It builds muscle!” That’s the usual answer I get when I ask in class about the importance of protein in the diet. Sort of correct since muscles are indeed composed mostly of protein, but the protein we eat does not directly build muscles. It is broken down during digestion into its constituent amino acids that are then pieced together by enzymes (also proteins) to become the proteins that make up muscle tissue.

Granitoids, Pebbled Ice and Crescent Chips: Curling Chemistry

Ada McVean M.Sc. — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 17:48:37 +0000

As you can imagine, there's a lot of physics involved in curling. Rotation speeds, angles, momentum transfer, friction analysis, ecetera. But would you also believe there's a bunch of chemistry at play here, too?

Uniforms are made of Lycra; curling sheet borders are made of high-density foam so that they remain relatively dry; and slider shoes are typically made with a Teflon sole, for the same reason frying pans use it. But there's even more chemistry at play in the ice, and the stones, especially.

Rare Blood Clots After Certain COVID Vaccines, Explained

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 14:12:37 +0000

The light at the end of the pandemic tunnel was marred by a worrying shadow. As the COVID-19 vaccines were rolled out, headlines fuelled anxiety: some people were developing life-threatening blood clots after receiving either the Johnson & Johnson vaccine (made by one of its subsidiaries, Janssen Vaccines) or the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot.

Interesting Chemistry Hides in Cookware

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 13:57:51 +0000

Like most chemists, I like to cook. After all, what is cooking but the appropriate mixing of chemicals? In the lab we use flasks and beakers, but how do we equip our kitchen? Tiffany's in New York offers a silver frying pan for thousands of dollars, specialty stores sell gleaming copper pots for a couple of hundred, while a thin aluminum pot can be had most anywhere for a few dollars. What's the difference?

Some Sad News

OSS — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 20:02:43 +0000

It is with great sadness and collective heavy hearts that we share news of Professor David Harpp’s passing. Dave’s vision of reaching out beyond the gates of 91˿��Ƶ to demystify science for the public was the cornerstone for the founding of our Office. It was his tireless efforts to convince University officials of the importance of fostering scientific literacy that was the key to opening the door. All of us who have worked for and with Dave have witnessed his remarkable work ethic, experienced his gentle and fair manner, valued his advice and admired his sharp mind.

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?

America's Healthier Past is no More Than a Myth

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 16:22:17 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

“Make America healthy again” sounds like a great slogan. It is loaded with nostalgia and … haziness. What is that “again” all about? When were those halcyon days when Americans were healthier than now?