/oss/taxonomy/term/149/all en /oss/article/critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition/mindfulness-meditation-often-fails-scientific-test <p>Mindfulness meditation is primed to save all of us from anxiety and depression, it would seem. It’s also big business: in 2015, this growing industry made <a href="https://fortune.com/2016/03/12/meditation-mindfulness-apps/">nearly USD 1 billion</a>. The money comes from speaking engagements, workshops, books, as well as apps meant to guide you through the process. The popular Headspace app claims <a href="https://www.headspace.com/">70 million downloads</a>; the #1 meditation app, Calm, <a href="https://www.calm.com/blog/about">over 150 million</a>!</p> Fri, 19 Jan 2024 14:38:41 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 9808 at /oss /oss/article/medical-critical-thinking-technology/brain-zapping-may-probably-appear-be-doing-something <p>Shocking the brain with electricity may bring to mind electroconvulsive therapy or James Whale’s seminal black-and-white adaptation of <i>Frankenstein</i>. But given that our brain cells use electricity to allow us to think, speak, and move, might there not be some way to tweak our brain’s electricity to solve our many health problems?</p> Fri, 21 Jul 2023 15:01:41 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 9572 at /oss /oss/article/medical-critical-thinking/saffron-teenage-moodiness-evidence-immature <p>“Clinically proven” is a very malleable term. What exactly does it mean for an intervention to have been clinically proven to work? In the world of dietary supplements, the veracity of this phrase very much exists in the eye of the beholder.</p> Fri, 19 May 2023 15:02:00 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 9514 at /oss /oss/article/critical-thinking/multiple-chemical-sensitivity-answering-criticism <p>Last September, we published <a href="/oss/article/health/zeroing-cause-multiple-chemical-sensitivity">an article I wrote on multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS)</a>, specifically on a French-language report commissioned by the Government of Quebec to understand the state of our knowledge on this condition. We recently received a number of emails critical of the article from people who have MCS and were unhappy with the conclusion of the report: that MCS seemed to be caused by chronic anxiety and not by exposure to minute amounts of chemicals in the environment.</p> Wed, 30 Mar 2022 19:16:50 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 9070 at /oss /oss/article/health/zeroing-cause-multiple-chemical-sensitivity <p>Sometimes, science doesn’t give you the answer you wanted. You may be certain you know what is causing a mysterious phenomenon, but a well-done scientific experiment denies you that satisfaction and points you in an unexpected direction. Reality can be stranger than hypotheses.</p> Sat, 25 Sep 2021 08:00:00 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 8864 at /oss /oss/article/health-technology-general-science/emerging-science-careful-whispers <p>Some people crave whispers. As a way to relax before going to sleep, these whisper connoisseurs go to YouTube, type in four letters, and let their brain be transfixed by the murmurs of intimacy surrogates.</p> Fri, 11 Jun 2021 21:10:43 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 8760 at /oss /oss/article/health/heart-attacks-and-depression <p>A little-known fact in the field of cardiology is that the depression rate among patients after a heart attack is quite high. Rates of major depressive disorder have varied between 15% and 25% in cardiac patients and depression has been shown to be a significant <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/408863">predictor of mortality</a>. So, on the one hand, treating depression in cardiac patients should be an obvious proposition.</p> Tue, 03 Mar 2020 19:16:58 +0000 Christopher Labos MD, MSc 8164 at /oss /oss/article/health-videos/cracked-science-27-tapping-emotional-freedom-technique <p><div class="media-youtube-video media-element file-default media-youtube-1"> <iframe class="media-youtube-player" id="media-youtube-hrdtf-04k5m" width="640" height="390" title="Tapping Into Emotional Freedom Technique (CS27)" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/HRdTF_04K5M?wmode=opaque&controls=&enablejsapi=1&modestbranding=1&playerapiid=media-youtube-hrdtf-04k5m&origin=https%3A//www.mcgill.ca&rel=0" name="Tapping Into Emotional Freedom Technique (CS27)" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>Video of Tapping Into Emotional Freedom Technique (CS27)</iframe> </div> </p> Fri, 15 Feb 2019 17:21:00 +0000 Jonathan Jarry, MSc 7591 at /oss /oss/article/health-videos/cracked-science-26-psychedelic-renaissance <p><div class="media-youtube-video media-element file-default media-youtube-2"> <iframe class="media-youtube-player" id="media-youtube-dlydmbxadoo" width="640" height="390" title="The Psychedelic Renaissance (CS26)" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/dlYDMbxAdoo?wmode=opaque&controls=&enablejsapi=1&modestbranding=1&playerapiid=media-youtube-dlydmbxadoo&origin=https%3A//www.mcgill.ca&rel=0" name="The Psychedelic Renaissance (CS26)" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>Video of The Psychedelic Renaissance (CS26)</iframe> </div> </p> Thu, 31 Jan 2019 17:11:13 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 7566 at /oss /oss/article/book-review-living-chemical-age <p><span>I once</span> <a href="http://www.bodyofevidence.ca/blog/when-skeptic-goes-spa">attended a presentation</a> on the wonders of raw food and sous-vide cooking at a spa resort. What was fascinating was seeing the gradual reaction of my fellow attendees as the presenter piled on fear over risk over danger. Gluten irritates our colon; milk is acidifying; cooked meat is brimming with carcinogens. Oh, and aluminum foil kills our brain.</p> Thu, 31 May 2018 17:20:00 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 7116 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition-quackery/aromatherapy-fragrant-medicine-or-stinky-pseudoscience <p>You may believe that essential oils possess curative powers. Many websites praise the numerous healing properties of these concentrated smelly compounds, from the immune-boosting potential of oregano to the stress-reducing scent of sweet orange oil. These same websites will often provide you with a convenient way of purchasing these elixirs, of course. Why simply inform when you can sell as well?</p> Thu, 28 Sep 2017 14:18:23 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 2648 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know/medical-benefits-massage <p>A<a href="http://www.anatomyfacts.com/Research/Massage%20Journal%20Club/January07/Moyer.pdf"> 2004 paper</a> reviewed the research on massage therapy available at the time and found some interesting things. After one massage session, massage clients show reduced heart rates, blood pressures, cortisol levels (the main stress hormone) and anxiety, and after several sessions, clients showed remarkable drops in depression levels, on par with the positive effects of psychotherapy.</p> Tue, 26 Sep 2017 19:36:34 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 2646 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-health-general-science/why-do-we-yawn-when-we-exercise <p>Am I the only one who tries to ‘swallow my head’ as my Nana used to say while exercising? For a while, I thought so! But a Google search told me I'm not alone. Many people suffer from constant yawning when they are physically active. So why do we yawn when we exercise? Well, why do we yawn at all?</p> Thu, 17 Aug 2017 15:53:55 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 2603 at /oss /oss/article/health-general-science/exam-stress-and-genetics <p>I don’t know about you, but I just cannot stand exams. <span>Give me research projects, essays, even practical lab examinations, and I excel.</span></p> <p>But something about sitting at a desk, staring at a scantron and being expected to pour knowledge out of my head just makes me freeze up and score, well, let’s just say I sometimes ride the bell curve. <span>Luckily, it seems like I’m not alone.</span></p> Mon, 17 Jul 2017 16:57:08 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 2575 at /oss /oss/article/health-quackery-toxicity/forget-homeopathic-arsenic-stress-reduction <div> <div> <div> <div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Wed, 18 May 2016 09:26:06 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2339 at /oss