/oss/taxonomy/term/1678/all en /oss/article/critical-thinking-general-science/when-numbers-get-politicized <p>Do political beliefs affect our ability to crunch numbers?</p> <p>Our brain is not straightforward. The past few years have served as a wake-up call for people who had not realized that believing weird things is quite common. From the rise of QAnon to the politicized debates over mask-wearing and the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines, it has become abundantly transparent that our thinking easily zigs and zags according to our preconceptions. But what about math?</p> Wed, 21 Apr 2021 16:56:17 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 8709 at /oss /oss/article/health-videos/right-chemistry-cause-and-effect-vs-association <p><div class="media-youtube-video media-element file-default media-youtube-1"> <iframe class="media-youtube-player" id="media-youtube-ccfh2nlgmge" width="640" height="390" title="Dr. Joe Schwarcz on cause and effect vs. association" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/ccfH2NLGmgE?wmode=opaque&controls=&enablejsapi=1&modestbranding=1&playerapiid=media-youtube-ccfh2nlgmge&origin=https%3A//www.mcgill.ca&rel=0" name="Dr. Joe Schwarcz on cause and effect vs. association" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>Video of Dr. Joe Schwarcz on cause and effect vs. association</iframe> </div> </p> Mon, 03 Jun 2019 16:58:32 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7787 at /oss /oss/article/history/40-years-human-experimentation-america-tuskegee-study <p>Starting in 1932, 600 African American men from Macon County, Alabama were enlisted to partake in a scientific experiment on syphilis. The “Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male,” was conducted by the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) and involved blood tests, x-rays, spinal taps and autopsies of the subjects.</p> Fri, 25 Jan 2019 17:00:00 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 7554 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-food-health-news-you-asked/you-asked-blueberries-and-milk <p><em>“I put blueberries and milk on my cereal in the morning. Which one should I give up?” </em></p> Wed, 03 Dec 2014 03:04:16 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2217 at /oss /oss/article/health-you-asked/you-asked-it-true-people-who-drink-tea-live-longer-longer <p>Drink tea to live longer? Newspaper headlines may have said that, but, that is not exactly what the study they were referring to said. Nevertheless it is an interesting study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a highly respected peer-reviewed publication. The study evaluated intake of flavonoids in an elderly Australian female population through food frequency questionnaires. Flavonoids constitute a huge class of compounds found in plants, members of which are linked through a basic molecular structure they share.</p> Tue, 25 Aug 2015 12:17:47 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2280 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-health-toxicity-you-asked/you-asked-should-we-be-concerned-about-parabens-cosmetics <p>Not if you look at the numbers. Many cosmetics now advertise "no parabens," as they cater to chemical paranoia. Parabens are very effective preservatives and prevent bacterial growth in creams and lotions. The reason that they have made news is that they have estrogenic activity. But the fact is that this activity by comparison to the body's natural estrogen is essentially insignificant, some 10,000 times less. Based on studies carried out with animals, the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) has been determined to be about 800 mgs per kg of body mass.</p> Fri, 28 Aug 2015 14:30:57 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2281 at /oss /oss/article/aging-health-news/90-study <p style="text-align:justify">When medical students do their first rotation in paediatrics, they are told that children are not small adults. They are a different species! Children respond differently to diet and drugs than adults. Now we are learning that the same situation may prevail for those over the age of 90. They too are a different species. And they are the fastest growing segment of the North American population. Thanks to the ongoing 90+ Study headed by Dr. Claudia Kawas of the University of California, these nonagenarians are set to teach us about aging in a healthy fashion.</p> Wed, 14 May 2014 14:14:49 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2145 at /oss /oss/article/health/want-lose-weight-then-run-dont-walk-study <p style="text-align:justify"><a href="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/?p=4728"><img alt="Runner" height="150" src="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/files/2013/04/runner2-150x150.jpg" width="150" /></a>Need to lose weight? Running will help more than walking, according to new research.And to keep off those lost pounds, continue running, suggests Paul Williams, a staff scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, who compared weight loss and weight control in thousands of runners and walkers over six years.The same amount of exercise in adults with a body mass index over 28 (deemed overweight) resulted in 90 percent greater weight loss for runners compared to walkers, he found."Running is more effective than walking in preventing weight gain and achieving weight loss," he said. Both groups shed pounds, but the runners lost more, Williams found.That doesn't mean vigorous exercise is all you need to do to lose weight. "You do have to add dieting," he said. "Exercise is not by itself the most effective way."More than one-third of adults in the United States are obese, putting them at risk of serious health risks such as diabetes and heart disease.For the new study, published in the April issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, Williams evaluated changes in body mass index (BMI) of more than 32,000 runners and more than 15,000 walkers. (BMI is a calculation of body fat based on height and weight). <a href="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/2013/04/09/want-to-lose-weight-then-run-dont-walk-study/">Read more</a></p> Tue, 09 Apr 2013 19:54:24 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1905 at /oss