/oss/taxonomy/term/200/all en /oss/article/critical-thinking-health/funhouse-mirror-risk-perception <p>The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated many preexisting problems. One of them is how to vet the avalanche of information flowing down at us on a daily basis. Another is how to properly assess the risks that we face.</p> Fri, 09 Jul 2021 18:22:36 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 8780 at /oss /oss/article/history-general-science/when-you-play-fire <p>There is an old saying that if you play with fire, eventually you will get burned. The same can be said for certain chemicals. Of course, I don’t mean “play” in the literal sense. What I mean is that when chemicals are produced, especially on a large scale, as many are, accidents can happen. However, risk can be minimized by adhering to good manufacturing practice and proper handling and storage of chemicals. Unfortunately, human error, negligence and greed can take a toll.</p> Fri, 25 Jun 2021 17:12:37 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8769 at /oss /oss/article/cancer-environment-health/hazard-and-risk <p>If you watched the news, read newspapers or surfed the web recently you will have been inundated with pictures of bacon and headlines describing it as carcinogenic. That’s because the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified processed meats as being carcinogenic, placing them in the same category as tobacco smoke, asbestos, oral contraceptives, alcohol, sunshine, X-rays, polluted air, and inhaled sand. However, it is critical to understand that the classification is based on hazard as opposed to risk.</p> Fri, 27 Nov 2015 01:19:00 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2296 at /oss /oss/article/general-science-quackery/chemistry-lesson-food-babe-and-everyone-else-7-difference-between-hazard-and-risk <p>We know that Ms. Food Babe’s scientific knowledge is negligible. Especially when it comes to understanding the difference between hazard and risk. This is important especially when it come to understanding the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s listing of chemicals as being carcinogenic. This list is based on hazard, not risk. Hazard can be defined as a potential source of harm or of some adverse health effect. Risk is the likelihood that exposure to a hazard causes harm or some adverse effect.</p> Wed, 15 Feb 2017 21:41:19 +0000 Joe Schwarcz 1459 at /oss