/oss/taxonomy/term/2132/all en /oss/article/history/cobbling-together-legend-nicolas-flamel <p>Once upon a time, about four hundred years ago, there lived a cobbler in Bologna by the name of Vincenzo Cascariolo.  But this cobbler was interested in more than just making shoes last longer, he was determined to make people last longer!  How?  By finding the secret of the “Philosopher's Stone!”  Vincenzo had to find a way to make the legendary magical rock that would not only turn base metals to gold but would also yield the "Elixir of Life."  To do this, the Italian cobbler had to dabble in alchemy.</p> Fri, 13 Aug 2021 19:30:36 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8807 at /oss /oss/article/history-news/golden-marketing <p>Marketing these days is often based not on what is in a product, but rather on what it doesn’t contain. Labels scream no cholesterol, no trans fats, no gluten, no BPA, no phthalates, no parabens and the ultimate absurdity, no chemicals. Smirnoff vodka, however, is going against this trend with the introduction of Smirnoff Gold that has a hint of cinnamon flavouring and floating flakes of pure gold. The thin slivers of gold stay dispersed through the beverage, give the product a luxurious image and draw attention to the bottle on the shelf.</p> Fri, 18 Mar 2016 04:44:14 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2328 at /oss