/oss/taxonomy/term/2500/all en /oss/article/environment-you-asked/does-weather-really-cause-headaches <p>When the weather forecast foretells a coming storm, some get out not only their umbrella and wellies but also the Advil. The weather has been blamed for ailments from arthritis flare-ups to coughs, but is it culpable when it comes to headaches?</p> Fri, 04 Aug 2023 16:59:27 +0000 Ada McVean M.Sc. 9595 at /oss /oss/article/you-asked/what-can-sunset-and-sunrise-tell-us-about-weather <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in</em> <a href="https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/old-wives-tales-and-truths-2-0/"><em>The Skeptical Inquirer.</em></a></p> Fri, 14 Jul 2023 19:46:12 +0000 Ada McVean M.Sc. 9568 at /oss /oss/article/environment/problematic-perceptions-probability-precipitation <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/new-column/">The Skeptical Inquirer.</a></em></p> <hr /> <p>As Benjamin Franklin wrote in 1789, “In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” For everything else, there is an inherent degree of uncertainty. We don’t often come face to face with quantitative probabilities in our everyday life, save for one: probability of precipitation (PoP).</p> Fri, 24 Mar 2023 10:00:00 +0000 Ada McVean M.Sc. 9448 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know/your-allergies-are-getting-worse-because-climate-change <p>If you feel like your recent periods of coughing, sneezing and shaking your fists at the trees for producing so much pollen are getting longer, you’re probably right.</p> Thu, 10 May 2018 17:48:44 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 7068 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition/can-your-joints-really-feel-changes-weather <p>We all know somebody who believes they can “feel” when the weather is going to change. Maybe it’s your co-worker calling for rain because an old sports injury has started to ache. Or your grandmother faithfully rubbing her knuckles in anticipation of an on-coming thunder storm. Many people seem to think that there is a relationship between joint pain and weather patterns. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7659442">Over two thirds</a><span> of people with rheumatic diseases (disorders affecting your joints) believe their pain precedes or is caused in part by the weather.</span></p> Tue, 05 Dec 2017 15:50:13 +0000 Cassandra Lee, OSS Intern 6841 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know/catatumbo-lightning <p>Orange and red lightning above Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela produce a spectacular phenomenon that is visible for more than 500 km. This phenomenon commences one hour after dawn and lasts for 10 hours. Unlike normal thunderstorms, this thunderstorm always occurs in the same place and can be observed 160 nights per year. The origin of the Catatumbo Lightning is unknown.</p> Fri, 02 Jun 2017 16:26:34 +0000 OSS 2526 at /oss