/oss/taxonomy/term/3030/all en /oss/article/history-general-science/tryst-amethyst <p>An attractive amethyst geode sits on my desk. Geodes are rocks with an internal cavity that is filled with crystals of a mineral. In the case of amethyst that mineral is quartz, tainted with iron and manganese impurities that colour it an eye-catching purple. The geode has no function except to satisfy my, some would say peculiar, passion for collecting objects that have stories to tell. With “amethyst” the story is about its name, derived from the Greek for “wine” and traces to an ancient belief that wine-coloured crystals can ward off drunkenness.</p> Tue, 23 Feb 2021 22:47:33 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8629 at /oss /oss/article/am-i-drunk-hungry-or-both-alcohol-appetite-stimulant <p> </p> <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in</em><span> </span><a href="https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/am-i-drunk-hungry-or-both-alcohol-as-an-appetite-stimulant/">The Skeptical Inquirer.</a></p> Fri, 25 Dec 2020 17:00:00 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 8535 at /oss /oss/article/health/can-you-be-drunk-without-drinking <p>It all started with a stomach exploding in Uganda. It’s the case that’s often cited as launching the saga of a fringe diagnosis: <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2090274/">a five-year-old boy in 1946</a> was being treated for a chronic bacterial infection and he complained of abdominal pain. When surgeons operated, they discovered a significant tear in his stomach from which fluid and gas were pouring out. And there was a penetrating smell of alcohol. The child unfortunately did not survive.</p><p></p> <p></p><p> </p> Tue, 17 Dec 2019 17:22:56 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 8053 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-health/beer-liquor <p>Have you ever heard the saying "beer before liquor never been sicker"? Or “liquor before beer, you’re in the clear”? What about “grape or grain but never the twain”? Well, it turns out that there might be some truth to at least some of these adages.</p> <p>There are a few factors to consider here.</p> Thu, 06 Jun 2019 19:07:06 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 7791 at /oss /oss/article/health/testing-drivers-thc-lot-hard-testing-them-alcohol <p>To test drivers for alcohol consumption, we have the <a href="/oss/article/did-you-know/did-you-know-breathalyzers-dont-directly-measure-your-blood-alcohol-concentration">breathalyzer</a>. It’s <a href="/oss/article/did-you-know-history/breathalyzer-there-was-drunkometer">fast, reliable, portable and inexpensive</a>, but it will not work for cannabis.</p> Thu, 18 Oct 2018 18:13:22 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 7399 at /oss /oss/article/health/single-carbon-makes-all-difference <p>Oh what a difference a single carbon atom makes! </p> Tue, 25 Sep 2018 17:19:24 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7366 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know/did-you-know-breathalyzers-dont-directly-measure-your-blood-alcohol-concentration <p><span>The term “alcohol” to a chemist  means an organic compound that contains an OH group, but as far as the public is concerned “alcohol” refers to one specific compound, namely, ethanol. It is ethanol that we consume in wine or beer, and when we measure blood alcohol content (BAC), we’re really measuring blood ethanol content.</span></p> Sun, 11 Mar 2018 17:54:14 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 6960 at /oss