/oss/taxonomy/term/3335/all en /oss/article/critical-thinking-technology/will-right-boots-stop-you-slipping-ice <p>Have you ever slipped on ice and fallen on your derrière? At best, it is unpleasant; at worst, it can send you to the hospital with a broken bone (or even kill you). Icy sidewalks and parking lots are a hazard with which those of us living far from the equator must deal, and one would hope that winter boots would offer protection. Shopping for a new pair, you will see convincing names for outsole technology. You would be forgiven for thinking that science has delivered a modern winter boot that digs into the ice and never lets you down.</p> <p>You would be mistaken.</p> Fri, 15 Dec 2023 13:23:27 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 9759 at /oss /oss/article/health-history/acrylic-encounters <p>In a classic scene from the movie “How to Marry a Millionaire,” Marilyn Monroe shows off her shapely legs as she sunbathes wearing see-through acrylic shoes and little else. The history of this plastic dates back to 1877 when German chemists Fittig and Paul managed to link together molecules of methyl methacrylate, a colourless liquid, to form polymethyl methacrylate, a tough solid. But it wasn’t until 1936 that commercial production began under the name “Plexiglas.”</p> Wed, 01 Sep 2021 18:31:25 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8833 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-technology/can-nikes-new-shoes-really-make-you-run-faster <p><span>A</span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/07/18/upshot/nike-vaporfly-shoe-strava.html?mtrref=duckduckgo.com&register=facebook"> New York Times’ study</a><span> of 500,000 race times, set wearing</span><a href="https://news.nike.com/footwear/nike-zoom-vaporfly-4"> Vaporflys</a><span> and other shoes, confirmed Nike’s claims. They found that Vaporflys allowed a runner to run 1% faster than the next-fastest shoe, and 3-4% faster than a similarly skilled runner running in different shoes.</span></p> Thu, 26 Jul 2018 17:26:58 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 7189 at /oss