/oss/taxonomy/term/346/all en /oss/article/pseudoscience/evil-eye <p>I must admit I’m not sure if the woman is just an intellectual simpleton or a clever charlatan preying on the gullible.  I suspect the former.  In any case, here is the story.  Upon invitation, and for a fee, this peculiar character travels from the Middle East to North America to rid people of the effects of the Evil Eye.  Evil what, you ask?  As featured in many cultures, the Evil Eye is a look directed at some unfortunate person, resulting in bad luck or outright harm.  The perpetrator is usually believed to possess some sort of supernatural power, although in some cultures an envious pe</p> Fri, 04 Feb 2022 21:47:02 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9017 at /oss /oss/article/videos/right-chemistry-fluoridation-and-childrens-iq <p><div class="media-youtube-video media-element file-default media-youtube-1"> <iframe class="media-youtube-player" id="media-youtube-4trjqm9hmw0" width="640" height="390" title="Dr. Joe Schwarcz on fluoridation and children’s IQ" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/4tRjQm9hmw0?wmode=opaque&controls=&enablejsapi=1&modestbranding=1&playerapiid=media-youtube-4trjqm9hmw0&origin=https%3A//www.mcgill.ca&rel=0" name="Dr. Joe Schwarcz on fluoridation and children’s IQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>Video of Dr. Joe Schwarcz on fluoridation and children’s IQ</iframe> </div> </p> Thu, 05 Sep 2019 15:25:21 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7900 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-diets-food-health-supplements-you-asked/you-asked-fish-really-brain-food <p>Is fish really brain food? P.G. Wodehouse certainly thought so. In his wonderful “Jeeves” stories, Bertie Wooster encourages his brainy butler to eat more fish whenever a particularly challenging problem arises. But to what extent does fiction mirror real life? One can make a theoretical case for fish consumption based on the fact that docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, the famous omega-3 fat in fish, is the main component of brain cell membranes, and that communication between brain cells is a function of the integrity of these membranes.</p> Sun, 31 Aug 2014 05:07:15 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2188 at /oss /oss/article/science-science-everywhere/fluoride-and-iq <p>One thing everyone agrees on when it comes to the addition of fluoride to drinking water is that the issue stirs up emotions, both pro and con. But the question should not be based on emotion, it should be based on relevant science. Whether fluoride can be used as a rat poison, which in high doses it can, or whether it is produced as a byproduct of the fertilizer industry has nothing to do with its efficacy in reducing tooth decay or with its safety.</p> Fri, 05 Aug 2011 17:12:13 +0000 Joe Schwarcz 1574 at /oss