/oss/taxonomy/term/747/all en /oss/article/health-and-nutrition/concerns-about-cookware-chemistry <p>Like most chemists, I like to cook.  After all, what is cooking but the appropriate mixing of chemicals?  In the lab we use flasks and beakers, but how do we equip our kitchen?  Tiffany's in New York offers a silver frying pan for thousands of dollars, specialty stores sell gleaming copper pots for a couple of hundred while a thin aluminum pot can be had almost anywhere for a few bucks.  What's the difference? </p> Fri, 21 Jan 2022 19:45:13 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9001 at /oss /oss/article/covid-19-videos/july-2-2020-covid-and-more-conversations-mcgill-oss <p>The ���ϲ����� Office for Science and Society returned with another “COVID and More" this week. Some of the topics discussed included vaccine progress and sentiment, the sensitivity and specificity of testing, copper in facemasks, microplastics in face masks, & playing Mahjong outdoors!</p> Thu, 02 Jul 2020 17:04:26 +0000 OSS 8319 at /oss /oss/article/covid-19-health-pseudoscience/can-moscow-mule-kick-out-coronavirus <p>Can a Moscow Mule reduce the chance of becoming infected by the coronavirus? That’s just one of the many unusual questions that has come my way as a panicked population clutches at every possible straw. There’s no worry about being kicked by this mule, not in the traditional sense anyway. That’s because this “mule” is a cocktail made by mixing vodka, ginger beer, lime juice and ice cubes that is traditionally served in a copper mug, probably to keep the beverage cold longer.</p> Wed, 29 Apr 2020 13:46:36 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8229 at /oss /oss/article/health/dental-amalgam-whats-drill <p>While dental amalgam has been in use for well over a century, some controversy has arisen in recent decades regarding possible toxicity due to its mercury content. The internet is rife with articles claiming that silver fillings are causing a plethora of disease processes. ‘Holistic’ dentists warn about the inherent risk of these restorations, imploring their replacement.</p> Wed, 06 Nov 2019 20:44:50 +0000 Mark Grossman BSc, DDS, Contributor 7982 at /oss /oss/article/technology/no-need-be-dark-about-light-bulb <p>Way back in 1802, Humphrey Davy, one of the most brilliant chemists of all time, became interested in the novel phenomenon of electricity. By this time he had already published a treatise on the pain killing properties of laughing gas and had suggested it's use in surgical operations. As a result of his chemical prowess he was invited to further his career at the Royal Institution in London, which had been established with the object of "combining useful knowledge with the amusement and instruction of the higher ranks."</p> Tue, 06 Nov 2018 20:06:07 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7434 at /oss /oss/article/health-you-asked/can-copper-bracelets-help-arthritis <p>Diseases, such as arthritis, which have no known cure often drive sufferers to what orthodox science might call "questionable treatments." The wearing of copper bracelets to ease the symptoms of arthritis is a case in point. This practice does indeed sound nonsensical; after all, how could wearing a bracelet affect the inner workings of the body? Well, perhaps if some of the copper dissolved in sweat and was absorbed into the body, one could make a case, albeit probably a feeble one. But does copper dissolve in this fashion?</p> Sun, 18 Nov 2012 00:52:21 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1796 at /oss