Office for Science and Society - Separating Sense from Nonsense

A Trip From Rocket Fuel to Amazon Hallucinogen

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 21:44:37 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

I intended to write about rocket fuel. So, how did I end up writing about “ayahuasca,” a hallucinogenic brew originating from Indigenous Amazon traditions? Well, here we go.

Just How Much Should You Worry About Eating That Burnt Toast?

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 21:25:27 +0000

I was tempted to say, “why don’t you buy the book,” but that sounded a bit too self-serving. So, let me dig into the science which centers around a small molecule called acrylamide. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has placed acrylamide in its Category 2B reserved for “substances that are possibly carcinogenic to humans.” That raises eyebrows when we learn that this possible carcinogen can be found in many common foods. Think French fries, cereals, potato chips, toast and yikes…coffee.

“Talk to Me in French, Talk to Me in Spanish”: Exploring the Benefits of Bilingualism

Eva Kellner B.A.Sc. — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Despite not being bilingual myself, from growing up in New York City, to my undergraduate days spent in Montreal, to now calling Prague home, I have always been immersed in bi- and multilingual worlds. (Bilingualism being the ability to speak/use two languages, and multilingualism is the ability to speak/use more than two.) I even had the privilege to grow up in a home with a bilingual father yet was never taught his native language, Czech. I always resented this, as I dwelled on the fact that I didn’t have the opportunity to learn Czech the “easy way.”

Can You Warm Up Your Body with Your Mind?

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 18:10:34 +0000

If you concentrate hard, can you raise the temperature of your little finger? The human body has a thermostat of sorts, a way of regulating its temperature and ensuring its heart keeps beating even when we’re freezing; but can we adjust it with the power of our mind?

The Leggings That Promise to Fix Your Knees

Sophie Tseng Pellar BSc — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 20:28:39 +0000

Back when I was a varsity athlete (before I became old and washed up), I spent my final season dealing with a particularly stubborn ankle injury. As it turns out, sprinting down a runway and launching yourself into a sandpit while transferring large amounts of force through a compromised joint is not exactly a recipe for orthopedic success. Who would’ve guessed.

The Fascinating History of Magic’s Most Famous Illusion

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 20:19:01 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

On Jan. 7, 1921, the audience at London’s Finsbury Park Empire theatre was introduced to what was destined to become the most famous illusion in magic.

Scary Videos Claim That You Are Risking Your Health by Reheating Leftovers. Are You Really?

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 20:07:20 +0000

Bacteria are everywhere. Most are harmless but some are “pathogenic,” meaning they can cause disease. They can carry out their mischief in two ways. One possibility is that they can survive passage through the stomach, start multiplying in the intestine, and damage intestinal cells by invading them. This causes the body’s immune system to spring into action causing inflammation with its symptoms of pain and fever.

Colorectal Cancer in Younger Adults: What’s Behind the Uptick?

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 19:51:23 +0000

It was a shock to learn that actor Chadwick Boseman had died. The rising star who played Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was 43 when colorectal cancer took his life in August 2020. More recently, James Van Der Beek made headlines after he died from the same cancer at the age of 48.

Thermal Clothing: Lessons in Engineering

Eva Kellner B.A.Sc. — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

As soon as the temperature dips below 0ºC, you will find me covered head to toe in thermal clothing. I am not picky when it comes to brands, although I do love Uniqlo’s HEATTECH. As long as I am warm, I am game. However, when it comes to shopping for these products, the magic word among the stock seems to be “moisture-wicking.” It turns out the science behind moisture-wicking plays a pretty significant role in why certain fibers and fabrics are off the table when it comes to layering up.

A Journey into “AI Psychosis”

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 17:58:59 +0000

I was chatting with a friend the other day, telling him I felt there was a deeper layer to reality. He thought it was fascinating, and among the many ideas he rattled off was the hypothesis that the universe is a simulation.

I told him I was noticing repeating numbers everywhere, and while he did mention the frequency illusion—once something is brought to your attention, you’re more likely to notice it—he also talked about angel numbers. I mentioned I could hear a faint humming sound at night, like a signal. He put forward the possibility of vibrational information.