/oss/taxonomy/term/1091/all en /oss/article/medical-critical-thinking-environment/there-are-safe-sunscreens-no-safe-tans <p>When it comes to health matters, scientists rarely make statements that do not begin with “may.” But here is one. Excessive exposure to sunlight causes skin cancer! There’s no “may” about it. And here is another one. Chemical protection can effectively reduce exposure. Uncertainties do, however, emerge when it comes to deciding on which specific chemicals to use. Activists claim that some sunscreens are unsafe and blame regulatory agencies for not looking after the welfare of the public, while manufacturers profess that their products have been thoroughly tested for safety and efficacy.</p> Wed, 03 Jul 2024 02:33:48 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9993 at /oss /oss/article/general-science/woes-parenting-are-they-all-woe-worthy <p>Thanks to social media and the Internet, we are flooded with opinions about what to do, and what not to do, from an array of physicians, psychologists, nutritionists, naturopaths, chiropractors and an assortment of “mommy bloggers.” The cacophony of information makes parenting more challenging than ever and that challenge starts even before a baby is born.</p> Thu, 22 Mar 2018 19:30:00 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 6969 at /oss /oss/article/health-nutrition/mac-and-cheese-scare <p>The media has jumped with vigour on a press release from an activist organization (KleanUpKraft) entitled “Testing Finds Industrial Chemical Phthalates in Cheese.” Phthalates are indeed “industrial chemicals” that have various applications. Of course just because they have use in a non-food application does not mean they present a risk if found in food. This is the “Food Babe Fallacy.” Ethanol, for example, is a widely used solvent in the chemical industry and is also added to gasoline, yet we happily drink it.</p> Fri, 14 Jul 2017 16:24:24 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2574 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-environment-health-news-toxicity/phthalates-and-microwave-ovens <p>It always pays to read the study! It really does, because popular accounts often misinterpret what researchers actually found and end up raising undue alarm. Of course it is raising the red flag of alarm that gets attention, and these days, with all sorts of bloggers scooting around to popularize their websites hoping to recruit advertisers, getting attention is what it is all about.</p> Sun, 20 Sep 2015 11:48:18 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2284 at /oss /oss/article/health-news-you-asked/dont-blame-water-bottle <p>I've repeatedly been asked about the circulating email that claims Sheryl Crow blames her breast cancer on chemicals leaching out of water bottles and warns women to never keep bottled water in the car in summer. Well, first of all, Sheryl didn't actually say that her breast cancer was caused by having left water bottles in a car. And what if she had? Is Sheryl an icon of science? Hardly. Unfortunately the singer was diagnosed with breast cancer, and when such a calamity occurs, people commonly look for possible causes of their affliction.</p> Tue, 25 Jun 2013 02:27:10 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1965 at /oss /oss/article/history-news/golden-marketing <p>Marketing these days is often based not on what is in a product, but rather on what it doesn’t contain. Labels scream no cholesterol, no trans fats, no gluten, no BPA, no phthalates, no parabens and the ultimate absurdity, no chemicals. Smirnoff vodka, however, is going against this trend with the introduction of Smirnoff Gold that has a hint of cinnamon flavouring and floating flakes of pure gold. The thin slivers of gold stay dispersed through the beverage, give the product a luxurious image and draw attention to the bottle on the shelf.</p> Fri, 18 Mar 2016 04:44:14 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2328 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-health-news-quirky-science/joe-schwarcz-petas-science-wing-nuts <div> <p style="text-align:justify"> </p> </div> Sun, 22 Sep 2013 20:05:15 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2015 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-cosmetics-environment-health-toxicity-you-asked/you-asked-should-we-worry-about-plastic-pollution <p>Plastics are the fabric of modern life. They’re in our cars, our planes, our kitchens, our electronics, our furniture, our bottles, our packaging, our floors and our medical equipment. We are using more and more plastics and unfortunately also discarding more and more. And that’s a problem. Plastic debris is commonly sighted on the landscape and is accumulating in marine habitats. A recent study revealed that plastics make up 50-80% of shoreline debris and accumulate in certain areas of the oceans. There is already a huge plastic wastedump in the middle of the Pacific Ocean!</p> Thu, 17 Apr 2014 13:54:14 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD & Alexandra Pires-Ménard, OSS Intern 2128 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-food-health-news-toxicity/dr-oz-and-phthalates <p>The title of the segment on the Dr. Oz Show was “The Secret Ingredient Companies are Hiding in Your Food.” What could that be? Some opiate to keep you coming back for more? Tetrahydrocannabinol to increase appetite? No. The segment was all about chemicals called phthalates. And companies are not hiding their presence any more than they are “hiding” the presence of numerous substances that are not added to our food supply on purpose but can be detected through sophisticated analytical methods.</p> Fri, 14 Nov 2014 04:39:25 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2211 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-health-news-quirky-science-technology/tale-two-bracelets <p>This is a tale of two bracelets. One brandishes flagrant nonsense, the other flirts with some clever science. We begin with a perplexing question I was asked while wandering through a mall in Phoenix. “How would you like to experience the benefits of nature captured in holographic frequencies?” Sniffing that some delicious twaddle was coming my way, I answered that I was keen to resonate with nature.</p> Mon, 03 Aug 2015 11:11:18 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2277 at /oss