/oss/taxonomy/term/1412/all en /oss/article/general-science/seeing-believing-right <p>A couple of weeks ago I attended the Israel rally in Ottawa. The afternoon on Parliament Hill was set to be a day of hope, commemoration, unity, and…. cold. The first of the major snowfalls was set to hit both Ottawa and Montreal the night before the rally and so we were gearing up not only in mind and spirit but also in attire.</p> Fri, 15 Dec 2023 17:45:13 +0000 Emily Shore, B.A, Dipl. PR Management 9762 at /oss /oss/article/history-environment/little-ice-age-made-christmas-white-forever <p>Our collective vision of Christmas landscapes is so immersed in snow that the very phrase “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas” conjures up imagery that is nearly all frosted, sparkling and white. This even though a snow-covered Christmas is the exception rather than the rule for the majority of the world.</p> Fri, 23 Dec 2022 11:00:00 +0000 Ada McVean M.Sc. 9338 at /oss /oss/article/you-asked/there-difference-between-real-snow-and-artificial-snow <p>Snow-making machines actually make tiny beads of ice, each one about one ten-thousandth of an inch in diameter. Water is sprayed from a hose together with compressed air. The air is needed because as it quickly expands, its temperature drops since it has to do work by pushing away air molecules. This cooling helps freeze the water. As the water freezes, it releases heat. This should be obvious when we realize that in order to melt ice, we have to add heat. The heat released is then taken up by the expanding compressed air. This is why the "snow-making" pipes are always high in the air. If t</p> Thu, 17 Feb 2022 15:29:52 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9027 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition/do-holidays-cause-heart-attacks <hr /> <p>This article was first published in <a href="https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/artificial-trees-secular-greetings-and-holiday-heart-attacks-some-answers-to-your-christmas-queries/">The Skeptical Inquirer</a></p> Fri, 24 Dec 2021 00:00:07 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 8966 at /oss /oss/article/videos/right-chemistry-space-artificial-snow-and-diapers <p></p><div class="media-youtube-video media-element file-default media-youtube-1"> <iframe class="media-youtube-player" id="media-youtube-guux1vcfa4s" width="640" height="390" title="Dr. Joe Schwarcz: On space, artificial snow and diapers" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/GUux1vCFa4s?wmode=opaque&controls=&enablejsapi=1&modestbranding=1&playerapiid=media-youtube-guux1vcfa4s&origin=https%3A//www.mcgill.ca&rel=0" name="Dr. Joe Schwarcz: On space, artificial snow and diapers" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="">Video of Dr. Joe Schwarcz: On space, artificial snow and diapers</iframe></div> Thu, 09 Jan 2020 21:44:05 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8076 at /oss /oss/article/environment-technology/tires-and-ice-dont-make-good-mix <p>Ice is great in a beverage or on a skating rink but we don’t want it on our streets. How do we melt it? Potassium acetate, sodium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride or  urea will do the job. They all interfere with the formation of ice crystals and can be used to melt ice.  They do, however, differ in effectiveness, potential harm to the environment and cost.</p> Fri, 10 Jan 2014 16:39:16 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2065 at /oss