/oss/taxonomy/term/1632/all en /oss/article/history/learning-movies <p>Both groups struggled with the same problem. How to extract and purify a chemical that is part of a complex mixture? For researchers led by Dr. Frederick Banting at the University of Toronto in 1921 that chemical was insulin, while in the late 1930s at Oxford University for Drs. Howard Florey and Ernst Chain the target was penicillin. Both teams eventually solved the problem, but the paths leading to success were anything but smooth, as can be seen by anyone willing to delve into the extensive popular and scientific literature describing the discoveries.</p> Fri, 18 Mar 2022 18:14:03 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9053 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition-pseudoscience/here-be-homeopathic-chameleons <p>In the fight against pseudoscience, the idea that simply providing more information works every time has been questioned these last decades. The thinking used to be simplistic: when non-experts disagree with scientists, it must be because they lack the correct information. But as we have seen in the growing struggle against the anti-vaccination movement, feelings don’t care about facts. When your identity is shaped by pseudoscientific beliefs, you have made your brain more or less impervious to facts.</p> Sat, 27 Nov 2021 09:00:00 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 8933 at /oss /oss/article/critical-thinking-health/medical-error-not-third-leading-cause-death <p>In the first episode of the television show <i>The Resident</i>, a nurse tells the young protagonist that medical error is the third leading cause of death in the United States after cancer and heart disease. “They don’t want us talking about that,” she adds.</p> Fri, 27 Aug 2021 16:54:50 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 8822 at /oss /oss/article/nutrition/apples-getting-core <p>I’m fond of apples. Maybe it has to do with some youthful memories of an upset tummy being soothed with a grated apple sprinkled with lemon juice. Or perhaps biting into one rekindles thoughts of the great times we had with my kids going apple picking. Then there is the notion that apple a day is supposed to keep the doctor away. That is in spite of the toxins it contains! No, I’m not talking about traces of pesticide residues, I’m speaking of natural toxins. And the apple has plenty of those!</p> Wed, 16 Jun 2021 17:58:44 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8763 at /oss /oss/article/general-science/doctor-vs-quack <p>For example, my roommate who is sharp in finance but has no scientific training believes that dish detergent residues on dishes cause cancer, which is why she only washes her dishes with water. (Ironically, she will indulge without hesitation in cigarettes, fast foods and whiskey.) When I tell her that whatever particle of dish detergent that might be left on her dishes, even consumed over a lifetime, is highly unlikely to cause any ailment, and that there are many other things she can modify in her lifestyle that will be much more beneficial, she decided to stand by her beliefs.</p> Wed, 24 Oct 2018 18:14:43 +0000 Melody Ko MD, MSc 7412 at /oss /oss/article/general-science/am-i-going-die <p>Another case of chest pain. Almost anyone who comes to the ED with complaints of chest pain gets admitted. First task is to rule out ACS or Acute Coronary Syndrome. The differentials for chest pain are wide and varied, ranging from heartburn to musculoskeletal ache to something more serious such as a heart attack. A heart attack, or in medical jargon, a myocardial infarction (MI), is one of the conditions classified as ACS. ACS represents a spectrum of conditions that is characterized by a sudden reduced blood flow to the heart.</p> Wed, 24 Oct 2018 18:12:03 +0000 Melody Ko MD, MSc 7411 at /oss /oss/article/general-science/mans-last-days <p>To be fair, he did look very uncomfortable all the time, but we didn’t know how to make him feel better; until one day, we didn’t have to worry any more.</p> <p>Let’s rewind the clock.</p> Wed, 24 Oct 2018 18:07:07 +0000 Melody Ko MD, MSc 7410 at /oss /oss/article/quackery/cracked-science-05-bad-arguments <p><div class="media-youtube-video media-element file-default media-youtube-1"> <iframe class="media-youtube-player" id="media-youtube-k6arwc3t5qo" width="640" height="390" title="Bad Arguments (CS05)" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/k6arwc3T5Qo?wmode=opaque&controls=&enablejsapi=1&modestbranding=1&playerapiid=media-youtube-k6arwc3t5qo&origin=https%3A//www.mcgill.ca&rel=0" name="Bad Arguments (CS05)" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>Video of Bad Arguments (CS05)</iframe> </div> </p> Thu, 10 May 2018 18:00:56 +0000 Jonathan Jarry, MSc 7070 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-history-quirky-science/mystery-dr-james-barry <p style="text-align:justify">Today female doctors are not a rarity. But that wasn’t always so. And that brings us to the fascinating case of Dr. James Barry, a military surgeon in the British Army who qualified for his medical degree in 1812 at the University of Edinburgh’s Medical School. Barry had postings in Cape Town, Malta, Corfu, the Crimea, Jamaica and in 1831, Canada. Here, as Inspector General of Hospitals, he fought for better food, sanitation and proper medical care for prisoners, lepers and soldiers.</p> Fri, 25 Apr 2014 14:32:41 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD & Alexandra Pires-Ménard, OSS Intern 2135 at /oss