/oss/taxonomy/term/2118/all en /oss/article/medical-critical-thinking/how-nature-solved-problem-too-much-dna <p>When you consider how babies are made, you bump up against a basic math problem. No need for calculus here, or even the mental gymnastics of carrying the one. It’s a problem of doubling.</p> Thu, 16 Jun 2022 19:20:46 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 9139 at /oss /oss/article/covid-19-health-and-nutrition/mens-genitals-meet-coronavirus <p>Maybe we should focus on the penis.</p> <p>I have seen this suggestion proposed by science communicators many times during the pandemic. That the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective doesn’t seem to matter to some men: they see the illness itself as nothing worse than a bad cold.</p> <p>Maybe we should focus on the penis.</p> Fri, 04 Mar 2022 20:53:54 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 9043 at /oss /oss/article/health-technology/snowwedges-and-snowballs <p>“Snowballs” is the brand name for a type of specially designed underwear that is equipped with two compartments into which freezable gels encased in plastic, termed “SnowWedges,” can be slipped. The gels, are made of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and remain flexible even after being cooled in the freezer. The idea is that inserting the gel into the underwear twice a day for an hour each time will cool the testes sufficiently to maximize sperm production.</p> Fri, 13 Aug 2021 19:25:04 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8806 at /oss /oss/article/general-science/identical-twins-are-not-identical <p>There is a common parental misunderstanding that arises when the term “identical twins” is paraded around. Identical twins are known scientifically as “monozygotic twins.” This Scrabble winner of a term refers to the fact that these types of twins arise when a single sperm fertilizes a single egg to form a zygote, and this zygote goes on to split into two masses of cells that give rise to the twins. By contrast, fraternal twins are essentially regular siblings that are born at the same time.</p> Thu, 21 Jan 2021 22:37:58 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 8572 at /oss /oss/article/health/facts-and-myths-male-fertility-tight-underwear-hot-tubs-marijuana-and-more <p> </p> <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in</em><span> </span><a href="https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/facts-and-myths-of-male-fertility-tight-underwear-hot-tubs-marijuana-and-more/">The Skeptical Inquirer.</a></p> Wed, 26 Aug 2020 17:46:06 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 8379 at /oss /oss/article/evolution-health-history-sex/it-wont-grow-hair-your-palms-or-make-you-blind <p>Valentine’s Day is here and everyone is talking about love! But for many people in our modern society, a fulfilling love life also involves an active and healthy sex life. Although we have come a long way in the liberation of our minds and bodies from cultural taboos and socially imposed restrictions on our sexual attitudes and activities, we still carry with us many remnants from the past, from times when natural aspects of sexuality were frowned upon, discouraged or even demonized. Despite our recent sexual revolution, for many of us, the topics of sex and its idiosyncrasies are still dif</p> Sun, 14 Feb 2016 05:03:01 +0000 Adam Oliver Brown PhD 2319 at /oss