/oss/taxonomy/term/230/all en /oss/article/general-science/playing-dead-rarely-answer-despite-what-nature-tells-us <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/playing-dead-is-rarely-the-answer-despite-what-nature-tells-us/">The Skeptical Inquirer.</a></em></p> <hr /> <p>Properly called “tonic immobility,” feigning death when approached by a predator is a fairly common tactic across the animal kingdom. Some creatures go the extra mile to sell the charade, excreting stinking bodily fluids to make attackers think they’re a rotting corpse that would be downright dangerous to eat. But should we (humans) ever do it?</p> Fri, 14 Apr 2023 16:55:26 +0000 Ada McVean M.Sc. 9480 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know/koalas-have-fingerprints-just-humans <p><a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/koalas-make-a-monkey-out-of-the-police-1313275.html">In 1975</a> police took fingerprints from six chimpanzees and two orangutans housed at zoos in England. They weren’t just looking for a unique souvenir; they were testing to see if any unsolved crimes could be the fault of these banana-eating miscreants.</p> <p>While these primates ended up being as innocent as they seemed, the police did determine that their fingerprints were indistinguishable from a human’s without careful inspection.</p> Fri, 19 Jul 2019 16:14:53 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 7835 at /oss /oss/article/videos/right-chemistry-plant-based-meat-alternatives <p><div class="media-youtube-video media-element file-default media-youtube-1"> <iframe class="media-youtube-player" id="media-youtube-0rvd4j-eiso" width="640" height="390" title="Dr. Joe Schwarcz on plant-based meat alternatives" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/0RVD4J-eIso?wmode=opaque&controls=&enablejsapi=1&modestbranding=1&playerapiid=media-youtube-0rvd4j-eiso&origin=https%3A//www.mcgill.ca&rel=0" name="Dr. Joe Schwarcz on plant-based meat alternatives" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>Video of Dr. Joe Schwarcz on plant-based meat alternatives</iframe> </div> </p> Wed, 26 Jun 2019 15:14:39 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7807 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-general-science/your-pet-cat-may-be-bit-more-dangerous-you-think <p>Cat scratch disease (CSD) is an infection resulting from a scratch or bite of a cat (or, in rarer cases, dogs or other animals). It is not the same thing as Cat Scratch Fever, an album by Ted Nugent, although CSD can cause a fever, as well as swollen lymph nodes, lethargy, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4184768/">neuroretinitis</a> and headaches.<br /> <br /></p> Fri, 17 May 2019 16:00:00 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 7768 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know/did-you-know-leafcutter-ants-are-farmers-who-grow-fungi <p>Leafcutter ants can strip as much as <a href="https://currielab.wisc.edu/research.php?area=Symbiosis+in+Grass-cutting+Ants">17%</a> of the leaf biomass from plants in their ecosystem and can <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leafcutter_ant">clear </a>entire trees in under a day. Next to ours, leafcutter ant society is the most complex society on earth. They build nests that can contain thousands of rooms and cover up to 0.5 km<sup>2</sup>, a feat that is necessary since a mature colony can contain more than eight million individuals.</p> Fri, 03 May 2019 16:00:00 +0000 ada McVean B.Sc. 7742 at /oss /oss/article/health-technology/can-allerpet-solve-your-pet-allergies <p>Want to cuddle cats but can’t stand the coughing? Want to romp with Rover but avoid the red eyes? Allerpet markets itself as the product for you! Sadly, though, it doesn’t work.</p> Thu, 07 Feb 2019 16:47:21 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 7577 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-health/you-can-catch-salmonella-your-pet-lizards-frogs-turtles-and-hedgehogs <p>Eleven people across eight states were infected with the bacteria <i>Salmonella t</i><em>yphimurium</em>. The cause? <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2019/01/26/dont-kiss-or-snuggle-hedgehogs-because-salmonella-risk-cdc-warns/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.3150d23febe3">Their pet hedgehogs</a>.</p> <p>An infection with salmonella is called salmonellosis and causes fevers, diarrhea, cramps and vomiting. Most humans are exposed when they eat contaminated food, but exposure to infected animal droppings can also cause infection.</p> Fri, 08 Feb 2019 17:00:00 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc 7578 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-environment/did-you-know-border-wall-between-us-and-mexico-would-cause-mass-ecological-damage <p>President Donald Trump wants to “build a wall” between the U.S. and Mexico that, depending on your political allegiances, will either keep out dangerous undocumented immigrants or will serve little purpose outside of wasting taxpayers’ money.</p> <p>One potential effect not receiving much media attention, however, would be felt by plants and animals local to the areas surrounding the border.</p> Thu, 17 Jan 2019 18:32:40 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 7541 at /oss /oss/article/health/bugs-our-guts <p>The Food and Drug Administration in the U.S.</p> Tue, 11 Dec 2018 16:28:46 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7482 at /oss /oss/article/health/woofer-madness-cannabis-companion-animals-and-what-legalization-means-your-pets <hr /> <hr /> <p class="note"><strong>Take-home message:</strong><br /> - THC is very dangerous to most companion animals<br /> - Medical cannabis has only a few uses in humans, and even fewer in animals<br /> - Cannabis, hemp or CBD treats, food or supplements are not approved or regulated by Health Canada. They are illegal and could be quite dangerous for your pets.</p> Thu, 18 Oct 2018 16:00:00 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 7396 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know/dragonflies-experience-much-g-force-fighter-pilots <p>Gravity and the human body have a finicky relationship. Too <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro-g_environment#Health_effects_of_the_micro-g_environment">little</a> gravity and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro-g_environment#Health_effects_of_the_micro-g_environment">humans</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro-g_environment#Health_effects_of_the_micro-g_environment">lose bone density, experience extreme nausea and become anemic.</a> Too much gravity and humans <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-LOC">lose consciousness and die</a>.</p> Thu, 23 Aug 2018 16:20:02 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 7319 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-environment/goats-might-be-secret-tool-weve-been-looking-prevent-wildfires <p><span>Goats are really useful creatures. We use their milk, fur, meat and… firefighting skills?</span></p> Wed, 08 Aug 2018 15:02:08 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 7220 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know/queen-ants-dont-have-divine-right-their-thrones-just-right-genetics <p><span>Humans have classified more than 12,500 species of ants, and there are an estimated 10,000 more waiting to be discovered. Besides their incredible strength, almost all of these species have something in common: queens. </span></p> Thu, 02 Aug 2018 17:39:57 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 7200 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-general-science/fake-snake-news-how-not-identify-poisonous-snake <p><span>There are almost no poisonous snakes. That’s because for something to be poisonous means it’s toxic if ingested. Like hemlock.</span></p> Tue, 10 Jul 2018 17:06:08 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 7163 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know/pitohui-bird-contains-deadly-batrachotoxin <p>Did you know that the pitohui ("pit-oo-eey,") bird of New Guinea is the only bird known to contain a toxin?</p> Thu, 26 Apr 2018 19:00:00 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7041 at /oss