Office for Science and Society - Separating Sense from Nonsense

Searching for the Elusive Fountain of Youth

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 22:46:23 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

Best Before but Not Bad After

Cat Wang MScPH — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 19:13:00 +0000

From grocery stores to our medicine cabinets, dates stamped on products carry a subtle authority. These "best before" or "expiration" dates guide our consumption, influence our purchasing decisions, and, in some cases, shape the ingredients list on our favourite food products. But what do these dates really mean? Who decides them, and how are they determined?

Are Levitating Trains a Health Hazard?

Haleh Cohn BSc — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 11:00:00 +0000

For anyone who flies into Shanghai Pudong International Airport, it’s a rite-of-passage to take the Maglev -- short for magnetic levitation -- train into the city. The railway is as much a tourist attraction as it is a transportation system.

I was on board the train this summer, gleefully watching the speed climb to over 300 km/hour, when I overheard the woman beside me ask if the magnetic field emissions posed a health risk.

Deceitful AI Videos Mislead Seniors on Important Health Issues

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 11:00:00 +0000

I had never received an email in Vietnamese before. My request for an interview had been written in English, and the channel I had reached out to made English-language videos, but the reply I received was a simple question written in Vietnamese: “What can we help each other develop?”

The man in the videos was white, but of course, he was never real in the first place.

Antsy About Getting Old? How about Some Ant-Yogurt?

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 21:58:26 +0000

I do get some interesting questions. How about this one? “Why in Central Europe did we as kids put a straw on an anthill, wait for the ants to crawl over it and then suck it for its sour taste? My mother did it and lived to 93!”

Traffic Has Increased at My Office. It's Because of the Ducks

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 19:15:56 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

The Bonk Stops Here

Sophie Tseng Pellar BSc — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 11:00:00 +0000

Walk any marathon finish line and you’ll see them: hundreds of sad, sticky rectangles decorating the asphalt like fallen soldiers of fructose. Energy gels, those gooey, neon-packet shots of “rocket fuel”, are both the saviour and the punchline of endurance sport. They’re a large part of the reason half the field finishes upright, while the other half spends mile 22 negotiating with their intestines.

Does Creationism Have a Place in Classrooms?

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 11:00:00 +0000

A new

Salmon Sperm and Penis Facials

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 04:35:16 +0000

Influencers really do influence. When Kim Kardashian, who is famous for being famous, revealed that she had tried a “salmon sperm facial,” dermatologists and wellness clinics offering the procedure saw an increase in business. The same thing happened when actresses Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchet sang the praises of the “penis facial” they received at a high-end skincare clinic in New York City run by celebrity facialist Georgia Louise.

Shedding Accurate Light on Light Therapies: What Photobiomodulation Does—and Doesn’t—Do

Daniel Barolet MD, FRCPC — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 19:34:29 +0000

Light is often described as the source of life—and in many ways, that’s true. It drives photosynthesis, regulates our sleep–wake rhythm, and influences mood. In recent years, though, light has also been promoted as a medical treatment. Some claims make biological sense; others, like so-called intravenous light detox, do not.

As someone who has spent more than two decades studying and applying photobiomodulation (PBM), I’ve seen both credible science and creative marketing. PBM can help, but only when the right wavelengths, doses, and treatment schedules are used.