Office for Science and Society - Separating Sense from Nonsense

The Sour Side of Our Love of Sweets

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 17:36:46 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

For the Love of Fibre

Sophie Tseng Pellar BSc — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Recently, while browsing the candy aisle (my natural habitat as a gummy connoisseur), I was confronted by a monstrosity: protein candy. Listen, I get it. This gummy abomination is merely a reflection of the cultural moment we are in right now.

It surprises exactly no one when I say that the wellness world is obsessed with protein. From Khloe Kardashian’s protein popcorn to TikTok-famous “David bars,” protein has infiltrated every snack imaginable. But amidst this protein craze, something essential has quietly slipped off the plate: fibre.

The What, Why and What to do about Hiccups

Ada McVean M.Sc. — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000

We’re all familiar with the sensation- an uncontrollable jerk of our diaphragm and an involuntary noise, stifled or not, that gives the condition its name. Hiccups are ubiquitous amongst mammals of all ages, but it may surprise you to learn that even in 2024, our understanding of them is somewhat lacking.

The Bystander Effect Started from a Lie

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000

You have just been attacked. How likely is it that someone will come to your help?

If you remember the infamous case of Kitty Genovese in 1960s New York, you may despair at ever receiving assistance. Psychology students are diligently taught about this watershed moment; fans of the HBO show Girls were treated to a whole episode about it; and this murder is a core part of the character Rorschach’s origin story in the celebrated graphic novel Watchmen. In the latter, a fictional newspaper headline sums up the tragedy: “WOMAN KILLED WHILE NEIGHBORS LOOK ON.”

Fill Your Stomach and Lose Weight? Not so fast.

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000

There have been many weapons used over the years in the “battle of the bulge.” There have been diets galore, medications to curb the appetite, and attempts to reduce hunger by filling the stomach with indigestible substances. Remember the cotton ball diet? It is best forgotten. It was a brief social media phenomenon in 2013 when model Bria Murphy, daughter of comedian Eddie Murphy, mentioned that she “heard” that other models were swallowing cotton balls soaked in juice and were losing weight. Not a smart thing to do.

From Oliver Twist’s Gruel to my Grandson’s Overnight Oats

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 19:29:12 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

Oatmeal was not part of my upbringing. My childhood breakfast in Hungary consisted of hot cocoa with a slice of buttered bread and, when the season permitted, green pepper.

“Electric Feel”: A Guide to How Touchscreens Work

Eva Kellner B.A.Sc. — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0000

I love the beach. What I don’t love is when I try to use my phone after taking a dip. One droplet of water hits my phone and somehow opens an app I didn’t know I had. Unfortunately for me, this is not an experience isolated from the beach. Whether it's sweat dripping on my phone while I’m uploading a run to my Strava, or answering a text fresh out of the shower, the water always seems to make my phone do the opposite of what I want it to do.

Why Can’t I Tell if Something is Wet or Cold?

Ada McVean M.Sc. — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Approximately half of the homes in the UK do not have a tumble dryer. My flat is lucky enough to have a 2-in-1 that washes poorly and dries worse, so we mostly hang wet clothes from a drying rack in the living room (it’s also too small to afford us a more convenient drying location than the middle of our living space, but I digress). Because we also don’t turn the heat on very often, I’m often faced with trying to decipher if a hanging shirt is wet or cold or both.

All About the Tylenol-Autism Brouhaha

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 10:00:00 +0000

At an unhinged press conference last Monday, Donald Trump and his medical acolytes revealed an actionable cause of autism at long last: Tylenol. In what felt like a social media post come to life, Trump fumbled his way through the word “acetaminophen” and declared it “NOT GOOD.”

The History of Acetaminophen

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 21:46:07 +0000

President Trump’s unhinged, ill-informed and potentially dangerous attack on Tylenol has focussed attention on its active ingredient, acetaminophen. Many others have, and will dissect his harangue (see Jonathan Jarry's article), but I’ll take his vilification of Tylenol as an opportunity to discuss the history of this medication.