Pseudoscience

Degree ABCs

Sophie Tseng Pellar BSc — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 16:37:00 +0000

Five minutes on health TikTok is all it takes. A pair of scrubs. “Dr.” in the bio. And a confident voice assuring you they can detox your liver, balance your hormones, or fix your chronic illness, with a supplement conveniently available through the link in their profile.

Credentials are flashed like VIP wristbands on social media, but what do they actually mean?

America's Healthier Past is no More Than a Myth

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 16:22:17 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

“Make America healthy again” sounds like a great slogan. It is loaded with nostalgia and … haziness. What is that “again” all about? When were those halcyon days when Americans were healthier than now?

The Gold Rush of Testosterone Replacement Therapy

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 11:00:00 +0000

If you’ve never injected yourself with dog semen, don’t worry: someone has done it for you.

Take a Broad View of the Mediterranean Diet to See the Benefits

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 11:00:00 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

The Placebo Myth Picked the Wrong War

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 13:43:10 +0000

There’s a medical myth with which a friend of mine and I have become obsessed: this idea that scientific research into the “placebo effect” began in earnest during World War II. As I’ve written before, the classic story is that Dr. Henry Beecher, a Harvard graduate transported to a military base hospital during the darkest days of the 20th century, ran out of morphine while treating soldiers in pain.

The Frivolous Costco Chicken Lawsuit

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 21:21:30 +0000

Talk about a frivolous lawsuit! These two ladies claim that they have been misled by the information on the label of Costco’s famous rotisserie chicken that states “no preservatives.” Why? Because the listed additives include sodium phosphate and carrageenan. That, they say, merited a lawsuit! They go on to say that Costco "has systematically cheated customers out of tens, if not hundreds of millions of dollars by falsely advertising its Kirkland Signature Seasoned Rotisserie chicken as containing no preservatives.” Really? Who exactly is doing the cheating here?

Dr. Michael Greger’s Bias Is Food for Thought

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 11:00:00 +0000

How can we distinguish between a sufficiently objective science communicator and an advocate? Communicating science to the public means choosing scientific papers, reading them, and appraising their worth before synthesizing all of this knowledge. We try to do it as impartially as we can… but what if we are ideologically biased?

A Case Study in Magical Thinking: Scentbird’s CEO

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 11:00:00 +0000

We often turn to successful people for advice. Bookstore shelves are heavy with tomes adorned with photos of rich luminaries resting their head on their fist, and podcasts can’t get enough of famous stars explaining how they got to where they are.

By following their breadcrumbs, we hope for similar outcomes, but the thing is, chance plays an outsized role in success. Those who ascend to the top may not be smarter or more rational than us, just luckier.

Grilling the Science Behind the Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 11:00:00 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

Gua Sha Is Exotic Wellness That Leaves a Mark

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 11:00:00 +0000

When sales go stale, embrace the romanticism of exoticism.

That is one of the tricks of the wellness industry: selling gadgets and procedures that come from ancient traditions far, far away. There is, after all, an endless supply of folk remedies that can be repackaged for a modern audience suspicious of medicine but desirous of all-natural lotions and potions.

The Crank Magnetism of Chiropractors

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 04:20:01 +0000

Did you know that a chiropractor can help you with menstrual pain and discomfort during pregnancy? I didn’t either, but some chiropractors in the city I live in seem to think they can do just about anything.

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!”

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.