McGill Office for Science and Society (OSS)

12/16/2025

🧝🏼‍♀️🧌 Folklore in some European countries held that placing a straw in an anthill and allowing ants to crawl all over it, and then sucking on the straw, slowed aging 👴🏼👵🏾 A classic example of sympathetic magic, this practice has no roots in science🪄. However, place that ant-infested straw into a jug of milk… now that’s a different story 🐜

The origins of “ant yogurt” trace back to Turkey and Bulgaria, where red wood ants were added to milk 🇹🇷🇧🇬🥛 However, whether ant yogurt is any better in this regard than any other yogurt has not been studied. Get the full sip in Dr. Joe’s latest!

https://mcgill.ca/x/5k9

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!” Let’s deal with the living to 93 first. Many people live to 93 wi...

12/15/2025

Nearly half of Canadians now say creationism should be taught in schools, a figure that appears to be rising. But what does that actually mean, and does creationism belong in a science classroom?

This article examines the difference between religious belief and scientific theory, unpacks why “intelligent design” failed under legal and scientific scrutiny, and reviews the overwhelming evidence supporting evolution. It also takes a closer look at the poll behind the headlines, showing how ambiguous wording can inflate apparent support.

Teaching about creationism is not the same as teaching it as science. And framing evolution as “controversial” misunderstands how science works… and why evidence matters.

https://mcgill.ca/x/itK

A new poll shows that nearly half of all Canadians believe that creationism—the idea that living things on this planet were created by supernatural forces—should be taught in schools. More troubling, it seems, is the observation that the fraction of Canadians who think so has gone up in the last...

12/11/2025

Hydrogen tablets, oxygen masks, cold plunges, and peptides: all marketed as shortcuts to longevity. Gary Brecka has built a multimillion-dollar wellness empire selling improbable interventions, backed more by hype than by solid evidence.

This article examines Brecka’s claims, the science he leans on (and stretches), and how “biohacking” culture turns preliminary research into profitable lifestyle brands, often at a steep cost to consumers.

https://mcgill.ca/x/iFA

The penthouse at the top of the glass tower is vast, airy, and very angular. It boasts a four-car garage and six bedrooms, wrapped by a terrace with “sweeping ocean and bay views,” according to the listing. It has its own spa, gym, and sauna rooms. At 10,065 square feet, this Miami suburb palace...

12/10/2025

Ni****ne patches are being promoted online as a treatment for long COVID , but the story behind this idea is far stranger, and shakier, than social media suggests.

In this article, we unpack where the hypothesis came from, why early data on smokers and COVID was misleading, what lab studies actually show, and what we don’t know about ni****ne use in non-smokers. In a landscape filled with desperation and misinformation, it’s a reminder that plausible ideas still need solid evidence.

https://mcgill.ca/x/iyi

****ne

Long COVID can feel like being adrift at sea, tiringly kicking those legs to stay above water. Social media provides lifebuoys but many turn out to be tricks of the light. What about ni****ne? On Facebook, you will find sober recommendations to try ni****ne patches to save you from drowning in the f...

12/08/2025

Energy gels may be the least gastronomically appealing way to fuel, there’s a reason runners keep squeezing down these sticky packets mid-race. When your stored carbohydrates run low, a fast and reliable source of glucose can prevent the sudden crash in energy and focus known as “the bonk.”

The challenge is that not all gels deliver exactly what their labels claim. Recent testing found that several products contain less carbohydrate than advertised, which can matter if you’re trying to fuel strategically or calculate intake by the gram. If you’re relying on gels for performance, accuracy becomes part of the equation.

Understanding how much carbohydrate your body needs, when to take it, and how to choose a product your gut tolerates can make the difference between finishing strong and struggling through the final miles. 🏃‍♂️

If you want a straightforward breakdown of how gels work, how much fuel endurance athletes actually need, and which alternatives can serve the same function, read the full article. 💭

https://mcgill.ca/x/itz

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 ...

12/08/2025

After Kim Kardashian tried a “salmon s***m facial” 🐟💉 and Sandra Bullock hyped a “pen*s facial”, clinics saw a rush of curious clients. But behind the buzzy names are just polynucleotides and growth factors 🔬 offering only modest skin benefits.

While these facial treatments seem flashy ✨, the best way to prevent skin aging isn’t by addition but by subtraction ➖. What you want to subtract is sun exposure ☀️. UV rays are the real cause of “photoaging” 🌤️. Need proof? Just compare the skin on your face to the skin on your bottom 😉🍑.

https://mcgill.ca/x/ita

***m

Influencers really do influence. When Kim Kardashian, who is famous for being famous, revealed that she had tried a “salmon s***m facial,” dermatologists and wellness clinics offering the procedure saw an increase in business. The same thing happened when actresses Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanch...

11/30/2025

For those who are not well versed in napping strategies, a caffeine nap – a.k.a. the “nappuccino”– is when you take a power nap immediately after consuming a caffeinated beverage ☕😴 Of course, this method sounds incredibly counterintuitive 🤔 but there may be something to this napping method.

Enter: adenosine; caffeine’s arch nemesis 😈 Adenosine is like the currency through which our brains measure time being awake. For example, when there is less adenosine-receptor-stimulation, we feel more awake. Caffeine just so happens to bind to adenosine receptors, and in doing so, it promotes alertness in part because adenosine has fewer open receptors to bind to ☕️✅ The two-step caffeine nap may have its roots in this intercellular feud…

Get the full scoop below!
https://mcgill.ca/x/iFg

If there’s one thing to know about me, it’s that I never quite outgrew the afternoon nap phase we all went through as kids. Among my friends, napping was (and still is) considered to be my “thing." From my friends creating a photo album of me dozing in the library to getting me a pajama set fo...

11/29/2025

The pushers of “Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS)” for autism are not championing “health freedom” as they claim ⚠️

When the contents of MMS are mixed, a solution of chlorine dioxide (ClO2) is produced, which is a strong oxidizing agent. When ingested, this solution has a number of adverse health impacts on the body, it is basically poison. Those who push MMS as a “cure” for autism are quacks handsomely profiting from repackaging a cheap, potentially dangerous industrial bleaching agent that they shamelessly promote as a cure for an incurable disease 🚫💉

Get the whole scoop in Dr. Joe’s latest.
https://mcgill.ca/x/iFf

11/26/2025

You’ve probably heard it before: the tip of your tongue tastes sweet, the sides taste salty, and the back tastes bitter. It shows up in classrooms, coffee tastings, and TikTok tutorials. But here’s the twist — the tongue map is a myth.

The idea came from an early 1900s study that got wildly misinterpreted. In reality, all parts of your tongue can detect all basic tastes; sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. No dramatic espresso swishing required.

So how did this myth gain traction? And who finally set the record straight? From Aristotle’s weird flavor adjectives to Virginia Collins’ myth-busting research, we’re tracing the tangled history of taste.

Get the full story — and finally free your taste buds — on our website.

https://mcgill.ca/x/iyw

Let me set the scene: it’s the evening, I’m doomscrolling in bed (as is tradition), and a video from Emma Chamberlain pops up. She's slurping espresso with a “coffee expert” who confidently explains that this technique helps spray the coffee across different “taste zones” of the tongue: ...

11/25/2025

Osteoarthritis, hair growth, acne, and even cancer are some of the many ailments targeted by light therapy 🦴💇‍♀️💡 Research showing that certain wavelengths can have beneficial effects has fueled a booming industry of “light therapy,” ranging from the utterly nonsensical to the genuinely helpful 🔦

Dr. Joe’s latest shines light on the various forms of light therapy used today 🕯️💊 While some therapies may have real merit, he cautions against shadowy clinics ⚠️ making baseless claims about intravenous light therapy.

https://mcgill.ca/x/iyJ

11/21/2025

Ayurveda is often framed as a natural, ancient alternative to modern medicine. But what happens when tradition collides with evidence — and when cultural reverence shields practices from scrutiny?

Our latest article explores real clinical cases, including a 14-year-old patient with liver failure linked not to alcohol use (as her biopsy suggested) but to contaminated and adulterated herbal treatments. It highlights how pseudoscientific frameworks, outdated diagnostic methods, and unregulated supplements can lead to preventable harm.

This isn’t a critique of culture: it’s a reminder that all medical systems must be accountable to evidence, transparency, and patient safety.

Read the full article to examine the claims behind Ayurveda, the science uncovering its risks, and what happens when challenging misinformation becomes dangerous.

https://mcgill.ca/x/iCo

11/20/2025

“Countries that drink MILK win more NOBEL PRIZES”… according to my milk carton🥛👀. Skeptical, I decided to dig deeper. Turns out, this outlandish statement has roots in not-so-kind-of-outlandish science, with studies linking chocolate and milk consumption to Nobel wins🍫🇸🇪.

However, the catch is that we cannot accept correlation as causation, as convenient as it may be. (Of course, I wish that eating chocolate could make me win a Nobel!) Just because people in certain countries drink more milk (or eat more chocolate) doesn’t mean it’s fueling genius. These studies remind us that science can be lighthearted, but if something seems too good to be true, it might just be.

Read this week’s piece to uncover why it’s worth taking scientific claims with a healthy splash of skepticism (and milk!).

https://mcgill.ca/x/iC3

“The countries that drink MILK WIN more NOBEL PRIZES.” Imagine my surprise when I opened the fridge for some milk to add to my coffee and was greeted by this statement. Puzzled, I couldn’t help but scoff as I poured the milk into my cup. Before returning it to the fridge, I of course snapped a...