Office for Science and Society - Separating Sense from Nonsense

Memories of Underwear in Latin Class

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 19:42:51 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

“You will understand the joke after taking this class.”

Although it was many decades ago, I remember my high school Latin teacher’s humorous attempt to justify why we should study this ancient language.

“Semper ubi sub ubi” was the pun to which she was referring. It literally translates as “always where under where” and sounds in English like “always wear underwear.”

What Happens When We Don't Know Anything

Sophie Tseng Pellar BSc — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 14:26:37 +0000

We live in the most information-saturated era in human history, and yet a growing number of people feel like the answers to their questions have never been farther away. We are drowning in content but starving for truth. It feels impossible to know where to turn for our information, what to believe and when to make up our minds.

Can Science Even Test Prayers?

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 04:11:04 +0000

Praying to heal from illness is possibly the oldest form of alternative medicine. When that prayer is made to a divine being on behalf of someone else—like asking a god to heal an ailing relative—it is known as an intercessory prayer, from the word that means “to intercede.”

Prayers may seem to lay outside of the scope of science. If the being at the other end eludes the laws of our universe, how can science test the value of a prayer?

Capturing the Human Wind

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 16:19:04 +0000

The “Sex Machines Museum” in Prague (who would have ever guessed that there is such a place) has on display an item that appears to be made of a leather funnel attached to an inflatable leather bag. According to accompanying caption it is a “vanvera,” described as a device worn by 17th century aristocratic Venetian women under their voluminous skirts with the intent of catching gaseous emissions. Whether this is a one-of-a-kind joke item or was actually worn by women worried about social etiquette, isn’t clear.

Beating the Heat: The History of the Air Conditioner

Eva Kellner B.A.Sc. — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 20:44:26 +0000

While I thought I was lucky enough to escape Europe’s intense June heatwave, I was greeted by equally brutal temperatures upon my return to New York City. With temperatures exceeding 37ºC in the few days leading up to the Fourth of July, I was to be found either at the beach or in the comfort of my air conditioned (AC) home. In New York, and most of the United States, air conditioning is omnipresent. Homes, department and grocery stores, and even public transit are equipped with ACs, providing some relief in the scorching summer sun.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Angelina Lapalme — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 16:01:41 +0000

Movie slumps are the worst. You know when you’re looking through the titles on your streaming services, but nothing sounds quite right? And as you continue to look with little success, you get increasingly frustrated until you decide not to watch anything at all. Okay, that’s a little dramatic but I’m sure it has happened to us all. One way to get out of this slump is to ask for recommendations. Instead of going for Netflix’s usual “you may like…” personalized list, I decided to ask a friend.

Is There Really Magic in the Magic Eraser?

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 14:29:06 +0000

Sure, I thought, when I saw the claims on the box. “Mr. Clean Magic Eraser cleans dirt and grime like you never thought you could.” Well, I have a long-standing scientific interest in materials in the wrong place, which is exactly what dirt is. Mustard on the hot dog is fine, mustard on the tie is dirt. Getting rid of dirt means dissolving it in an appropriate solvent, reacting it with chemicals that will destroy it, or physically removing it by abrasion.

The Dogs That Speak: Breakthrough or Illusion?

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 18:54:32 +0000

In early September 2020, lightning strikes turned the forests of the West Coast of the United States into matchbooks. The fires recoloured the skies and their smoke veiled the sun. When that bright disk in the sky reappeared, at least one dog seemed to notice.

Not All Scientific Papers Advance Science

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 18:06:32 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

Research is the engine of science. But that engine should not be idling, it should be steadily propelling science forward. The extent of that forward motion is to be found in the estimated 10,000 papers spewed out every day by the world’s 45,000 or so peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Why do we Crave Junk Food During Stress?

Emma Haccoun Choquette — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Have you ever noticed that during exams, deadlines, or stressful life events, a salad suddenly sounds much less appealing than a bag of chips or a chocolate bar? You're not imagining it. Chronic stress can change the way our brain and body respond to food, increasing cravings for sugary and fatty "comfort foods.