From The Lancet, 1889: "I will simply say that after the first days of my experiments I have had a greater improvement with regard to the expulsion of fecal matters than any other function." What is this elixir of defecation? Tune in on Friday for my @mcgilloss.bsky.social article! :D

It's likely that the "Beecher running out of morphine, using saline and noticing a placebo effect" story is a Frankenstein's creature of a myth, stitching together various events including an episode of M*A*S*H. My latest for @mcgilloss.bsky.social: www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...

The founder and host of NutritionFacts(dot)org sounds fair, but his vegan bias colours how he interprets studies. I look at Dr. Michael Greger and how bias plays a role in scicomm. @mcgilloss.bsky.social www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that is triggered by the changes in seasons, typically from fall to winter. Taking vitamin D supplements is often touted as a reliable prophylactic treatment. However, there may be something better we can do. mcgill.ca/x/5i9

But seriously, this successful CEO is doing blood type astrology; trying to predict the future by saying the most banal stuff; and thinking that if you have flecks of gold in your hazel eyes, it means you accumulate solar energy. Ooof. @mcgilloss.bsky.social www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...

Preservatives in food are not rare, and cancer is frightening 🍟🍽️ But just how much should our eyebrows furrow? In Dr. Joe’s latest, he breaks down the results of a seemingly alarming study, and offers important advice to carry going forward 🚨 mcgill.ca/x/5wE

Time zones are a fairly recent invention, owing their origin to the North American railroad system 🚂🕒 Read our latest to learn about why time zones exist, why some countries operate on seemingly strange times, and how to have the longest day EVER! mcgill.ca/x/539

90-95% of us have been infected by the Epstein-Barr virus. Most of us won't develop multiple sclerosis. Yet, this virus lies at the centre of the multiple sclerosis web. My latest for @mcgilloss.bsky.social. www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...

Wellness influencers claim that Himalayan salt is purer, healthier, and possibly spiritually aligned with your chakras. The only problem is, it’s mostly bogus. Pretty and pink, sure, but bogus. mcgill.ca/x/5JR

You’ve seen that heart-shaped jade stone used to smooth out facial puffiness. It’s called gua sha, except the version done by influencers (including Hudson Williams!) has little to do with the bruising Asian practice. My latest for @mcgilloss.bsky.social. www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...

The "Tuskegee Study" - when lifesaving antibiotics were knowingly withheld from hundreds of African Americans in Alabama - is a dark blemish in American history. & here we are again, years later, and RFK is about to embark on his own Tuskeegee study, this time in the nation of Guinea-Bissau...

I wrote about functional medicine for @mcgilloss.bsky.social and was not so equivocal: www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...

My latest for @mcgilloss.bsky.social attempts to answer the following question: Why is it that, when you see a new nonsensical health gadget or practice, a chiropractor is almost invariably behind it? Why are chiropractors in particular drawn to so much bunk?

Happy New Year from the McGill OSS! 🥳 Take a look at our top content from 2025.👇 mcgill.ca/x/5oG

The Crank Magnetism of Chiropractors www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/... by @jonathanjarry.bsky.social "Chiropractic is not a medical specialty but an alternative practice concocted by a magnetic healer in 1895." "Many chiropractors advertise services, supplements, & gadgets..."

Did you know that bears don’t actually hibernate? 🐻💤 Or that animals can hibernate in the summer? ☀️ Get the latest scoop on what hibernation is, what it isn’t, and learn new terms you can whip out the next time hibernation becomes a topic of conversation 🗣️ mcgill.ca/x/5Zy

"So, what can research teach us about how children deal with the great Santa lie? And should we even be lying to children about the way in which gifts end up finding themselves at the foot of our Christmas trees?" My latest for @mcgilloss.bsky.social. Merry Christmas! www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...

“Best before” and “expiration” dates are not the same thing ❌ This article explains how these dates are set, when they matter for safety, and why some products last longer than labels suggest The science behind the stamps is more nuanced than it looks 🔎 Read more 👇 mcgill.ca/x/5kH

The script, visuals, and voiceover narration are generated by AI, and so are the fake studies brought up as evidence. A slew of AI-generated videos target seniors with unreliable health advice, using made-up papers. My latest for @mcgilloss.bsky.social www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...

Maglev trains levitate using powerful magnetic fields, which raises questions about health risks. The evidence so far shows emissions remain below international safety limits, and short rides pose no danger. The real question is long-term exposure, not futuristic tech. Read more👇 mcgill.ca/x/5kV

My article this week for @mcgilloss.bsky.social will cover AI & older adults, and I wanted to show them how realistic AI-generated images have gotten. Behold! Our director, Dr. Joe Schwarcz, smiling next to Donald Trump at McGill University--"perhaps the most beautiful university we've ever seen!"

Congrats to Dr. Joe Schwarcz from @mcgilloss.bsky.social and host of The Dr. Joe Show for being inducted into the CJAD 800 Wall of Fame. Catch him every Sunday at 3 p.m. on CJAD 800.

After Kim Kardashian tried a “salmon sperm facial”🐟💉 and Sandra Bullock hyped a “penis facial” clinics saw a rush of curious clients. But behind the buzzy names are just polynucleotides and growth factors offering only modest skin benefits. Get the full scoop in Dr. Joe’s latest! mcgill.ca/x/itR

Does Creationism Have a Place in Classrooms? www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/... by @jonathanjarry.bsky.social via @mcgilloss.bsky.social Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. And nope. "To quote Carl Sagan, science is a candle in the dark. We must not snuff it out."

A new poll seemingly shows that half of all Canadians are in favour of creationism being taught in their schools. But the phrasing of the poll's question begs more questions. My latest for @mcgilloss.bsky.social www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...

Gary Brecka has made a fortune endorsing hydrogen-generating tablets as a panacea. He's a great case study in just how rich you can get selling preliminary findings to the masses. My latest for @mcgilloss.bsky.social. www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...

Coffee connoisseurs, it’s time to ditch the tongue map myth. Your entire tongue can taste sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami — no “zones” required. Curious how this myth spread and why it stuck around? Read the full story on our website. mcgill.ca/x/iyU

Some folks dealing with long COVID are applying nicotine patches to their skin even though they're not trying to quit smoking. How this came about is a really interesting and bizarre story. My latest for @mcgilloss.bsky.social. www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...

"Les promoteurs du bien-être simplifient à l’extrême lorsqu’ils qualifient la nature de pharmacie à ciel ouvert." Mon article, initialement pour @mcgilloss.bsky.social, traduit en français pour @lactualite.com! lactualite.com/sante-et-sci...

Dr. Joe’s article 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. mcgill.ca/x/iy3

India’s traditional healing cornucopia comes with a side of heavy metal poisoning. Arsenic, lead, mercury... but also elephant dung? Ayurveda can harm your liver. My latest for @mcgilloss.bsky.social. www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...

Cutting education isn’t fiscal prudence; it’s social decay. Alberta’s strike shows what happens when a government treats schools like a budget line, not a lifeline. Money does matter. Teachers do matter. Democracy can’t thrive when classrooms crumble. Read more: mcgill.ca/x/iVX

Have you been tempted to try a low-histamine diet? Do you suspect you may have histamine intolerance from the food you eat? I looked into this trend and was surprised/not surprised by what I found. My latest for @mcgilloss.bsky.social. www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...

In the past, people blamed witches for disease and calamity; today, many people point accusing fingers at pesticides, vaccines, food additives, and technology 🧙🏻‍♀️🔮😷 Times change, but the fear of the unknown unfortunately stays the same ⏰ Get the whole scoop in Dr. Joe’s article. mcgill.ca/x/iHN

🧬 The journey from surgical bandages to the blueprint of life took a century of false starts, rivalry, and overlooked heroes. Read all about the discovery of DNA on our website 👇 mcgill.ca/x/iHc

If you missed this year’s Trottier Sympsoium (or would simply like to re-watch it), you can watch a recording of the presentation & the fireside chat on our Youtube channel! www.youtube.com/live/tmF0CDq...

Jane Goodall dedicated her life to wildlife advocacy and connecting humans with the animal kingdom— a mission she stayed true to until her final days. Yet, controversies surrounding Dr. Goodall’s book, Seeds of Hope, remind us of the importance of academic integrity 📖✅ mcgill.ca/x/iK6

In vivo CAR T therapy for killing cancer cells has several advantages over the ex vivo approach www.thelancet.com/journals/ebi... Nobelist Drew Weissman described it at the 2025 Trottier Public Science Symposium last night @mcgilloss.bsky.social

Superb symposium included Weissman's insights into in vivo CAR T therapy's advantages over in vitro; serendipity's role in the mRNA vaccine development; #RKJr 's dangerous hepatitis B policy; Joe's witty intro to #vaccines and a lot more @mcgilloss.bsky.social www.youtube.com/live/tmF0CDq...

AG1 has a new product out: a sleep aid called AGZ. The costly powder is a potpourri of wellness sleep hacks gentrified with slick marketing. My latest for @mcgilloss.bsky.social. www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...

The Genesis of the COVID Vaccine: The Path to the Noble Prize by Dr. Drew Weissman Trottier Symposium, by the McGill Office for Science and Society @mcgilloss.bsky.social www.youtube.com/live/tmF0CDq...

Again, sale of supplements = HUGE red flag for bunk! 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩 AGZ Is More Shaky Science from the Makers of AG1 mcgill.ca/oss/article/... by @jonathanjarry.bsky.social via @mcgilloss.bsky.social "The ingredients it contains have very little convincing scientific evidence behind them..."

Happening this coming Thursday! If you're in Manchester, please come! You won't be disappointed.

The Trottier 2025 Symposium is underway @mcgill.ca! Featuring 2023 Nobel Laureate, Dr. Drew Weissman! #Trottier2025 #mRNA #COVID19Vaccine

🏃🏅 Olympic medalist Fred Kerley just joined the Enhanced Games: a new event that allows performance-enhancing drugs. Are we witnessing the future of sport… or its downfall? Read more: mcgill.ca/x/izA

More often than not, when you read that something “may” have health benefits using the term “may not” can just as well substitute for “may” Read Dr Joe’s latest on how blue spirulina 🌀 has been caught in the weasel-word crossfire and learn what the product definitely IS below! mcgill.ca/x/izd

Dr. Jonathan Howard has a new book out. "This is as much a review of the book as it is a reflection on the state of public health administration in the United States right now, where the inmates are running the asylum." My latest for @mcgilloss.bsky.social. www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...

Transportation networks 🚃 Velcro, airplanes ✈️ and water filtration 🌊systems. These four things have one thing in common: they are innovations that owe their origins to nature🌲🌿 Get the whole scoop on biomimicry in this piece: mcgill.ca/x/iDW

That “miracle” plant killing cancer cells on Facebook? It probably won’t work in humans. Read our latest piece on why extracting drugs from nature is harder than it looks. mcgill.ca/x/iDd

We are bombarded with the message that nature is one giant pharmacy. But extracting drugs from it is a lot harder than wellness influencers believe. My latest for @mcgilloss.bsky.social