/oss/taxonomy/term/2173/all en /oss/article/history-did-you-know-general-science/male-musk-deer-owes-gratitude-chemistry <p>Arab perfumers in the sixth century were the first to discover that diluting the obnoxious smelling dried contents of the little pod found near the anus of the male Asian musk deer not only resulted in a pleasant odour, but when added to perfumes allowed the scent to linger longer. Musk was even incorporated into the mortar of important buildings so that it would waft a pleasant smell into the air. There was even a belief that the aroma had aphrodisiac qualities and would therefore enhance the pleasure of activities that might be engaged in.</p> Wed, 29 Jan 2025 18:01:17 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10239 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition-history-did-you-know/vitamins-are-vital-life <p>The term “food accessory factor” was coined by British biochemist Frederick Gowland Hopkins in 1906 after he demonstrated that rats fed a diet of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and minerals failed to grow. Although these substances were known to be the major components of the food supply, they were not sufficient to maintain health. Something was missing. When Hopkins supplemented the diet with minute amounts of milk, the rats thrived. There was something in the milk in addition to the usual nutrients, some “food accessory factor” that was necessary for growth. </p> Thu, 23 Jan 2025 13:00:00 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10233 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-general-science/gummi-bears-jell-o-and-king-kongs-poop-have-thing-common <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/article673329.html">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> <hr /> <p>What do King Kong’s poop, Gummi Bears and Jell-O have in common? They all feature a substance produced by heating an acidified extract of animal bones or skin referred to as “hydrolyzed collagen” but better known as “gelatin.”</p> Fri, 17 Jan 2025 20:17:14 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10232 at /oss /oss/article/technology-did-you-know-general-science/dangers-mirror-life <p>One of the better-known episodes of the original <i>Star Trek </i>series is called “Mirror, Mirror” and it dramatizes a freak transporter accident which sends Kirk, Uhura, Bones, and Scotty to an alternate universe. Their mirror universe colleagues on the <i>Enterprise</i> are greedy, violent, and bent on conquest. And Mirror Universe Spock sports a goatee, so we know he’s evil.</p> Fri, 10 Jan 2025 18:40:42 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 10224 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition-did-you-know-general-science/lactose-free-milk <p>Ice cream, milk, cheese, yogurt, cream, butter and all other dairy products haunt the dreams of people with lactose intolerance. Over 68% of the world’s population has some degree of lactose malabsorption which is the inability to properly digest lactose, the sugar found in dairy products. Until the introduction of lactose-free milk, these unfortunate souls had to take Lactaid pills just to be able to indulge in some of their favourite treats.</p> Fri, 03 Jan 2025 02:08:44 +0000 Angelina Lapalme 10218 at /oss /oss/article/history-did-you-know/bubbling-new-year <p>So, you celebrated the new year with a glass of the bubbly. But was it the right kind of glass? A little background first. Champagne is produced mainly from black grapes in the Champagne region of France. From the moment the Pinot noir grapes are pressed in the vineyard, where almost fanatical care is taken to ensure that not even a trace of black skin ends up in the white juice, to the moment the cork pops, champagne receives more care and attention than any other wine in the world.</p> Tue, 31 Dec 2024 20:54:39 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10216 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition-did-you-know/why-do-fruitcakes-last-so-long <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/are-all-snowflakes-really-unique-is-nutmeg-a-hallucinogen-why-do-fruitcakes-seem-immortal-and-other-festive-science-questions/#:~:text=Why%20Do%20Fruitcakes%20Last%20So%20Long%3F">The Skeptical Inquirer.</a></em></p> <hr /> <p>It comes down to the high sugar content of fruitcake and the not insignificant amount of booze included in many recipes.</p> Fri, 27 Dec 2024 18:52:33 +0000 Ada McVean M.Sc. 10215 at /oss /oss/article/history-did-you-know/santa-and-his-high-flying-reindeer <p>Let’s talk about flying reindeer. And to start, let’s travel to the snow covered fields of Lapland and Siberia, where the legend of Santa Claus may have originated. Hundreds of years ago the inhabitants of these barren lands tried to domesticate reindeer. But herding these animals was not a simple task, at least not until the herders found a most unusual ally in the form of a little red and white mushroom. Reindeer, it seems, just loved <i>Amanita muscaria</i>, or Fly Agaric, as it is better known.</p> Tue, 24 Dec 2024 16:07:20 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10212 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition-history-did-you-know/peanut-butters-history-goes-back-incas <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/article561786.html">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> <hr /> <p>Slap a tariff on peanuts!</p> <p>That was the decision arrived at by the U.S. Congress in 1921 after hearing testimony about how American peanut farmers were being undercut by imported peanuts from China. The witness was George Washington Carver, who also expounded on all the uses to which peanuts could be put.</p> Fri, 20 Dec 2024 21:04:02 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10209 at /oss /oss/article/critical-thinking-environment-did-you-know/good-old-dihydrogen-monoxide <p>You have probably heard about people who have actually signed a petition to ban dihydrogen monoxide. The petition states that this chemical is found in cancerous tissue, accelerates corrosion, can cause suffocation, can result in blistering burns in its gaseous form, contributes to global warming, and for those who have developed a dependency on it, complete withdrawal means almost certain death. Usually, the aim of circulating this petition is to demonstrate scientific illiteracy by drawing attention to people not recognizing that dihydrogen monoxide is just the chemical term for water.</p> Wed, 18 Dec 2024 17:50:36 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10205 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-general-science/smelly-truth-about-fragrances <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/article561182.html">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> <hr /> <p>Can a “fragrance-free” product have a smell? Absolutely. Can an “unscented” product contain any ingredients that have a smell? Yes. It’s all a matter of semantics, although there are no universally recognized definitions here.</p> Fri, 13 Dec 2024 19:38:53 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10198 at /oss /oss/article/history-did-you-know-general-science/it-all-comes-out-wash <p>Unless you are in the habit of reading the ingredients list on your laundry detergent, you are not likely to be familiar with sodium carbonate. Yet this industrial chemical of great importance has a fascinating history. So important that in 1775 the French Academy of Sciences offered a prize to anyone who could develop an efficient process for producing this substance, commonly known as “soda.” </p> Wed, 11 Dec 2024 22:11:46 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10195 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition-contributors-did-you-know/story-sushi <p>What is more romantic than an evening of sushi for two? Although this traditional Japanese dish has only become popular in the West relatively recently, the history of this culinary art with its unique zests and colourful presentation dates back to around 700 AD. It all started with a way to preserve fish! Raw, cleaned and salted fish was placed on a layer of hand-pressed rice that was allowed to ferment, meaning that naturally occurring microbes in the rice proceeded to convert some of the carbohydrates in the rice into lactic acid, an effective preservative.</p> Fri, 06 Dec 2024 05:51:01 +0000 Melody Ko MD 10190 at /oss /oss/article/medical-history-did-you-know/murder-most-foul <p>One of my favorite detective stories is Agatha Christie's "The Crooked House." The plot revolves around an elderly tycoon who requires daily insulin shots. He also suffers from glaucoma for which he has been prescribed eyedrops. Everything is fine until someone in the "Crooked House" switches the eyedrops with the insulin. Murder most foul!</p> Thu, 05 Dec 2024 18:25:23 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 10189 at /oss /oss/article/student-contributors-did-you-know-general-science/turns-out-you-cant-let-cold <p>I’m sure you have been told or have even been the one to tell someone to “close the door” because they were “letting the cold in”. While efforts to keep the house warm are noble, the advice is not supported by science. Cold cannot be let in because it doesn’t exist! Well, sort of.</p> Fri, 29 Nov 2024 15:20:43 +0000 Angelina Lapalme 10182 at /oss