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The OSS is proud to host the annual Lorne Trottier Public Science Symposium, taking place on October 28-29, 2013. This year's theme: "Is that a FACT? Making Sense of the Headlines."

Speakers:

Timothy Caulfield, Professor in the Faculty of Law and the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta. Topic: "The Truth About What Makes Us Healthy"

John Ioannidis, Director of the Stanford Research Prevention Center. Topic: "Improvements in Reproducible Research"

Eugenie Scott, Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education. Topic: "Ban, Balance and Belittle: Teaching Evolution and Anthropogenic Climate Change"

Michael Specter, Staff Writer, The New Yorker. Topic: "Denialism: Running from Reality"

Visit the Symposium homepage for more details.

ARTICLE OF THE WEEK:    Joe Schwarcz: Does danger lurk in plastic bottles?

Latest OSS Blog Articles:

Joe Schwarcz: PETA’s science is for wing nuts
Gentlemen, don’t look now, but if you are coming up short in your shorts, it may be because your mother ate too many chicken wings while she was pregnant. At least that was the message delivered to the organizers of the National Buffalo Wing Festival by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the extremist animal-rights activist group. PETA claims that “findings published by the Study for Future Families showed that eating poultry during pregnancy may lead to smaller penis size in male infants.”  Read More.

A Different Type of Electric Chair
I was asked by a salesman for the “Magnesphere” Company to take a look at their magnetic system that is supposed to treat various conditions. The people who hosted me made no claims other than that sitting in this special magnetic field would lead to relaxation. Read More.

Does emu oil have any benefits?
So what is an emu? A bird. It can grow to about six feet and is native to Australia. It is a strange looking bird, but not as strange as some of the health claims being made for its oil. Read More.

Did You Know?

Nitric oxide is a messenger chemical used by the body to relax blood vessels and has therefore been studied for its potential to treat angina and high blood pressure. One way to increase levels in the body is through the administration of the amino acid arginine. But so far, the appropriate amounts for ingestion have not been determined. Nevertheless products containing arginine are being promoted to the public for the “treatment and prevention” of heart disease. They are supposed to be used “under the advice of a physician,” but are available over the counter so there is no control over their use.

For more interesting facts, please make sure to check out our "Did You Know?" section.

Most Recent Science Links:

Acupuncture as good as counseling for depression: study
People with depression may benefit as much from acupuncture as they do from counseling, suggests a new study. Researchers found one in three patients was no longer depressed after three months of acupuncture or counseling, compared to one in five who received neither treatment. "For people who have depression, who have tried various medical options, who are still not getting the benefit they want, they should try acupuncture or counseling as options that are now known to be clinically effective," said Hugh MacPherson, the study's lead author from the University of York in the UK. Read More.

Breast health linked to eating peanut butter and nuts
Dr. Graham Colditz, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and colleagues found that girls aged 9 to 15 who ate peanut butter and nuts twice a week were 39% less likely to develop benign breast disease by the age of 30 than girls who did not. Benign breast disease includes lumps or tender spots that turn out to be fibrous tissue and/or cysts, as well as other conditions like hyperplasia, an overgrowth of the cells that line the ducts in the glandular breast tissue. Read More.

What are the health benefits of olive oil?
Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) are considered a healthy dietary fat, as opposed to saturated fats and trans fats. Olive oil is a fat obtained from the fruit of theOlea europaea (olive tree), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean region, where whole olives are pressed to produce olive oil. Read More.

Omega-3s not tied to women's mental sharpness
Women who consume plenty of omega-3 fatty acids may not have better thinking and memory skills as a result, according to a new study. Some researchers have suggested that fatty acids found in fish and fish oil supplements might protect against memory loss. But studies trying to test that theory have been "all over the place," said Dr. Jennifer G. Robinson from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, senior author of the new report. Read More.