Թ

Subscribe to the OSS Weekly Newsletter!

What is soursop?

20 Mar 2017

Soursop is the fruit of a tropical tree, also known as custard apple, graviola or Brazilian paw paw. It’s a particular favorite in the West Indies and South America both for its tangy taste and its...

A History of Himalayan Salt

20 Mar 2017

In Roman times slaves were used to mine salt. It was not a pleasant chore. But today in the Ukraine some people willingly spend several hours a day in a salt mine. They are not there, though, to...

Fear of Vaccines

20 Mar 2017

It is almost inevitable that new technologies are opposed by some people. Nuclear energy, microwave ovens, pasteurization, genetically modified foods and vaccinations are classic examples. The...

Can hazelwood or amber necklaces help with the pain of babies' teething?

20 Mar 2017

Why are some mothers buying hazelwood or amber necklaces for their babies? It isn’t a new-fangled fashion statement. It’s actually old fashioned nonsense. These necklaces are being promoted as the...

Can phytoplankton cure cancer?

20 Mar 2017

It’s a compelling story. Tom Harper and his wife built a large shellfish farm in British Columbia but found it hard to make ends meet because of the expense of the feed that was needed. So Tom...

Water Quackery

20 Mar 2017

Water is essential to life. We all know that. But did you know that it can also cure all kinds of disease? Not ordinary water of course, the magic lies in drinking “clustered water.” This huckster...

Chemistry lesson for The Food Babe… and everyone else #21: There is no such thing as "chemical free!"

17 Mar 2017

If you buy a chemical-free product, you’re not getting a good deal. You’re buying nothing. A vacuum. What’s a vacuum? A space empty of all matter. And what is matter? Anything that has mass and...

Chemistry lesson for The Food Babe… and everyone else #20: Organic Farming

17 Mar 2017

Organic farmers are allowed to use a number of pesticides as long as they come from a natural source. Pyrethrum, an extract of chrysanthemum flowers, has long been used to control insects. The...

Chemistry lesson for The Food Babe… and everyone else #19: Alkaline Diets Do Not Cure Disease

17 Mar 2017

The best treatment for people prone to swallowing woo is a dose of chemistry. And one of the wooiest ideas out there is the one about alkaline diets curing disease. Gives me a headache. So let’s...

Pages

Back to top