Pseudoscience

Red Cabbage Does Not Know the Sex of Your Baby

Angelina Lapalme — Fri, 15 May 2026 19:07:20 +0000

Old wives’ tales were the original social media trends. One person would try something new to fix a problem, convinced themselves that it worked, and pass the tip along to their friends and children until it spread, slowly. Today, these tales still circulate but their reach has exploded thanks to the invention of a story teller’s most powerful tool: the internet. And now, it seems that red cabbage is having its moment.

Health Monitoring Has Come a Long Way, From Rolled-Up Paper to AI

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 14 May 2026 21:14:04 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

Remember Theranos, the company that promised to revolutionize longevity by making health data instantly available from blood collected from a finger prick, allowing for “alerts” to make lifestyle changes?

Alex Clark’s Right-Wing Wellness Podcast Reaches New Lows

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Thu, 14 May 2026 18:43:31 +0000

“Raw milk is better for your teeth than any of these toothpastes you’ll get.”

There Is a Hair-Raising Amount of Chemicals Around Us: Are We in Danger?

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 08 May 2026 10:01:00 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

Until recently, I had not given any thought to hair extensions, although I was once in a salon where I was amazed at the variety of these products. They were to be found in every possible length, shade and style, made either of real hair or of various synthetic fibres.

Farmers’ Almanacs Are No Better than a Coin Toss

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Thu, 07 May 2026 17:45:51 +0000

A bicentenarian is about to die but I doubt many will notice. Farmers’ Almanac is calling it quits after being in business for 208 years. Its 2026 issue will be its last.

RFK Jr. Has Visions of the Therapeutic Use of Psychedelics Dancing in His Head

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Tue, 05 May 2026 19:54:22 +0000

U.S Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. is sticking his fingers into many pies. One of these contains psychedelics that are either synthetic or natural substances capable of producing changes in mood, cognitive processes and an altered perception of reality often accompanied by hallucinations. Kennedy believes that the U.S. government has hindered research into psychedelics which have been unjustifiably painted with a broad brush as being dangerous.

Why Sunscreen Still Beats Steak

Sophie Tseng Pellar BSc — Fri, 01 May 2026 03:39:26 +0000

This story started like many modern tales of data distortion do, where the science isn’t denied outright, but bent just enough to fit a more convenient (and lucrative) narrative. Let me regretfully introduce you to Kashif Khan—a self-proclaimed “Truth Teller and Longevity Innovator”. It should be noted, however, that for a man who has built his career around dispensing health advice, his résumé appears to be entirely free of anything resembling a medical or scientific qualification. No degree, no training, not even a suspiciously vague wellness certification.

The Hallmarks of Pseudoscience

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 01 May 2026 02:59:11 +0000

I’ve been investigating pseudoscientific claims for 13 years now. The word “pseudoscience” means “fake science,” something that superficially looks like science—and is often sold as such—but that isn’t. It attempts to imitate it without reaching equivalence.

TZLA Plasma Healing: The Anarcho-Capitalist Cure-All

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 18:36:35 +0000

“My age lowered by 25 years. And I’m still going, by the way. It’s incredible.”

HIV/AIDS Denialism Is Back, Courtesy of Joe Rogan

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 18:21:09 +0000

Joe Rogan, the most influential podcaster globally, is an HIV-AIDS denialist. Imagine the backlash if the six o’clock news were espousing this decades-old, harmful pseudoscience front and centre.

Your Poop Is Not Reliable, At Least for Now

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 00:02:55 +0000

Let’s say you mail your poop to two different companies—not an illegal act, by the way, provided it doesn’t smell or soil anything, and that it’s

Everyone Else Is Wrong: The Dr. Amen Story

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 21:18:07 +0000

When a psychiatrist diagnoses you with anxiety, depression, an eating disorder or a learning disability—or even a serious pathology like schizophrenia—they don’t typically look at your brain. Dr. Daniel Amen thinks they should.

Degree ABCs

Sophie Tseng Pellar BSc — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 16:37:00 +0000

Five minutes on health TikTok is all it takes. A pair of scrubs. “Dr.” in the bio. And a confident voice assuring you they can detox your liver, balance your hormones, or fix your chronic illness, with a supplement conveniently available through the link in their profile.

Credentials are flashed like VIP wristbands on social media, but what do they actually mean?

America's Healthier Past is no More Than a Myth

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 16:22:17 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

“Make America healthy again” sounds like a great slogan. It is loaded with nostalgia and … haziness. What is that “again” all about? When were those halcyon days when Americans were healthier than now?

The Gold Rush of Testosterone Replacement Therapy

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 11:00:00 +0000

If you’ve never injected yourself with dog semen, don’t worry: someone has done it for you.