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Extracting Drugs from Nature Is Hard

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McGill Office for Science and Society @mcgilloss.bsky.social · 2d

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

A video on Facebook with nearly one million views informs me that the avocado tree is a pharmacy in disguise. “Its leaves help regulate blood sugar,” the narrator says, “its seeds target cancer cells,...

Recently, while browsing the candy aisle (my natural habitat as a gummy connoisseur), I was confronted by a monstrosity: protein candy. Listen, I get it. This gummy abomination is merely a reflection ...

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Reposted by McGill Office for Science and Society

Jonathan Jarry @jonathanjarry.bsky.social · 6d

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

When a natural compound is introduced inside of a piece of plastic in the lab where individual cells grow, scientists will often see something interesting happen, and these preliminary findings are often used to market the plant to an eager audience. Natural compounds are said to have anticancer activity, or antibacterial activity, or anti-inflammatory activity. It’s true. In artificial conditions, when a large dose of some natural compound is repeatedly dropped on top of cells that have been plucked from the human body, they do cause interesting changes. But that’s a little bit like choosing a child who has just learned to ride his tricycle and immediately putting them in the driver’s seat of an eighteen-wheeler to drive cross-country. Driving in the real world is a little bit more complicated than this.

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McGill Office for Science and Society @mcgilloss.bsky.social · 8d

Protein snacks are everywhere, but what about fiber? Ignoring it isn’t just uncomfortable (hello, constipation), it’s tied to serious health risks like heart disease and cancer. Learn why fiber deserves a comeback and how to get more of it on your plate.
mcgill.ca/x/iRq

For the Love of Fibre

Everyone Else is Lying to You: My Book is Done!

Reposted by McGill Office for Science and Society

Jonathan Jarry @jonathanjarry.bsky.social · 12d

I am actually reading this book as I write this (well, not *literally*) and will be reviewing it for @mcgilloss.bsky.social shortly!

Jonathan Howard @joho.bsky.social · 12d

The sequel to We Want Them Infected is done!

COVID killed 1.2 million Americans while vaccines saved millions.

Yet, disinformation superspreaders were empowered, where they are taking a wrecking ball to science & medicine.

How did that happen?🧵

sciencebasedmedicine.org/everyone-els...

The pandemic’s biggest disinformation superspreaders are now in charge. How did this happen?

sciencebasedmedicine.org

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Reposted by McGill Office for Science and Society

Jonathan Jarry @jonathanjarry.bsky.social · 13d

The latest in my growing line of “all the big cases you were taught in psychology class are lies, exaggerations, or taken out of context.”

Today: the Kitty Genovese case.

Will strangers come to your help in a crowd?

Cc @mcgilloss.bsky.social

www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...

The Bystander Effect Started from a Lie

You have just been attacked. How likely is it that someone will come to your help? If you remember the infamous case of Kitty Genovese in 1960s New York, you may despair at ever receiving assistance. ...

“Electric Feel”: A Guide to How Touchscreens Work

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McGill Office for Science and Society @mcgilloss.bsky.social · 18d

Have you ever wondered how touchscreens worked? You’re certainly not alone and you’re in the right place!

Here’s the inside scoop on the history and technology behind the screens we use every day 📱⚗️

mcgill.ca/x/iEA

I love the beach. What I don’t love is when I try to use my phone after taking a dip. One droplet of water hits my phone and somehow opens an app I didn’t know I had. Unfortunately for me, this is not...

All About the Tylenol-Autism Brouhaha

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Reposted by McGill Office for Science and Society

Timothy Caulfield @caulfieldtim.bsky.social · 19d

All About the Tylenol-Autism Brouhaha www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/... via @jonathanjarry.bsky.social

"A large amount of scientific evidence points out to autism being mainly caused by variations in certain genes..."

Leucovorin "...the scientific evidence behind this is of terrible quality."

At an unhinged press conference last Monday, Donald Trump and his medical acolytes revealed an actionable cause of autism at long last: Tylenol. In what felt like a social media post come to life, Tru...

The History of Acetaminophen

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McGill Office for Science and Society @mcgilloss.bsky.social · 19d

💊🇺🇸 With Tylenol under attack by President Trump and his entourage, Dr. Joe takes the opportunity to give a short history lesson on the drug’s main active ingredient: Acetaminophen.
mcgill.ca/x/iEQ

President Trump’s unhinged, ill-informed and potentially dangerous attack on Tylenol has focussed attention on its active ingredient, acetaminophen. Many others have, and will dissect his harangue (se...

All About the Tylenol-Autism Brouhaha

Reposted by McGill Office for Science and Society

Jonathan Jarry @jonathanjarry.bsky.social · 19d

I read close to 50 papers in order to give an evidence-based, accurate response to Monday's press conference.

There's a lot to unpack here. I hope you find this informative.

Cc: @mcgilloss.bsky.social

www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...

At an unhinged press conference last Monday, Donald Trump and his medical acolytes revealed an actionable cause of autism at long last: Tylenol. In what felt like a social media post come to life, Tru...

Lithium For Alzheimer’s Disease?

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Reposted by McGill Office for Science and Society

Jonathan Jarry @jonathanjarry.bsky.social · 23d

I'm going to leave it here.

I'll be reviewing the evidence for acetaminophen/autism and leucovorin/autism and will write about this for @mcgilloss.bsky.social this Friday.

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McGill Office for Science and Society @mcgilloss.bsky.social · 21d

New research suggests lithium in the diet may play a role in reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Early findings are promising, but human trials are still needed.
🔗 Read the full article here: mcgill.ca/x/iBD

Mention lithium and you likely conjure up an image of lithium batteries or a medication to treat bipolar disease. But researchers are now looking at another aspect of lithium. The possibility that lit...

AI Comes for Academics. Can We Rely on It?

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McGill Office for Science and Society @mcgilloss.bsky.social · 24d

AI platforms like Consensus claim they can’t hallucinate scientific papers, but are they really reliable? We tested eight AIs on science questions and found subtle errors and inconsistencies that matter when research and health are on the line.

Read more on our site.
mcgill.ca/x/iLP

By now, the fact that artificial intelligence can hallucinate is, I hope, well known. There are countless examples of platforms like ChatGPT giving the wrong answer to a straightforward question or im...

Health Canada and Natural Health Products

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McGill Office for Science and Society @mcgilloss.bsky.social · 25d

There are over 90,000 natural supplements that have hit store shelves after being granted a Natural Product Number (NPN)🌿💊

Don't be fooled by this accolade🏅 as it is not proof of significant efficacy.

Get the whole scoop in Dr. Joe's latest👇
mcgill.ca/x/iLd

“Bach Rescue Remedy” features a Natural Product Number (NPN) issued by Health Canada so one would naturally assume that it will relieve stress and nervousness as the label claims. If you have an earac...

AI Comes for Academics. Can We Rely on It?

Reposted by McGill Office for Science and Society

Jonathan Jarry @jonathanjarry.bsky.social · 27d

Move over, ChatGPT. Newer AI platforms are aimed at academics and doctors and they're not supposed to hallucinate citations.

I tested many of them, but especially Consensus AI.

My latest for @mcgilloss.bsky.social.

www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...

By now, the fact that artificial intelligence can hallucinate is, I hope, well known. There are countless examples of platforms like ChatGPT giving the wrong answer to a straightforward question or im...

How to Beat a Fruit Fly Infestation

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Reposted by McGill Office for Science and Society

Ada McVean M.Sc. @adamcvean.bsky.social · 26d

The flies infesting your house are probably not fruit flies.
I may have left my fly problem behind when I moved, but if you're still suffering, check out some science-based tips in my latest article for the @mcgilloss.bsky.social: www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/... #ChemSky #ScienceSky

As I type this, I occasionally have to pause and swat away tiny annoying flying bugs that seem drawn specifically to my face. In light of my plight, let’s look at some fruit fly science – specifically...

Is There Really Room for Beer in Your Wellness Routine?

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McGill Office for Science and Society @mcgilloss.bsky.social · Sep 15

Beer Spas claim that a one-hour 🕒 soak in warm beer offers health benefits, thanks to brewer’s yeast. 🍺 While brewer’s yeast may aid some aspects of health, these effects certainly are not gained by soaking in beer 🚫🛁. So for now, skip the soak; your nostrils will thank you. 👃🏻

mcgill.ca/x/i6Q

“Beer Spa” –– two words that you wouldn’t think to put together. Well, go to the center of Prague, and there is seemingly no end to the signs for these curious retreats. When I think of a spa day, I i...

Mozart, Mice and Microbes

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McGill Office for Science and Society @mcgilloss.bsky.social · Sep 12

🎶🧫 For our adult female mice who have ingested Salmonella—new research suggests that Mozart’s Flute Quartet in D major 🎻 may reduce your chances of feeling unwell 🤒

Read more on our website👇
mcgill.ca/x/i6M

I must admit that my interest in Mozart has mostly focused on the various theories of his demise in the prime of his youth. The composer had always been sickly, and it is well known that he had often ...

PragerU Targets Kids and Parents with Shockingly Bad Science

Reposted by McGill Office for Science and Society

Jonathan Jarry @jonathanjarry.bsky.social · Sep 12

The fetishization of the subversive—the next Galileo, or Einstein, or Tesla—is something PragerU is intent on teaching not just to adults but to kids as well.

I had a look at the science/med content on PragerU for @mcgilloss.bsky.social.

The contradictions are wild.

www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/...

If we’re trying to understand our era, we need to recognize the following: mainstream institutions and their various consensuses are being replaced by fringe alternatives. In the United States right n...

2025 Trottier Public Science Symposium

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McGill Office for Science and Society @mcgilloss.bsky.social · Sep 12

Registration is required! Follow the link below👇
tr.ee/T70VzN

The event is free. It will be recorded and made available for viewing afterward on our website & YouTube channel.

The Genesis of the COVID Vaccine & The Path to the Nobel Prize

tr.ee

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McGill Office for Science and Society @mcgilloss.bsky.social · Sep 12

On Tuesday, October 21, we will hear from Nobel Laureate and co-inventor of the COVID vaccine Dr. Drew Weissman, on the twists and turns of this historical vaccine development and the road to the Nobel Prize🏅

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McGill Office for Science and Society @mcgilloss.bsky.social · Sep 12

With vaccine skepticism on the rise 💉 and the US healthcare system heading in a backward direction ( 👎), this year’s Trottier Symposium could not be more relevant.

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Reposted by McGill Office for Science and Society

Jonathan Jarry @jonathanjarry.bsky.social · Sep 11

PragerU is known for its political and historical propaganda. But did you know that it also tackles medicine and science? And that it tries to teach science to kids?

I watched a lot of it for my article, which comes out tomorrow via @mcgilloss.bsky.social.

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McGill Office for Science and Society @mcgilloss.bsky.social · Sep 6

Chronic pain rewires the brain. What if you could rewire it back? Scrambler Therapy promises just that—with real results, real skeptics, and real questions. FDA-cleared and quietly gaining traction, is this the future of pain relief or just more static? 🧠⚡

Read more 👇
mcgill.ca/x/iBz

Scrambler Therapy: Rewiring Pain, or Just Static?

Our bodies are wired to avoid pain—and yet, for millions, it’s a daily, unwelcome companion. One minute you’re climbing stairs, opening a jar, or just existing, and the next you're googling “is this w...