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Did you know: Goldfinger’s first name was “Auric” based on the Latin “aurum” for gold.

28 May 2021

“Au” is also the chemical symbol for the element. “Aurora” was the Roman goddess of the dawn and her name became associated with gold because of the colour of the sky at dawn. Ian Fleming named his...

The Moral and Medical Panic Over Bicycles

2 Oct 2020

Seemingly everyone is talking about The Social Dilemma, a Netflix documentary in which some of the men behind social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube look upon their creations and despair....

Rocks in your head? Sort of.

2 Oct 2020

Sometimes called “ear rocks”, small crystals of calcium carbonate (essentially limestone) are found in your inner ear. The technical name for these tiny stones wrapped in a matrix of protein is ...

Crustaceans have teeth in their stomach

12 Aug 2020

Believe it or not, lobsters, as well as other crustaceans such as crabs and crayfish, have teeth in their stomach! The teeth are part of a system called the “gastric mill.” Through rhythmic...

Scents and Sensibilities

7 Aug 2020

It is quite amazing how very small changes in an odourant’s chemical structure can radically change our perception of its scent. For example, octanol, a synthetic compound used in perfumes and...

Cashews and almonds aren’t technically nuts. So what are they?

10 Jul 2020

You may have already heard that peanuts are not nuts. They are actually legumes and are members of the pea family. But did you know that cashews, almonds, and several other common “culinary nuts”...

The head baker of the Titanic spent two hours in frigid water and emerged with only swollen feet!

3 Jul 2020

In the early hours of April 15th, 1912, over the course of 2 hours and 40 minutes, the RMS Titanic sunk. It’s believed that upwards of 1500 people died in the accident, however, amongst the...

Listerine is a Mouthwash, Not An Antiviral Drug

2 Apr 2020

Can gargling with Listerine be of any help in reducing the risk of coronavirus infection? That is one of the numerous questions that has been raised by the increasing army of straw-clutchers. After...

Heart Attacks and Depression are Connected

3 Mar 2020

A little-known fact in the field of cardiology is that the depression rate among patients after a heart attack is quite high. Rates of major depressive disorder have varied between 15% and 25% in...

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