toxin

Toxin on the Backs of Some Frogs Is Lethal to Humans

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 15:44:44 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

The blades descend as they have done many times before, threatening to impale the magician’s assistant lying inside the box. But this time the outcome is different. The illusion has been tampered with so that one of the blades does not retract fully as designed and slightly pierces her skin.

The Evil Eye

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 21:47:02 +0000

I must admit I’m not sure if the woman is just an intellectual simpleton or a clever charlatan preying on the gullible. I suspect the former. In any case, here is the story. Upon invitation, and for a fee, this peculiar character travels from the Middle East to North America to rid people of the effects of the Evil Eye. Evil what, you ask? As featured in many cultures, the Evil Eye is a look directed at some unfortunate person, resulting in bad luck or outright harm. The perpetrator is usually believed to possess some sort of supernatural power, although in some cultures an envious pe

Havana Syndrome or a Case for Eliminating the Implausible

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Sat, 09 Oct 2021 08:00:00 +0000

The story of Havana syndrome has acquired mythical qualities in its telling. In late 2016 and early 2017, members of the American embassy in Havana, Cuba, started to report debilitating symptoms and strange occurrences. An incapacitating sound, often coming from a single direction, was heard by some but not others, waking them up in the middle of the night. A sensation of intense pressure was felt in the ear. Vertigo and nausea were some of the early symptoms. Then came the difficulty concentrating, the memory problems, the sleep disturbances in some of the victims.

Ricin Emerges From the Shadows Again

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 18:49:07 +0000

Ricin is in the news because this potentially potent poison was supposedly detected in a letter addressed to President Trump. For me, this brings back memories of my last visit to London when I made a point of going to Waterloo station. I wasn’t interested in taking a train, I just wanted to stand at the bus stop right in front of the station. I wanted to see with my own eyes the famous spot where one of the most ingenious chemical crimes in history was perpetrated.

My Dog Ate Chocolate and He Was Fine, so What’s the Big Deal?

Ada McVean B.Sc. — Thu, 22 Aug 2019 15:48:08 +0000

If you ask a dog owner what dogs cannot eat, they’ll list some foods like onions, garlic, rhubarb, grapes and chocolate. (As an aside, if they say grains, don’t listen to them.) Dogs' inability to safely consume chocolate is common knowledge, but thanks to their proclivity for eating anything they can get their mouths on, many dogs are nonetheless treated for ingesting chocolate every year.

The Right Chemistry: The Dangers of Nicotine

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 15:15:27 +0000

Video of Dr. Joe Schwarcz on the dangers of nicotine

Lead Bullets Can Harm in More Ways Than One

Ada McVean B.Sc. — Fri, 10 May 2019 19:50:14 +0000

It’s probably not news to anyone reading this that lead exposure is dangerous, but when most of us think of routes to lead exposure we think of leaded gasoline, paints, drinking water or pencils (although pencils do not, and never did, actually contain lead). But there is another means of exposure that’s causing significant issues for certain populations: lead bullets.

The Right Chemistry: The truth about almonds and cyanide

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 18 Jan 2019 18:07:37 +0000

Video of Dr. Joe Schwarcz: The truth about almonds and cyanide

Mistletoe Can be Highly Toxic to Humans

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 20 Dec 2018 17:00:00 +0000

There's been a mystique around mistletoe since ancient times, probably on account of the curious way it grows. The plant is a “hemiparasite,” meaning that it can either grow in soil, or, more commonly, it can spring from the branch of a tree. How did "kissing under the mistletoe" become a thing? People probably stood under the branch in awe, admiring the pretty flowers, giving others an opportunity to take a little liberty with their smooches.

Did You Know That Moon Dust Is Incredibly Toxic?

Ada McVean B.Sc. — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 18:30:00 +0000

There are no aliens on the moon, but that might not stop it from trying to kill us.

Lunar soil is exposed to micrometeorite impacts and because the moon lacks an atmosphere, constant intense solar wind. As a result, the soil is electrostatically charged, so much so that it can levitate above the surface of the moon.

The Right Chemistry: Don't kiss toads, and other advice on toxins

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 20:17:56 +0000

Fake Snake News: How Not to Identify a Poisonous Snake

Ada McVean B.Sc. — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 17:06:08 +0000

There are almost no poisonous snakes. That’s because for something to be poisonous means it’s toxic if ingested. Like hemlock.

Safety and Chemistry of the Self-Cleaning Oven

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 15:49:24 +0000

Si vous voulez lire cet article en français, cliquez ici!

The Right Chemistry: Don't Buy the Cabbage Juice Hype

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 15:13:49 +0000

Video of Dr. Joe Schwarcz: Don't buy the cabbage juice hype

The pitohui bird contains deadly batrachotoxin

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 26 Apr 2018 19:00:00 +0000

Did you know that the pitohui ("pit-oo-eey,") bird of New Guinea is the only bird known to contain a toxin?