Page 4 - Jonathan Jarry News Today

A recently published article in The New Yorker written by Gideon Lewis-Kraus, previously a writer-at-large for the New York Times Magazine, goes quite in-depth into the UFO phenomenon. It’s always great when the topic attains more “legitimacy” within the mainstream, but it’s unfortunate that something has to be presented in this fashion for it to receive legitimacy. […]

The Facts: Dr. Geert Vanden Bossche recently shared his belief that the COVID-19 vaccine may create more variants of the virus and an increase in cases. His claims have been labelled as false by many fact checkers and other scientists in the field. Reflect On: Before you begin... Take a moment and breathe. Place your hand over your chest area, near your heart. Breathe slowly into the area for about a minute, focusing on a sense of ease entering your mind and body. Click here to learn why we sug...

Winners to be announced virtually June 9 at a free online event. In Grade 6, he was invited to a birthday party starring a teenage magician. Schwarcz has since forgotten most of the tricks performed that day, but one — a rope trick where three ropes suddenly fused into one due to some invisible “magical chemical” — he has never forgotten. He was so intrigued that he went to the school library and took out two books, one on magic and the other on chemistry. “When I tell this story, oft...

  MONTREAL -- The curfew has been a fact of life for Quebecers for months, but as millions of people gaze out their windows at a spring sun thats yet to set, many experts are casting doubts on the measures effectiveness in combatting the spread of COVID-19. “Because curfews are not solitary creatures, they are usually deployed alongside other public health measures,” said Jonathan Jarry of the McGill Office for Science and Society. “Its difficult to find out if they, on their own, rea...

The rise of the Information Age has enabled widespread public access to scientific research, but it has also disseminated a dazzling array of misinformation. Distinguishing fact from fiction during a pandemic can be difficult, particularly for the significant number of Canadians that struggle with literacy. Dr. Christiane Northrup is one of many health-oriented online presences that has capitalized on social media’s wide reach. Despite a steadfast commitment to astrology and vaccine denialism...

On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of CTV Montreal (CFCF Channel 12), I wrote a nostalgic blog about the station with references to Magic Tom, Johnny Jellybean and others. One story I shared had to do with former reporter Howard Schwartz and how nice he was when I was sent to shadow him one day as a young journalism student. He emailed me last week and we ended up having a nice telephone conversation to catch up. Howard worked for the then Pulse News from 1982 to 1995. He left to pursue s...

25 Jan 2021 / 18:37 H. THE reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) has been the golden standard for Covid-19 testing, but there have been some concerns on using RT-PCR with a high-cycle protocol which could be giving false-positive results. Even if this proves to be the case for RT-PCR machines, the overall impact of false positives is likely to be minimal given Malaysia’s epidemiological status and the overall practice of our health authorities in managing Covid-19. To unde...

The Quebec governments announcement that it would suspend the second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine angered many in the province but a McGill immunologist is making the case that it was the right call.

  MONTREAL -- As soon as the Quebec government announced it would take the Pfizer COVID vaccines reserved for second doses, and distribute them so they would be able to immunize more people in high-risk groups, Dr. Donald Vinh of McGill University said misinformation started to spread. “I actually heard people in my institution say the second dose was cancelled, and I said that’s not correct. There is no plan by any government -- by the provincial or federal governments -- to cancel the...

Ever had a nervous breakdown by reading Facebook threads where absolutely incompetent people entertain similar ignoramuses by providing explanations of everything from quantum physics to the way vaccines work? Or did you ever have to apply yoga techniques to avoid jumping into a bar conversation wherein some smart ass worked his audience by explaining things he clearly did not have the dimmest clue about? If you never experienced such a feeling, this post is not for you. In fact, there is a ...