Celebrity Science: From Suzanne Somers to Dr. Oz – Dr. Joe Schwarcz, Director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society

Dr. Joe Schwarcz (McGill, The Gazette): “Celebrity
Science: From Suzanne Somers to Dr. Oz”
Is it sound science or quackery? When it comes to health
advice dispensed by celebrities it may be hard to tell.
Suzanne Somers offers opinions on cancer treatment, Jenny
McCarthy rails against vaccinations and celebrity chef
Jamie Oliver serves up nutritional advice. And then there is
the enigma of Dr. Oz! What we have here is a fascinating
blend of sense and nonsense. Time to separate the wheat
from the chaff.
Dr. Joe Schwarcz is Director of McGill University’s
“Office for Science and Society” which is dedicated to
demystifying science and separating sense from nonsense.
He is well known for his informative and entertaining
public lectures on topics ranging from the chemistry of love
to the science of aging. Professor Schwarcz has received
numerous awards for teaching chemistry and for
interpreting science for the public. He is the only non-
American ever to win the American Chemical Society’s
prestigious Grady-Stack Award for demystifying
chemistry. He hosts “The Dr. Joe Show” on Montreal radio,
has appeared hundreds of times on television, and is the
author of fourteen best sellers. Also an amateur conjurer,
Dr. Joe often spices up his presentations with a little magic.