Well-known scientist Dr. Joe Schwarcz to speak at UPEI November 18 and 19

Well-known scientist and public speaker Dr. Joe Schwarcz, a.k.a 'Dr. Joe,' will give a presentation called Hey! There Are Cockroaches in My Chocolate Ice Cream! at the University of Prince Edward Island on Wednesday, November 18, and again on Thursday, November 19.

The presentation on November 18 will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Steel Recital Hall, and the one on November 19 from 8:30 to 10 a.m. in the Alex H. MacKinnon Auditorium in McDougall Hall. Both presentations are open to the public.

This highly visual and entertaining presentation examines some serious as well as frivolous experiences in dealing with the public and emphasizes the importance of fostering critical thinking.

'No, there really are no cockroaches in chocolate ice cream,' says Schwarcz. 'But one of my radio listeners did jump to this conclusion after misinterpreting what had been said about a certain food colorant. Being on one end of a microphone and in front of television cameras for over 20 years has afforded some fascinating insight into the public's perception of science. It has also provided an opportunity to separate sense from nonsense in areas ranging from nutrition and medications to cosmetics and pesticides.'

Schwarcz, who received his Ph.D. from McGill University in 1973, is well known for his informative and entertaining public lectures on topics ranging from the chemistry of love to the science of aging. Using stage magic to make scientific points is one of his specialties.

He is director of McGill University's Office for Science and Society, which is dedicated to demystifying science for the public, the media and students. He also teaches a variety of courses with emphasis on health issues and on the application of chemistry to everyday life.

He has received numerous awards for teaching chemistry and for interpreting science for the public. Among these are the Royal Society of Canada's McNeil Award and the American Chemical Society's prestigious Grady-Stack Award. He is the only non-American ever to be honoured with this prize. Previous winners of the Grady-Stack have included famed science writer Isaac Asimov, New York Times columnist Walter Sullivan and Don Herbert of TV's 'Mr. Wizard' fame. His latest award is the Royal Canadian Institute's Sandford Fleming Medal. He was also awarded an honorary doctorate by Athabasca University in the spring of 2002.

'Dr. Joe' has appeared on the Canadian Discovery Channel, TV Ontario, Global Television, CBC-TV, CTV-TV and various radio stations. He writes a weekly newspaper column in the Montreal Gazette entitled 'The Right Chemistry' as well as a monthly column in Canadian Chemical News. He was the chief consultant on the Reader's Digest bestsellers, 'Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal' and 'The Healing Power of Vitamins, Minerals and Herbs,' and he contributed the chemistry chapter to the best-selling 'Mental Floss.' He has written several bestselling books that have been translated into five languages and are sold around the world. His most recent publications are "An Apple a Day" and "Brain Fuel."