Name Joseph Schwarcz Role Author | Education McGill University | |
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Occupation Teacher, science promoter, author Books The Right Chemistry: 108 Enlig, Radar - Hula Hoops an, That's the Way the Cookie C, The Genie in the Bottle, Is That a Fact?: Frauds - Q | ||
Joseph A. Schwarcz, known to his students, and many via his science popularization efforts as Dr. Joe, is an author and a professor at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. He is the director of McGill's Office for Science & Society, which is dedicated to demystifying science for the public.
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Biography
Schwarcz earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry at McGill in 1973. He is known through his many books, weekly column in the Montreal Gazette, weekly radio show on CJAD 800 in Montreal and CFRB 1010 in Toronto, and frequent segments on the Discovery Channel Canada. He has also had a show on Discovery Canada in the past (Science to Go).
Dr. Joe is of Jewish-Hungarian birth. He is well known for his informative and entertaining public lectures on topics ranging from household chemicals to the chemistry of love. Dr. Joe formerly taught at Vanier College and Dawson College, and there established a series of courses designed to bring chemistry to the common student, and later to the general public through public lectures. This was then replicated at McGill University. Dr. Joe is an amateur magician and often describes how "supernatural feats" can be done by ordinary means, with a scientific explanation to boot. Uri Geller, the mentalist, is a common target for debunking.
Schwarcz was nominated by McGill University as one of the USA Science and Engineering Festival's Nifty Fifty Speakers. At the festival, he spoke about his work and career to middle and high school students.
In November 2011, Lorne Trottier gave $5.5 million to McGill to fund Schwarcz's efforts to educate the public about quackery and to "battle against charlatans." It is believed to be the largest single gift for science promotion in Canada.