Angel >> McGill's Student Pugwash Group The Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs promotes public understanding of scientific issues and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1995. The McGill group's upcoming conference is an in-depth look at how journalists regularly butcher scientific discoveries just to get a good headline out of them. The conference, aptly titled "Peanut butter causes cancer!", takes place Saturday, February 12 at the McIntyre Building, 3655 Drummond. Special guest: Jay Ingram of the Discovery Channel. Info: 844-5280.

Insect >> Alternative medicine A journalist with the consumer group Option Consommateurs ventured undercover into the world of homeopaths and naturopaths: she concocted a false resume showing that she had insufficient training from an alternative-medicine institute that didn't even exist. Three different practitioners' organizations allowed her to become a member anyway--which then meant she could get professional insurance. Suddenly she had everything she needed to practice homeopathy, even though she knew nothing about it. Alternative medicine is great in theory, but in practice, all too often, it's a sham.