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The Skeptics' Guide To The Universe - Podcast 233 - 1/6/2010

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The Skeptics' Guide To The Universe

The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe is produced by SGU Productions, LLC - dedicated to promoting critical thinking, reason, and the public understanding of science through online and other media. The first episode of the SGU podcast went online on May 4th, 2005. It soon became a popular science/skeptical podcast, and remains one of the most popular science podcasts on iTunes.

SGU Podcasting Awards: SGU on XM: You can listen to the SGU on America's Talk XM 166 every Saturday night from 8-9pm Eastern.

Podcast 233 - January 06, 2010

Interview with D. J. Grothe
News items: Predictions for 2009 and 2010, The G-Spot Controversy, New Stellar Companion
Who's That Noisy
Your E-mails and Questions: Brain Capacity
Science or Fiction



Segment:   News Items     
Predictions for 2009 and 2010     The Rogues review "psychic" predictions for 2009 and 2010
The G-spot controversy     http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=1428
New Stellar Companion     http://news.discovery.com/space/blazing-stellar-companion-defies-explanation.html

Segment:   Who's That Noisy     
Whos That Noisy     Answer to last week - club-winged manakin

Segment:   Questions and E-mails     
Question # 1 - Brain Capacity     How much information can the human brain hold in gigabytes/terabytes? Message: Hey guys, LOVE the podcast. It has literally become the only thing I listen to at work and gets me through the mundane days of working in the boring office building. Keep up the good work. Anyways, I was listening to a very old podcast going through the backlogs and you were talking about the percentage of our brain that we use. It got me to thinking about how much that really is in terms of todays data storage. How many gigabytes (or even terabytes) can the human brain hold? I have seen some figures online but none are consistant ranging from 2^10billionth to 10^13. Other figures stating 1 to 1000 terabytes. The range seems a little to wide to me and I was hoping you could shed some light on it for me. I apologize if this has ever been brought up in the podcast before but I still have about a hundred to listen to. Again keep up the good work, best podcast ever. And Rebecca, Boston seems a little colder this winter. Happy New Year Jeff Champagne Boston Mass

Segment:   Interview     
Interview with D. J. Grothe     D.J. discusses his new appointment as the president of the JREF. http://www.randi.org http://www.djgrothe.com/Home.html

Segment:   Science or Fiction     [ Click Here to Show the Answers ]
Item # 1     New research suggests that listening to Mozart helps premature infants grow faster. http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/091214_mozart.htm
Item # 2     Scientists have developed a new method for creating a flu vaccine using insect cells that is significantly faster than existing methods. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100104191928.htm
Item # 3     Researchers have developed a new drug that promotes the burning of fat instead of carbohydrates for energy, which in mouse studies resulted in significant weight loss. http://scienceblog.com/cms/setting-record-straight-weight-loss-28940.html

Segment:   Quote of the Week     
Quote of the Week     "In every country, we should be teaching our children the scientific method and the reasons for a Bill of Rights. With it comes a certain decency, humility and community spirit. In the demon-haunted world that we inhabit by virtue of being human, this may be all that stands between us and the enveloping darkness." - Carl Sagan
 
 
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