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The Skeptics' Guide To The Universe - Podcast 280 - 11/24/2010
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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.
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Podcast
280
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November 24, 2010
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Special Guest: Richard Saunders
News Items: Eken Power Bands
Your Questions and E-mails: Frozen Stiff, Cockroach Brains, Deal or No Deal
Name That Logical Fallacy: Argument from Silence
Special Topic: Religious Skeptics
Science or Fiction
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Segment: News Items
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Segment: Questions and E-mails
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Question #1 - Frozen Stiff
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While perusing the articles on Cracked.com I came across this article. It sounds like a complete load of bull to me. What do you make of it?
http://www.cracked.com/article_18806_7-creepy-urban-legends-that-happen-to-be-true-part-4_p2.html
or the New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/1981/01/03/us/dakota-teen-ager-recovers-after-being-frozen-stiff.html
Thanks, and keep up the excellent work.
Michael Fincher
Ontario Canada
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Question #2 - Cockroach Brains
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I'm sure this bit of news will interest you guys - not because it offers any immediate and practical benefits (those are probably years away at best) but because of how it shows we can never ever predict where new and fundamental insights will come from:
Cockroach brains may aid in fighting MRSA
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11182437
Jurij Dreo
Slovenia
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Question #3 - Deal or No Deal
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Subject: Monty Hall. . . again
Message: Hey guys, I love the show. You've discussed the Monty Hall problem in depth on the show before, now I would like to hear your thoughts on the show Deal or No Deal. What's the best strategy for this game, and how does the show possibly try to trick you with its statistics?
James Wayne
Orlando, FL
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Segment: Name That Logical Fallacy
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Logical Fallacy - The Argument from Silence?
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When commenting on a pseudoscientific claim, I will often hear skeptics say that if there were evidence for such a thing (for some reason, the existence of the soul comes to mind), we'd have heard about it and it would be on the front page of every newspaper. While this rings true to me, it seems like a logical fallacy. Isn't it possible, however unlikely, that there is good scientific evidence for a phenomenon that has been overlooked by all of the major publications? Is this a logical fallacy?
Brandon Putz
Edwardsville, IL
(With guest rogue, Brian Trent )
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Segment: Special Segment
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Religious Skeptics
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With guest rogue, George Hrab
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Segment: Science or Fiction [ Click Here to Show the Answers ]
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Item #1  Science
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Although Mainstream professional television was launched in Australia in 1956, it was not until 1975 that Australian TV networks switched from broadcasting in B/W to colour.
http://www.pumpkinnook.com/giants/giantpumpkins.htm
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Item #3 Science
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The Sydney Funnel-web Spider has been responsible for more deaths in Australia in the past 100 years than deaths from Hammerhead sharks attacks world wide in the same time.
http://tinyurl.com/sciorfic01
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Item #3  Fiction
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When European explorers first saw strange hopping animals they asked an aborigine what they were called. He replied "kang-ooroo" meaning "I don't understand" your question. The explorers thought this was the animal's name and hence we now call them kangaroo.
http://directmag.com/mag/marketing_candy_lovers/
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Item #4 Science
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Cricket is the great summer sport of Australia. What is interesting is that (officially) the fasted cricket ball ever bowled is within 1mph of the fastest baseball ever pitched even though the fast bower in cricket runs at full speed to deliver the ball.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A2451683
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Segment: Quote of the Week
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Quote of the Week
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"Truth is a shining goddess, always veiled, always distant, never wholly approachable, but worthy of all the devotion of which the human spirit is capable. "
-Bertrand Russell
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