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The Skeptics' Guide To The Universe - Podcast 287 - 1/12/2011
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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.

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Podcast 287 - January 12, 2011

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Guest Rogue: Phil Plait
News Items: Molten Exoplanet, BMJ Slams Wakefield, Creationist Teacher Fired, Galactic Black Holes
Who's That Noisy
Your Questions and E-mails: Nassim Haramein
Name That Logical Fallacy
Science or Fiction



Segment:   This Day in Skepticism     
Galileo Discovers Callisto     Jan 13 in 1610: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/ganymede/discovery.html

Segment:   News Items     
Molten Exoplanet     http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/01/10/molten-exoplanet-followup/
BMJ Slams Wakefield     http://theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=2688
Creationist Teacher Fired     http://ncse.com/news/2011/01/recommendation-freshwater-case-006403 http://ncse.com/news/2011/01/freshwater-officially-fired-006408
Galactic Black Holes     http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/01/11/a-tiny-galaxy-that-hides-a-big-secret/

Segment:   Who's That Noisy     
Who's That Noisy     Answer to last week: My Little Pony

Segment:   Questions and E-mails     
Question #1 - Nassim Haramein      Hey Rogues (and Dr Plait, if I have your correct email!), One of my (not-so-skeptical) friends linked me to this video featuring 'astronomer' Nassim Haramein talking about his models of planetary and solar activity. It sounds pretty bunk to me, but his models are interesting. This is the video I was shown: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir5sQEg0rs4 What do you guys think of this? Might be an interesting topic for the podcast perhaps. Love the podcast! All the best, Tom Kilworth

Segment:   Name That Logical Fallacy     
Name That Logical Fallacy     Victor Zammit on Skeptics

Segment:   Science or Fiction     [ Click Here to Show the Answers ]
Item #1     Scientists have developed a new type of glass that has greater toughness and strength than any known material. http://newscenter.lbl.gov/news-releases/2011/01/10/new-glass-tops-steel/
Item #2     Scientists have developed a camera that is able to not only image otherwise invisible blood stains but also discriminate among the major (ABO) blood types. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101110123943.htm
Item #3     In a series of studies researchers find that subjects prefer skin color darkened by eating fruits and vegetables to skin darkened by tanning. http://www.ehbonline.org/article/S1090-5138%2810%2900116-9/abstract

Segment:   Skeptical Quote of the Week     
Quote of the Week     Reality has been around since long before you showed up. Don't go calling it nasty names like "bizarre" or "incredible". The universe was propagating complex amplitudes through configuration space for ten billion years before life ever emerged on Earth. Quantum physics is not "weird". You are weird. -Eliezer Yudkowsky
 
 
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