| |
The Skeptics' Guide To The Universe - Podcast 335 - 12/17/2011
|
|
|
|
|
<<< Back to Podcast Archive
|
|
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
335
-
December 17, 2011
|
This Day in Skepticism
News Items: Pro-Measles Children's Book, Higgs Update, Mercury UFO, Hallucinating Color
Who's That Noisy
Your Questions and E-mails: Menstrual Syncing
Swindler's List: Online Dating
Science or Fiction
|
|
|
|
Segment: This Day in Skepticism
|
|
December 17, 1919
|
Albert Porta an expert seismographer and meteorologist predicted that a conjunction of six planets on this date would spell the end of the world.
|
|
Segment: News Items
|
|
|
Segment: Who's That Noisy
|
|
Who's That Noisy
|
Answer to last week: Piranha
|
|
Segment: Questions and Emails
|
|
Question #1: Menstrual Syncing
|
I was listening to the latest podcast, reached the "fact or fiction" segment of the program and was disappointed to hear Jay trot out that old newage-lady-togetherness-myth about women's periods syncing up. It's one of those things people like say, "Betty and I are such good friends, we even have periods at the same time!" It's also bullshit.
Socially synchronizing periods do not exist, and because of the varying lengths of duration of the period itself along with time between, cycles that start out apparently synced will un-couple over time. There are only so many days in a general 4-6 week cycle, chances are at some point one of my room mates and I will sort-of-sync for a month or three, but not the whole length of the apartment's lease (And while this myth persists, even it has never had the ovarian fortitude to claim syncing room mates have periods the exact same duration).
Too, as cycles un-sync, people will start to count the near-misses as evidence. First it will be on the same day, then only 2 days apart, then 4, etc. "Why, we must still be in sync, even though clearly they're slowly getting further and further apart!"
No reputable, repeatable study has ever proved syncing-cycles.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=do-women-who-live-together-menstruate-together
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2429/does-menstrual-synchrony-really-exist
Barbara
United States
|
|
Segment: Swindler's List
|
|
Swindler's List
|
Online Dating
|
|
Segment: Science or Fiction [ Click Here to Show the Answers ]
|
|
|
Segment: Skeptical Quote of the Week
|
|
Skeptical Quote of the Week
|
"Every existing thing is born without reason, prolongs itself out of weakness and dies by chance."
- Jean Paul Sartre
|
|
|
|
|
|