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The Skeptics' Guide To The Universe - Podcast 386 - 12/8/2012
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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 386 - December 08, 2012

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Guest Rogue: Phil Plait
This Day in Skepticism: Atoms for Peace
News Items: End of the World, Bug UFO Follow Up, Inattentional Amnesia, Curiosity Kurfuffle, Grand Canyon Age, Moon Formation
Who's That Noisy
Science or Fiction



Segment:   This Day in Skepticism     
December 8, 1953      United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivers his "Atoms for Peace" speech.

Segment:   News Items     
End of the World     http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/world/europe/mayan-end-of-world-stirs-panic-in-russia-and-elsewhere.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2& http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2242176/Bugarach-Town-set-survive-Mayan-Apocalypse-cracks-open-End-World-wine.html
Denver Bug UFO Update     http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/another-journalism-fail-on-the-denver-bug-ufo/
Inattentional Amnesia     http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/did-you-not-notice-or-not-remember/
Curiosity Kurfuffle     http://www.geek.com/articles/news/mars-curiosity-announcement-to-be-one-for-the-history-books-20121120/
Age of the Grand Canyon     http://articles.latimes.com/2012/nov/30/science/la-sci-grand-canyon-age-20121130
Planetary Rings and Moon Formation     http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121204112012.htm

Segment:   Who's That Noisy     
Who's That Noisy     Answer to last week: Lucy

Segment:   Science or Fiction     [ Click Here to Show the Answers ]
Item #1     2012 saw the warmest July on record, a hurricane season tied for the 3rd most active, and an Arctic ice cap minimum smaller than in any year on record. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57517254/extreme-weather-could-come-with-record-arctic-ocean-ice-melt/ http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/20227893/2012-hurricane-season-another-for-the-record-books http://www.weather.com/news/noaa-report-july-20120808
Item #2     NASA warns about "cosmophobia" - fear of astronomy especially among children who have been lead to believe that the universe is going to kill them. http://www.seti.org/doomsday-2012-factsheet
Item #3     Despite the fact that there were no major consequences of the Y2K bug, minor computer system glitches were common and were estimated to cost over 2 trillion dollars worldwide.

Segment:   Skeptical Quote of the Week     
Skeptical Quote of the Week     "When a man eminent in science tells us of something in his particular sphere, into which no fraud can intrude, and which can be verified under scientific conditions, he is entitled to a respectful hearing, but if he states that on a particular night his cow jumped over the postoffice his testimony on that point is no more valid than the testimony of other persons. The mere fact that a man is noted in his particular field of research, astronomy, physics, or mathematics should not be considered as presumptive evidence of his ability to see correctly things outside his experience."—Joseph Rinn,
 
 
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