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The Skeptics' Guide To The Universe - Podcast 89 - 4/4/2007
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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
89
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April 04, 2007
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News Items: 9/11 Conspiracy Celebrities, Holy Water for AIDS, Astrology Fails Again, Fairy Hoax, Avoiding the Holocaust, Neal Adams on Fox; Your Questions and E-mails: Peanut Butter and Evolution, Peloop, When Birds Attack, Groupthink; Name That Logical Fallacy; Science or Fiction
Skeptical Puzzle
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Segment: News Items
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Segment: Questions and E-mails
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Peanut Butter Dispoves Evolution
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Hello Skeptic League of America!
Love the show! I found that and thought you'd like it.
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/video/50013/
(Christian Right evangelist Chuck Missler.)
It's hilarious. I was speechless. It REALLY made me rethink my position on evolution... This new theory is reminiscent of the Johnny Cochrane's Chewbacca defense:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH5EblIjkrk
Keep up the good work,
Benoit Methot
(Ben-wa May-taught)
Montreal, Canada
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Peloop
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This is so stupid that it boggles the mind: http://www.peloop.com/
And it's being promulgated by Dr Omar Long. Far infra-red rays? Air vitamins? But perhaps it's worthwhile mentioning again why magnets have no effect on the blood or vessels. Or you could just have the rogues test the device for some empirical evidence.
Jerad Zimmermann.
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When Birds Attack
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Dear skeptics,
I'm a dedicated listener and love every episode of the skeptic's guide that you produce. I thought you might be interested in a field report in the ongoing monkeys vs birds struggle. I recently traveled to Tanzania and went out on safari. It was an amazing experience and everything proceeded flawlessly... until we stopped to eat lunch. We got out of our vehicle, and almost immediately we were attacked by a species of African Jerkbird (actually Black Kites). They mercilessly swooped in on our lunches! In one case, they stole a piece of chicken out of my friend's hand as she was about to bite into it! We had no way to retaliate other than to jump up and down, make high-pitched noises and shake our fists at the sky. We promptly retreated to the vehicle, where we finished what was left of our decimated lunches.
I'm sure Perry will be disappointed, but in this round of monkeys vs birds, the birds definitely had the upper hand.
Thanks again for all you do!
Matt N.
USA
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Groupthink
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I am a subscriber of Skeptic magazine and I tend to seek out other media friendly to skeptics but I think your show violates the spirit of skepticism. All of the panelists think alike and don't seem to disagree much on anything.
That, to me, is scary.. and unnatural.
Also, don't get so stuck on "reason" alone... you should consider ethics as well. Reason without ethics is meaningless.
Charles
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Segment: Name That Logical Fallacy
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Logical Fallacies
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I'm wondering if there is a particular logical fallacy which would cover the claim, "they would never do that", as in, "the U.S. military would never have dropped flares over a populated area," or "the Jewish priesthood would never have made up a story which portrayed one of their patriarchs in such a negative light, so the incident of the Golden Calf must really have happened."
Peter Gaffney
Los Angeles, United States
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Segment: Science or Fiction [ Click Here to Show the Answers ]
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Question #1  Fiction
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A new study shows that in the workplace female sexual harassment of male co-workers is just as prevalent as male sexual harassment of female co-workers.
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Question #2  Science
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Recent psychological studies have shown that cartoonish video game violence was as much correlated with increased violent and aggressive behavior as is more graphic and realistic video game violence.
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Question #3 Science
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Recent research indicates that Japanese and American computer users use different emoticons for the same emotions, and this reflects differences in how the two cultures perceive emotions from facial expressions.
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Segment: Skeptical Puzzle
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Puzzle
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This Week's Puzzle
Please be still my beating heart
For the best kiss of my life
That tingling on my skin does start
In vain my stress can cause much strife
What am I describing?
Last Week's Puzzle
Take a rose
Place it in lime
The outcome is usually death
I am mired by what Doctor Griffin would say
A dimmer version of a baby's last breath
What am I describing?
Answer: Sirenomelia
Winner: none
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Segment: Quote of the Week
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Quote
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"If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it's still a foolish thing."
-Anatole France
(1844-1924) French writer
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