Episode #107

News Items

    Using Unproven Therapies

    • Skeptical rogues and roguette-

      My question is this: might it not be reasonable for a skeptical, rational-thinking individual to turn to an herbal remedy or other medication which has not made it through this rigorous vetting process, and which has only anecdotal or preliminary evidence supporting its use, if they are desperate for some treatment (any treatment), and if evidence-based medicine has nothing to offer them?

      David
      USA

      Dr. Novellas Blog entry on this topic: www.theness.com/neurologicablog/default.asp?Display=150

    • I ran across this interesting article from the UK, where it’s suggested that walking to the store is worse for the environment than driving;

      www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article2195538.ece

      Jaan

      Rebecca’s Blog on the topic
      skepchick.org/skepticsguide/viewtopic.php?t=4238

    • As always thanks for providing an excellent podcast to start my week off just right. However last week I did find one thing to gripe about a bit. One of my favorite segments is the science or fiction portion and while I am definately not always right I generally understand the correct answer. However last week even after learning the true stories I did not feel that the AI with a sense of humor should be classified as science. To me ‘sense of humor’ describes something more than just the way something is delivered. If I am understanding correctly this program detects variations in the voice that are commonly associated with telling a joke, much the same way a lie-detector tries to determine truth through bio patterns. Perhaps a ‘joke-detecting’ AI was made, but just as sweaty palms don’t constitute a lie, the right inflections in the voice don’t always make humor.

      Unfortunately I think we still only have ‘Data’; able to understand that a joke has been told, yet unable to find the humor in it. Hence, in my view, Data had no sense of humor.
      Maybe I’m way off base here, but I’m sure you’ll let me know if I am!

      Anyways keep the great work coming!

      Kyle Cook
      Bowling Green

    Science or Fiction

    • Item #1 Science

      New study shows that drinking milk after weight lifting led to more fat loss and greater muscle gain that drinking soy or a carbohydrate drink.

    • Item #2 Fiction

      New study suggests that the elderly should be eating more vegetables and less meat in order to maintain their muscle mass.

    • Item #3 Science

      A new animal study suggests that low calorie or diet foods and drinks may lead to obesity.

    Skeptical Quote of the Week.