Episode #106

News Items

    Interview with Barry Glassner

    • Professor of Sociology at the University of Southern California
      http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/faculty/faculty1003289.html

      Author of The Culture of Fear: Why Americans are Afraid of the Wrong Things
      www.amazon.com/Culture-Fear-Americans-Afraid-Things/dp/0465014909

      and

      The Gospel of Food
      http://www.gospeloffood.com.

    Correction on Ward Churchill

    • I am usually in agreement with the panel on many topics, but I have to disagree with your assessment of Ward Churchill. In a speech at the University of Colorado, he had claimed he did not mean to portray the innocent victims, the janitors, and the passersby as ‘little Eichmanns’. My understanding of his claims was that the retaliation by the Middle East is in response to the United States’ foreign policy, which tends to mistreat people and countries who are not in agreement. Obviously, it is to destroy things and kill people, whether it is 9/11 or our misadventures in Iraq, but the explanation that if we get people mad, they will want to retaliate makes some sense to me. I didn’t interpret his essay as claiming that 9/11 was an inside job, otherwise I would dismiss that claim as nonsense. What evidence do you have that Churchill said 9/11 was an inside job?

      Eric Isenbarger
      US

    • Hello Skeptic Torchbearers!

      I am a fairly recent listener. I got turned on (heh) to your podcast after listening to Dr. Novella as a guest on Astronomy Cast. Needless to say, you are now in the top 2 of podcasts I listen to. Although, admittedly I only listen to 2.

      But, you guys are awesome and a treat to listen to. Even Rebecca, who, for a grazer can actually be pretty witty at times..although not quite to the level of Perry.

      I just ran across this today and thought I’d run it past you guys as it seems to be right up Dr. Novellas alley in particular. It sounds more than a little bizarre and suspicious:

      www.newscientist.com/article/dn12301-man-with-tiny-brain-shocks-doctors.html

      I find it quite difficult to believe that a human being with by an account up to only 25% of a brain can leave a healthy life.

      The article seems fairly well written and at least gives somewhat of a sense of credibility.

      Thanks for your time and keep up the great work!
      Eric Berns
      Alberta, Canada.

    • If this is interesting to you, it might provide a distraction from the otherwise tedious creationists. The description reminds me of some of Ramachandrian’s descriptions of temporal lobe disturbances(?)

      Bob Calder

      www.livescience.com/blogs/topic/society/

    Science or Fiction

    • Item #1 Fiction

      New fMRI study supports Freuds theory of humor as sexual-arousal relief.

    • Item #2 Science

      Researchers have built the first artificial intelligence that has a sense of humor.

    • Item #3 Science

      Psychology researchers have demonstrated that older adults do not understand jokes as well as younger adults.

    Skeptical Quote of the Week.