SGUTranscripts - User contributions [en]

SGU Episode 287

2012-10-20T17:16:49Z

Jestofdoom: /* Galactic Black Holes (40:15) */ first draft of news item

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{{InfoBox
|episodeTitle = SGU Episode 287
|episodeDate = 12th Jan 2011 
|episodeIcon = File:LogoSGU.png 
|previous = 286 
|next = 288 
|rebecca = y 
|bob = y 
|jay = y 
|evan = y 
|perry = 
|guest1 = P: Phil Plait 
|guest2 = 
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|downloadLink = http://media.libsyn.com/media/skepticsguide/skepticast2011-01-12.mp3
|notesLink = http://theskepticsguide.org/archive/podcastinfo.aspx?mid=1&pid=287
|forumLink = http://sguforums.com/index.php/topic,32964.0.html
|qowText = Reality has been around since long before you showed up. Don't go calling it nasty names like "bizarre" or "incredible". The universe was propagating complex amplitudes through configuration space for ten billion years before life ever emerged on Earth. Quantum physics is not "weird". You are weird. -Eliezer Yudkowsky
|qowAuthor = [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliezer_Yudkowsky]
|}}

== Introduction ==
''You're listening to the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe, your escape to reality.''

S: Hello and welcome to the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe, today is Wednesday January 12th, 2011 and this is your host Steve Novella. Joining me this week are Bob Novella,...

B: Hey everybody.

S: Rebecca Watson,

R: Hello everyone.

S: Jay Novella,

J: Hey Guys.

S: Evan Bernstein,

E: Hello, hello.

S: and the first guest rogue of 2011, the Bad Astronomer, Phil Plait. Phil welcome back to the SGU.

P: Greetings and felicitations, critical thinkers.

R: Man. We can not get rid of this guy can we?

P: It's true.

?: Who would want to?

S: He keeps turning up.

E: And hello to the rest of you too, right?

S: Yeah, and to everyone else, right.

E: Right, cause...

P: Well, if people have to listen to this, okay.

?: Phil would you like to make any... any astrological or astronomical predictions for 2011?

S: Eh, what's the difference?

E: Yeah.

R: Yeah, it's like cosmology and cosmetology. Basically the same thing.

P: That's true.

R: Phil actually cuts my hair. Little known fact.

P: I was going to say, just wash them right out of your hair, that's fine. Yeah, the astrological predictions are one things, but you know astronomical predictions, there will be meteor showers, the sun will continue to shine, somewhere a supernova will blow up.

R: Alright, but if the sun stops shining, we're going to be coming to you for answers.

S: And you can go out on a limb and say there will be sunspots.

P: I don't know. It's actually been pretty weak so far.

S: Not so sure about that, yeah. I wouldn't...

P: There have been a few. We've had some good ones, but not... I don't know, we'll see. It's all going to end in 2012 anyway.

S: We've never really fully rebounded from the solar minimum have we?

P: There have been some pretty big filaments, these prominences, these giant arcs of material that that scream out of the sun and then blow off into space. There have been some really spectacular ones.

S: Yeah.

P: Which is cool because NASA has a new satellite up there, the Solar Dynamics Observatory, so we've been getting, you know, awesome hi-res video of this. But it's still, you know, not quite where I was expecting it by this time in the cycle. Eh, we'll see. The sun...

?: Should we be afraid?

P: We should always be afraid. But I don't think. I don't think the Sun...

R: Fear monger.

P: ...is going reach out and give you anything other than a sunburn.

S: Yeah.

P: And I know how pale and doughy all all of us skeptics are so we should be worried about that.

S: We should live in constant fear. Haven't you read Phil's book?

R: Mmmhmm. MmmHmm.

?: Yeah.

P: Look, who's going to make money if people aren't afraid?

S: Right.

R: It's true.

?: Well that's true.

S: Speaking of which, Phil how is Bad Universe doing? Any updates? On possibly more episodes?

P: I haven't heard anything from the Network yet. I'm still hoping. The first two have aired in the US. I haven't heard of when the third is going to be scheduled, but if you live in Australia, actually. I believe there are some Australian listeners of SGU. January 16th on Sunday, I think it's at 7:30 but check your local listings, they'll be showing it and then they'll show all 3 episodes the following Sundays. So you know get on get online check check your TV schedule and then you can see me blowing stuff up.

R: That was actually a regular question I got as I was doing talks around Australia and New Zealand. People kept asking me when your show was airing. Slightly, slightly insulting to me. But, I'm sure...

P: Well when is your TV show on Rebecca?

?: Oh!

R: Any moment now, any moment. You have to, you have to pay by the minute though.

P: Oh dear.

== This Day in Skepticism (3:27) ==
[http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/ganymede/discovery.html]

S: Well before go on to some serious science news, Evan what is special about today?

E: It was January 13th actually tomorrow. 1610 where Galileo discovered Calisto. 4th satellite of Jupiter.

S: That's my 3rd favorite Galilean satellite

R: Steve, you know you shouldn't pick favorites.

E: Io is your first I think.

?: It's my fourth.

R: My favorite is the one that looks like the deathstar, Mimos.

P: That's Mimos. That's on Saturn.

S: Yeah, right.

R: I thought it was Mimos. I go by the Latin pronunciations...

S: Mimos, Mimos.

R: ...but you would know better being the astronomer.

P: I call my grandmother Mima.

R: Does she look like the deathstar, too?

P: Oh, I'm confusing myself with Sheldon Cooper. Alright nevermind.

J: Evan...

?: Evan rocks!

J: Evan, why did you call it a satellite, not just a moon?

E: Well.

S: Well.

P: Snap!

B: Did it throw you off, Jay?

J: Of course.

S: Because that's what Galileo called them. The words are interchangeable. But that.. the the Galilean satellites is just what they're often referred to, the four largest moons of Jupiter.

E: Well plus when people say moon to me I only think about our Moon. I don't think about the dozens of other moons that are out...

S: You don't?

E: ...out there. No!

S: Our moon is The Moon.

E: It is...

S: But all the other moons are still moons.

E: All the other moons are cheap knockoffs on our moon.

S: Oh come on? Ganymede? Please. Things as big as a planet.

E: Well so is... so is...

?: So is Uranus Steve, you know.

E: It's as big as...

P: It's so cute when you guys talk astronomy.

?: I know...

?: Isn't it Phil?

P: I would love to sit back listening, this is fun.

== News Items ==
=== Molten Exoplanet (4:57)===
[http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/01/10/molten-exoplanet-followup/]

S: Phil tell us about the latest exciting exoplanet to be discovered.

=== BMJ Slams Wakefield (13:22)===
[http://theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=2688]

S: Well, let's move on to some non-astronomy items.

=== Creationist Teacher Fired (28:52)===
[http://ncse.com/news/2011/01/recommendation-freshwater-case-006403 http://ncse.com/news/2011/01/freshwater-officially-fired-006408]

S: Let's go on to another story about another man with dubious intentions.

=== Galactic Black Holes (40:15)===
[http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/01/11/a-tiny-galaxy-that-hides-a-big-secret/]

S: Before we leave the news items, Phil give us a quick story on this black hole.

?: In your childhood, what was it like to grow up out there?

S: Huh?

R: What?

?: What?

E: What?

?: What a stupid...

?: Non-sequitor.

?: I want to learn more about Phil Plait the man. You know what I mean?

E: Well, that...

R: Did Jay just black out?

P: Man, my wife would laugh at you calling me that, but okay.

S: Or, or you could tell us about black holes, which happens to be your scientific area of expertise.

P: Uhh... Yeah, I, I think that's that's not terribly unfair to call it that, I, I've studied them quite a bit, although not... not when I was doing research, but afterwards when I was doing education, public outreach, I worked on a couple of satellites that studied black holes a lot, and there have been, in the news, a lot of black hole stuff and a couple of interesting stories. I think the most interesting one is that a, a relatively nearby dwarf galaxy, called Hanize 210 (ed: spelling?). Is, is, it's really, actually, it's pretty dinky. It's only about 3000 light years across. And the Milky Way is a hundred thousand light years across, so this is pretty small. And yet it's really active. There's a lot of stuff going on in it. And what they've found is that near the center of this thing is a super-massive black hole. And that's, that's a pretty big surprise. We know that there are these black holes in the centers of big galaxies, like us and Andromeda and those kind of guys, and some smaller galaxies have them as well, but not that many. But even the ones when, when we see them in these little galaxies, those little galaxies are usually pretty well organized. This one's a mess. It's irregular. It looks like a paint blob or something like that. And it's, it's relatively close by. It's about 30 million light years away. As galaxies go, that's pretty close. It turns out because it's small it has to be close, or else we wouldn't be able to see it at all. And, this one has a super-massive black hole about a million times the mass of the Sun. It's not exactly well know how massive it is, but that's close. And that's a quarter the size of our black hole. For a galaxy, mind you, that is much much much larger. And Andromeda.

E: 25 percent... (ed: hard to hear)

P: which is a galaxy essentially the same size as the Milky Way. It actually has a black hole that's 140 million solar masses. So, galaxies our size can have black holes of all different masses. But it's really weird to see one in a galaxy this small. And really nobody knows how it got there and how it got so big. It's an interesting little mystery.

B: I know. I know how it happened.

P: Oh here we go.

E: That it's...

P: It's Andrew Wakefield's fault.

B: No, my, my theory is that the super-massive black hole...

P: Your hypothesis. Your hypothesis.

B: Yes. My hypothesis, yes.

R: Way to keep him inline, Phil.

E: So typical...

B: No! I've developed this pretty far. I'd call it a theory. My... My... yeah, my quick... quickie little idea is that this black hole... it... it... the galaxy originally had a tiny black hole, but it got really big because it merged with another super-massive black hole that was ejected from another galaxy.

P: Bob, why do you hate America?

J: Can black holes merge?

B: Shee-yeah. They can merge. Now there's actually some precedence for this. There was some... I read some articles, about, idea, theories or hypotheses, of black holes being ejected from other, other, other galaxies. The Chandra X-ray satellite I think spotted one that they think was possibly ejected. Now, I know it's probably baloney, but I'm just throwing it out there.

P: Well, it's possible. You know, when, when two galaxies collide, we see this all the time. It's possible that, that the black holes in the centers of the two galaxies, depending on the circumstances. Usually the galaxies will pass through each other. Sometimes they merge. If they merge the black holes can orbit each other, and eventually merge. But if there's a... a, a lot of junk around, massive clouds of gas and dust and stuff. These guys can actually weigh as much as the black holes, they're just much, much, much bigger. And if you do that, you can toss around a lot of stuff. You need, you need massive objects, and the orbital mechanics gets really complicated, but you can kick something out of a system when that happens, when you have more than two things interacting. So yeah, you can eject a super-massive black hole from a galaxy. I don't imagine it happens very often.

S: Right.

P: However, you know, there's the whole universe for this thing to be inside of. The odds of it being inside a little dinky galaxy, which doesn't have a prayer of capturing it, would be really, really low.

?: Right.

P: It's the same sort of things with moons in the solar system. And, and even planets.

S: Yeah.

P: They can get ejected. But it's really, really hard to actually capture an object.

?: Mmhmm.

?: The amount of... Yeah, but...

P: The amount of energy you have to lose is huge.

?: Yeah.

E: How old is this galaxy?

?: It's a big galaxy.

P: I don't know. That's a good question.

?: Big universe.

P: It's hard to actually get data on something like this.

E: Could the age have something to do with its, its structure.

P: It could be just a very old galaxy that just something happened to it recently. I'm not sure. I don't know that much about this galaxy. There were a lot of papers out. It's been studied for a while, because it is a star-forming galaxy. A lot of these little dwarf guys do crank out a lot of stars. And, and honestly, 30 million light years, this thing would be invisible, if it, if it weren't this bright, if it weren't cranking out these stars. So people have been studying it. It will be interesting to see what else can be determined about this thing. I mean, there's, the evidence for it being a black hole is pretty convincing. It's blasting out X-rays. There are radio waves coming from either side of, of whatever this object is, which is what you expect when beams of material are screaming out of the black hole, well, near the black hole and, and slamming into material in the galaxy. So, looking at it, yeah, you know, I, I think a super-massive black hole, is a pretty good, pretty good deal. But how it got there, how it got so big, when the galaxy is so small is a pretty interesting question.

== Who's That Noisy? (45:47)==

S: Evan! Get us up to date on Who's that Noisy?

E: Yeah, why don't we play last weeks Who's that Noisy? Here we go.

R: Yeah, lets.

<blockquote>
1: No, No, No! None of these books have a cure! Urh! There has to be a real reason for this. An illness! An allergy!
2: A curse.
1: I said a real reason. Something that points to something real.
2: How about this one?
1: Supernaturals? Spike, the word supernatural refers to things like ghosts and spirits and zombies. Which are as make-believe as curses.
</blockquote>

E: Okay.

?: Except the zombies.

?: So who is that noisy.

R: I know who it is.

E: Alright Rebecca.

R: It's My Little Ponies. Only like the best toy ever.

E: That's Right.

R: Right? Right?

E: Exactly. That is right. That's exactly correct.

R: I had tons of My Little Ponies as a kid. And that's what made me a skeptic today.

S: I'm not shocked by that at all.

R: Not.. not actually true, but I did have a ton of My Little Ponies.

J: There was a My Little Ponies like cartoon?

R: Yeah.

E: Oh, There have been several Jay, there have been several.

R: It used to come on after Gummy Bears.

P: Wait, Gummy Bears was a show?

?: What is?

R: What? Come on. (singing) Gummy Bears bouncing here and there and ...

?: You just made that up.

R: No I swear to god. (singing)bouncing here and there and everywhere.

S: So what were they talking about in that little clip.

P: You know stuff and things with the stuff.

?: Basically the Gummy Bears are talking about how not to get eaten.

R: No.

S: No.

R: No, they're My Little Ponies.

?: Oh.

E: I did not watch, I did not watch the entire episode but the moral of the story was that the solution was in the... that going to look for a solution to a problem using a paranormal book is not a good thing to do. And thank you by the way to Adam from The Reality Check podcast who brought that to our attention.

?: Oh cool. Hey Adam.

S: Thanks Adam. Did anybody guess right?

E: Yeah, absolutely, some did get it right.

?: And her name was Rebecca Watson.

?: Rebecca

E: His name...

R: It was me.

E: Wolbertinger (ed: spelling?) from the message boards was the only one to guess correctly.

?: He should see a doctor about that.

E: He even got the name of the Pony: Twilight Sparkle.

?: Oh boy.

?: I'm sorry. Twilight Sparkle? Can they sue?

S: You like Twilight Sparkle?

P: Twilight Sparkly vampire.

?: So basically Evan, what you're saying Wolbertinger (ed: spelling?) wherever he is right now might be wearing a I love My Little Pony t-shirt, whatever that is.

E: The t-shirt actually reads "Everything I learned about skepticism, I learned from My Little Pony."

R: That is so true.

P: That's ridiculous because honestly everyone knows Hello Kitty is a lot better.

R: What? Get out of here.

E: Is Hello Kitty very skeptical?

R: No! Hello Kitty is just a cheap marketing ploy.

E: I'll take four.

P: Well, I've been put in my place.

R: My Little Ponies had content.

S: Stuff. Evan. Evan what do you've got for this week?

E: This week's Who's That Noisy.

(Noises)

P: It's David after dentist.

(Noises continue)

J: Evan look man.

E: Jay, that was for you.

J: I told you, no window lickers okay?

P: It's Kei$ha without auto-tuning.

?: You know guys...

E: That's a really good guess.

?: Something really weird and profound just happened to me.

S: Yeah.

?: I think I have finally merged with the Internet.

R: Really?

?: Because I know exactly what that is.

R: Are you Lawnmower Man? It that what this is?

?: More more Metro-Sexual Man.

E: I do predict one of our listeners, at least one of our listeners is going to get this one, so...

== Your Questions and Emails (49:58) ==
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir5sQEg0rs4 YouTube Link to Video]
S: Thanks Evan! Let's go on to a couple of Your Questions and Emails. This one by coincidence, total cosmic coincidence, not planned in any way.

== Name That Logical Fallacy (57:25) ==

S: Well let's move on. We're going to do a name that logical fallacy.

== Science or Fiction (1:08:04) ==

S: Well, let's go on to Science or Fiction.

== Skeptical Quote of the Week (1:27:35) ==

S: We have a few very important announcements coming up but first ...

J: So this quote was sent in by Dex (ed: Spelling?)

S: ... we have a quote from Jay.

J: <blockquote>
Reality has been around since long before you showed up. Don't go calling it nasty names like "bizarre" or "incredible". The universe was propagating complex amplitudes through configuration space for ten billion years before life ever emerged on Earth. Quantum physics is not "weird". You are weird.
</blockquote>

R: That's harsh.

J: Eliezer Yudkowsky

S: Eliezer Yudkowsky

E: Is that through your diggereedoo, Jay?

J: I'm not going to reveal my secrets.

== Announcements (1:28:14) ==

S: A few...a few important announcements. First Richard Saunders requested that I let people know that the Skeptic Zone now has an email newsletter so if you would like to receive, I think it's weekly, a weekly newsletter through the email from the Skeptic Zone, you can visit [http://www.skepticzone.tv www.skepticzone.tv] and you can subscribe there. Also, NECSS registration is now open, so...

R: Yay!

S: So you can go to go to the NECSS Con website and you'll see a big button to register here.

R: This is the conference previously known as the SGU live show.

S: Yes, the SGU... the local SGU live show, which has warped into the North East Conference on Science and Skepticism or NECSS for short. And who's our keynote speaker this year?

E: Some guy, I think.

R: Is it me?

P: Isn't, isn't this whole thing just William Shatner chopping wood? Oh that's the other Nexis, sorry.

R: I wish.

E: What about Snooky. Snooky.

S: I believe that the Bad Astronomer is going to be our keynote this year.

R: Oh, I've heard of him.

P: Hey, hey.

E: He's the...

P: I can dress like Snooky for the talk.

?: That's awesome guys, come on.

E: He's the Bad As...tronomer.

S: The Bad As...tronomer.

P: All I need to do is figure out what I'm going to talk about.

E: That's easy.

S: So we have coming Phil Plait of course, Massimo Pelluci, John Rheny, John Alan Palous, Todd Robins, Eugeny Scott, Carl Zimmer, Daniel Conamen, did I say George Hrab? Jennifer Michael Hect, (ed: spelling??) ...

R: No.

S: Thomas Gillovich.

?: Hrab.

S: I'm actually excited to see this guy. Have you guys read his book? You know I think it's called...

E: No.

S: How We Know What Isn't So

P: Yeah, I've got that book right here.

E: No, I'll have to read that.

P: It's a great book.

S: Yeah, it's a seminal book in my opinion in understanding ...

E: Really?

S: ...the psychology of belief. Yeah, love it.

P: It's a good book.

E: Oh I've got to read that.

S: Yeah, yeah, you've got to read it. So I'm excited to see him at the... at the conference. Hal Bidlack, Brooke Allan, Dan Garterner (ed: spelling?) who we interviewed recently. So it's quite the lineup. There may be some other additions coming, but just the list as it is now is awesome. Also, if you are a member of the NESS, of the New England Skeptical Society, then email us at snovella@skepticsguide.org and I will send you a special code to get your membership discount. We do...

?: Awesome.

S: We do have, we do have a list of everybody, but I don't have everybody's email so it's easier just to email me if you want the code.

P: When you decode it, it says be sure to drink your Ovaltine.

?: Nice. Nice.

E: Brought to you buy.

S: Well, Phil, thanks for joining us this week.

R: Thanks Phil.

?: Thanks Phil, great to have you.

P: This was awesome, as always, thank you.

E: Yeah, thanks Phil.

S: Thank you everyone else. A pleasure as always.

R: Thank you Steve.

E: Thank you everyone else.

?: Great episode!

S: And until next week, this is your Skeptics Guide to the Universe.

{{Outro291}}

== References ==
<references/>

{{Navigation}}

SGU Episode 287

2012-10-20T16:15:40Z

Jestofdoom: /* Announcements (1:28:14) */ First draft of announcements section.

{{Editing required
|transcription = y

|time-stamps =
|formatting = y
|links = y
|Today I Learned list = y
|categories = y
|segment redirects = y 
|}}
{{InfoBox
|episodeTitle = SGU Episode 287
|episodeDate = 12th Jan 2011 
|episodeIcon = File:LogoSGU.png 
|previous = 286 
|next = 288 
|rebecca = y 
|bob = y 
|jay = y 
|evan = y 
|perry = 
|guest1 = P: Phil Plait 
|guest2 = 
|guest3 = 
|downloadLink = http://media.libsyn.com/media/skepticsguide/skepticast2011-01-12.mp3
|notesLink = http://theskepticsguide.org/archive/podcastinfo.aspx?mid=1&pid=287
|forumLink = http://sguforums.com/index.php/topic,32964.0.html
|qowText = Reality has been around since long before you showed up. Don't go calling it nasty names like "bizarre" or "incredible". The universe was propagating complex amplitudes through configuration space for ten billion years before life ever emerged on Earth. Quantum physics is not "weird". You are weird. -Eliezer Yudkowsky
|qowAuthor = [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliezer_Yudkowsky]
|}}

== Introduction ==
''You're listening to the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe, your escape to reality.''

S: Hello and welcome to the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe, today is Wednesday January 12th, 2011 and this is your host Steve Novella. Joining me this week are Bob Novella,...

B: Hey everybody.

S: Rebecca Watson,

R: Hello everyone.

S: Jay Novella,

J: Hey Guys.

S: Evan Bernstein,

E: Hello, hello.

S: and the first guest rogue of 2011, the Bad Astronomer, Phil Plait. Phil welcome back to the SGU.

P: Greetings and felicitations, critical thinkers.

R: Man. We can not get rid of this guy can we?

P: It's true.

?: Who would want to?

S: He keeps turning up.

E: And hello to the rest of you too, right?

S: Yeah, and to everyone else, right.

E: Right, cause...

P: Well, if people have to listen to this, okay.

?: Phil would you like to make any... any astrological or astronomical predictions for 2011?

S: Eh, what's the difference?

E: Yeah.

R: Yeah, it's like cosmology and cosmetology. Basically the same thing.

P: That's true.

R: Phil actually cuts my hair. Little known fact.

P: I was going to say, just wash them right out of your hair, that's fine. Yeah, the astrological predictions are one things, but you know astronomical predictions, there will be meteor showers, the sun will continue to shine, somewhere a supernova will blow up.

R: Alright, but if the sun stops shining, we're going to be coming to you for answers.

S: And you can go out on a limb and say there will be sunspots.

P: I don't know. It's actually been pretty weak so far.

S: Not so sure about that, yeah. I wouldn't...

P: There have been a few. We've had some good ones, but not... I don't know, we'll see. It's all going to end in 2012 anyway.

S: We've never really fully rebounded from the solar minimum have we?

P: There have been some pretty big filaments, these prominences, these giant arcs of material that that scream out of the sun and then blow off into space. There have been some really spectacular ones.

S: Yeah.

P: Which is cool because NASA has a new satellite up there, the Solar Dynamics Observatory, so we've been getting, you know, awesome hi-res video of this. But it's still, you know, not quite where I was expecting it by this time in the cycle. Eh, we'll see. The sun...

?: Should we be afraid?

P: We should always be afraid. But I don't think. I don't think the Sun...

R: Fear monger.

P: ...is going reach out and give you anything other than a sunburn.

S: Yeah.

P: And I know how pale and doughy all all of us skeptics are so we should be worried about that.

S: We should live in constant fear. Haven't you read Phil's book?

R: Mmmhmm. MmmHmm.

?: Yeah.

P: Look, who's going to make money if people aren't afraid?

S: Right.

R: It's true.

?: Well that's true.

S: Speaking of which, Phil how is Bad Universe doing? Any updates? On possibly more episodes?

P: I haven't heard anything from the Network yet. I'm still hoping. The first two have aired in the US. I haven't heard of when the third is going to be scheduled, but if you live in Australia, actually. I believe there are some Australian listeners of SGU. January 16th on Sunday, I think it's at 7:30 but check your local listings, they'll be showing it and then they'll show all 3 episodes the following Sundays. So you know get on get online check check your TV schedule and then you can see me blowing stuff up.

R: That was actually a regular question I got as I was doing talks around Australia and New Zealand. People kept asking me when your show was airing. Slightly, slightly insulting to me. But, I'm sure...

P: Well when is your TV show on Rebecca?

?: Oh!

R: Any moment now, any moment. You have to, you have to pay by the minute though.

P: Oh dear.

== This Day in Skepticism (3:27) ==
[http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/ganymede/discovery.html]

S: Well before go on to some serious science news, Evan what is special about today?

E: It was January 13th actually tomorrow. 1610 where Galileo discovered Calisto. 4th satellite of Jupiter.

S: That's my 3rd favorite Galilean satellite

R: Steve, you know you shouldn't pick favorites.

E: Io is your first I think.

?: It's my fourth.

R: My favorite is the one that looks like the deathstar, Mimos.

P: That's Mimos. That's on Saturn.

S: Yeah, right.

R: I thought it was Mimos. I go by the Latin pronunciations...

S: Mimos, Mimos.

R: ...but you would know better being the astronomer.

P: I call my grandmother Mima.

R: Does she look like the deathstar, too?

P: Oh, I'm confusing myself with Sheldon Cooper. Alright nevermind.

J: Evan...

?: Evan rocks!

J: Evan, why did you call it a satellite, not just a moon?

E: Well.

S: Well.

P: Snap!

B: Did it throw you off, Jay?

J: Of course.

S: Because that's what Galileo called them. The words are interchangeable. But that.. the the Galilean satellites is just what they're often referred to, the four largest moons of Jupiter.

E: Well plus when people say moon to me I only think about our Moon. I don't think about the dozens of other moons that are out...

S: You don't?

E: ...out there. No!

S: Our moon is The Moon.

E: It is...

S: But all the other moons are still moons.

E: All the other moons are cheap knockoffs on our moon.

S: Oh come on? Ganymede? Please. Things as big as a planet.

E: Well so is... so is...

?: So is Uranus Steve, you know.

E: It's as big as...

P: It's so cute when you guys talk astronomy.

?: I know...

?: Isn't it Phil?

P: I would love to sit back listening, this is fun.

== News Items ==
=== Molten Exoplanet (4:57)===
[http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/01/10/molten-exoplanet-followup/]

S: Phil tell us about the latest exciting exoplanet to be discovered.

=== BMJ Slams Wakefield (13:22)===
[http://theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=2688]

S: Well, let's move on to some non-astronomy items.

=== Creationist Teacher Fired (28:52)===
[http://ncse.com/news/2011/01/recommendation-freshwater-case-006403 http://ncse.com/news/2011/01/freshwater-officially-fired-006408]

S: Let's go on to another story about another man with dubious intentions.

=== Galactic Black Holes (40:15)===
[http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/01/11/a-tiny-galaxy-that-hides-a-big-secret/]

S: Before we leave the news items, Phil give us a quick story on this black hole

== Who's That Noisy? (45:47)==

S: Evan! Get us up to date on Who's that Noisy?

E: Yeah, why don't we play last weeks Who's that Noisy? Here we go.

R: Yeah, lets.

<blockquote>
1: No, No, No! None of these books have a cure! Urh! There has to be a real reason for this. An illness! An allergy!
2: A curse.
1: I said a real reason. Something that points to something real.
2: How about this one?
1: Supernaturals? Spike, the word supernatural refers to things like ghosts and spirits and zombies. Which are as make-believe as curses.
</blockquote>

E: Okay.

?: Except the zombies.

?: So who is that noisy.

R: I know who it is.

E: Alright Rebecca.

R: It's My Little Ponies. Only like the best toy ever.

E: That's Right.

R: Right? Right?

E: Exactly. That is right. That's exactly correct.

R: I had tons of My Little Ponies as a kid. And that's what made me a skeptic today.

S: I'm not shocked by that at all.

R: Not.. not actually true, but I did have a ton of My Little Ponies.

J: There was a My Little Ponies like cartoon?

R: Yeah.

E: Oh, There have been several Jay, there have been several.

R: It used to come on after Gummy Bears.

P: Wait, Gummy Bears was a show?

?: What is?

R: What? Come on. (singing) Gummy Bears bouncing here and there and ...

?: You just made that up.

R: No I swear to god. (singing)bouncing here and there and everywhere.

S: So what were they talking about in that little clip.

P: You know stuff and things with the stuff.

?: Basically the Gummy Bears are talking about how not to get eaten.

R: No.

S: No.

R: No, they're My Little Ponies.

?: Oh.

E: I did not watch, I did not watch the entire episode but the moral of the story was that the solution was in the... that going to look for a solution to a problem using a paranormal book is not a good thing to do. And thank you by the way to Adam from The Reality Check podcast who brought that to our attention.

?: Oh cool. Hey Adam.

S: Thanks Adam. Did anybody guess right?

E: Yeah, absolutely, some did get it right.

?: And her name was Rebecca Watson.

?: Rebecca

E: His name...

R: It was me.

E: Wolbertinger (ed: spelling?) from the message boards was the only one to guess correctly.

?: He should see a doctor about that.

E: He even got the name of the Pony: Twilight Sparkle.

?: Oh boy.

?: I'm sorry. Twilight Sparkle? Can they sue?

S: You like Twilight Sparkle?

P: Twilight Sparkly vampire.

?: So basically Evan, what you're saying Wolbertinger (ed: spelling?) wherever he is right now might be wearing a I love My Little Pony t-shirt, whatever that is.

E: The t-shirt actually reads "Everything I learned about skepticism, I learned from My Little Pony."

R: That is so true.

P: That's ridiculous because honestly everyone knows Hello Kitty is a lot better.

R: What? Get out of here.

E: Is Hello Kitty very skeptical?

R: No! Hello Kitty is just a cheap marketing ploy.

E: I'll take four.

P: Well, I've been put in my place.

R: My Little Ponies had content.

S: Stuff. Evan. Evan what do you've got for this week?

E: This week's Who's That Noisy.

(Noises)

P: It's David after dentist.

(Noises continue)

J: Evan look man.

E: Jay, that was for you.

J: I told you, no window lickers okay?

P: It's Kei$ha without auto-tuning.

?: You know guys...

E: That's a really good guess.

?: Something really weird and profound just happened to me.

S: Yeah.

?: I think I have finally merged with the Internet.

R: Really?

?: Because I know exactly what that is.

R: Are you Lawnmower Man? It that what this is?

?: More more Metro-Sexual Man.

E: I do predict one of our listeners, at least one of our listeners is going to get this one, so...

== Your Questions and Emails (49:58) ==
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir5sQEg0rs4 YouTube Link to Video]
S: Thanks Evan! Let's go on to a couple of Your Questions and Emails. This one by coincidence, total cosmic coincidence, not planned in any way.

== Name That Logical Fallacy (57:25) ==

S: Well let's move on. We're going to do a name that logical fallacy.

== Science or Fiction (1:08:04) ==

S: Well, let's go on to Science or Fiction.

== Skeptical Quote of the Week (1:27:35) ==

S: We have a few very important announcements coming up but first ...

J: So this quote was sent in by Dex (ed: Spelling?)

S: ... we have a quote from Jay.

J: <blockquote>
Reality has been around since long before you showed up. Don't go calling it nasty names like "bizarre" or "incredible". The universe was propagating complex amplitudes through configuration space for ten billion years before life ever emerged on Earth. Quantum physics is not "weird". You are weird.
</blockquote>

R: That's harsh.

J: Eliezer Yudkowsky

S: Eliezer Yudkowsky

E: Is that through your diggereedoo, Jay?

J: I'm not going to reveal my secrets.

== Announcements (1:28:14) ==

S: A few...a few important announcements. First Richard Saunders requested that I let people know that the Skeptic Zone now has an email newsletter so if you would like to receive, I think it's weekly, a weekly newsletter through the email from the Skeptic Zone, you can visit [http://www.skepticzone.tv www.skepticzone.tv] and you can subscribe there. Also, NECSS registration is now open, so...

R: Yay!

S: So you can go to go to the NECSS Con website and you'll see a big button to register here.

R: This is the conference previously known as the SGU live show.

S: Yes, the SGU... the local SGU live show, which has warped into the North East Conference on Science and Skepticism or NECSS for short. And who's our keynote speaker this year?

E: Some guy, I think.

R: Is it me?

P: Isn't, isn't this whole thing just William Shatner chopping wood? Oh that's the other Nexis, sorry.

R: I wish.

E: What about Snooky. Snooky.

S: I believe that the Bad Astronomer is going to be our keynote this year.

R: Oh, I've heard of him.

P: Hey, hey.

E: He's the...

P: I can dress like Snooky for the talk.

?: That's awesome guys, come on.

E: He's the Bad As...tronomer.

S: The Bad As...tronomer.

P: All I need to do is figure out what I'm going to talk about.

E: That's easy.

S: So we have coming Phil Plait of course, Massimo Pelluci, John Rheny, John Alan Palous, Todd Robins, Eugeny Scott, Carl Zimmer, Daniel Conamen, did I say George Hrab? Jennifer Michael Hect, (ed: spelling??) ...

R: No.

S: Thomas Gillovich.

?: Hrab.

S: I'm actually excited to see this guy. Have you guys read his book? You know I think it's called...

E: No.

S: How We Know What Isn't So

P: Yeah, I've got that book right here.

E: No, I'll have to read that.

P: It's a great book.

S: Yeah, it's a seminal book in my opinion in understanding ...

E: Really?

S: ...the psychology of belief. Yeah, love it.

P: It's a good book.

E: Oh I've got to read that.

S: Yeah, yeah, you've got to read it. So I'm excited to see him at the... at the conference. Hal Bidlack, Brooke Allan, Dan Garterner (ed: spelling?) who we interviewed recently. So it's quite the lineup. There may be some other additions coming, but just the list as it is now is awesome. Also, if you are a member of the NESS, of the New England Skeptical Society, then email us at snovella@skepticsguide.org and I will send you a special code to get your membership discount. We do...

?: Awesome.

S: We do have, we do have a list of everybody, but I don't have everybody's email so it's easier just to email me if you want the code.

P: When you decode it, it says be sure to drink your Ovaltine.

?: Nice. Nice.

E: Brought to you buy.

S: Well, Phil, thanks for joining us this week.

R: Thanks Phil.

?: Thanks Phil, great to have you.

P: This was awesome, as always, thank you.

E: Yeah, thanks Phil.

S: Thank you everyone else. A pleasure as always.

R: Thank you Steve.

E: Thank you everyone else.

?: Great episode!

S: And until next week, this is your Skeptics Guide to the Universe.

{{Outro291}}

== References ==
<references/>

{{Navigation}}

SGU Episode 287

2012-10-20T15:41:00Z

Jestofdoom: /* Introduction */ First draft of the intro

SGU Episode 287

2012-10-20T14:58:57Z

Jestofdoom: /* This Day in Skepticism (3:27) */ draft of this day in skepticism done

SGU Episode 287

2012-10-20T03:23:14Z

Jestofdoom: /* Your Questions and Emails (49:58) */ added link to youtube link

SGU Episode 287

2012-10-20T03:04:33Z

Jestofdoom:

SGU Episode 287

2012-10-20T03:03:21Z

Jestofdoom: fixes to and finished draft of who's that noisy.

{{Editing required
|transcription = y

|time-stamps = n
|formatting = y
|links = y
|Today I Learned list = y
|categories = y
|segment redirects = y 
|}}
{{InfoBox
|episodeTitle = SGU Episode 287
|episodeDate = 12th Jan 2011 
|episodeIcon = File:LogoSGU.png 
|previous = 286 
|next = 288 
|rebecca = y 
|bob = y 
|jay = y 
|evan = y 
|perry = 
|guest1 = P: Phil Plait 
|guest2 = 
|guest3 = 
|downloadLink = http://media.libsyn.com/media/skepticsguide/skepticast2011-01-12.mp3
|notesLink = http://theskepticsguide.org/archive/podcastinfo.aspx?mid=1&pid=287
|forumLink = http://sguforums.com/index.php/topic,32964.0.html
|qowText = Reality has been around since long before you showed up. Don't go calling it nasty names like "bizarre" or "incredible". The universe was propagating complex amplitudes through configuration space for ten billion years before life ever emerged on Earth. Quantum physics is not "weird". You are weird. -Eliezer Yudkowsky
|qowAuthor = [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliezer_Yudkowsky]
|}}

== Introduction ==
''You're listening to the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe, your escape to reality.''

== This Day in Skepticism (3:27) ==
[http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/ganymede/discovery.html]

S: Well before go on to some serious science news, Evan what is special about today?

== News Items ==
=== Molten Exoplanet (4:57)===
[http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/01/10/molten-exoplanet-followup/]

S: Phil tell us about the latest exciting exoplanet to be discovered.

=== BMJ Slams Wakefield (13:22)===
[http://theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=2688]

S: Well, let's move on to some non-astronomy items.

=== Creationist Teacher Fired (28:52)===
[http://ncse.com/news/2011/01/recommendation-freshwater-case-006403 http://ncse.com/news/2011/01/freshwater-officially-fired-006408]

S: Let's go on to another story about another man with dubious intentions.

=== Galactic Black Holes (40:15)===
[http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/01/11/a-tiny-galaxy-that-hides-a-big-secret/]

S: Before we leave the news items, Phil give us a quick story on this black hole

== Who's That Noisy? (45:47)==

S: Evan! Get us up to date on Who's that Noisy?

E: Yeah, why don't we play last weeks Who's that Noisy? Here we go.

R: Yeah, lets.

<blockquote>
1: No, No, No! None of these books have a cure! Urh! There has to be a real reason for this. An illness! An allergy!
2: A curse.
1: I said a real reason. Something that points to something real.
2: How about this one?
1: Supernaturals? Spike, the word supernatural refers to things like ghosts and spirits and zombies. Which are as make-believe as curses.
</blockquote>

E: Okay.

?: Except the zombies.

?: So who is that noisy.

R: I know who it is.

E: Alright Rebecca.

R: It's My Little Ponies. Only like the best toy ever.

E: That's Right.

R: Right? Right?

E: Exactly. That is right. That's exactly correct.

R: I had tons of My Little Ponies as a kid. And that's what made me a skeptic today.

S: I'm not shocked by that at all.

R: Not.. not actually true, but I did have a ton of My Little Ponies.

J: There was a My Little Ponies like cartoon?

R: Yeah.

E: Oh, There have been several Jay, there have been several.

R: It used to come on after Gummy Bears.

P: Wait, Gummy Bears was a show?

?: What is?

R: What? Come on. (singing) Gummy Bears bouncing here and there and ...

?: You just made that up.

R: No I swear to god. (singing)bouncing here and there and everywhere.

S: So what were they talking about in that little clip.

P: You know stuff and things with the stuff.

?: Basically the Gummy Bears are talking about how not to get eaten.

R: No.

S: No.

R: No, they're My Little Ponies.

?: Oh.

E: I did not watch, I did not watch the entire episode but the moral of the story was that the solution was in the... that going to look for a solution to a problem using a paranormal book is not a good thing to do. And thank you by the way to Adam from The Reality Check podcast who brought that to our attention.

?: Oh cool. Hey Adam.

S: Thanks Adam. Did anybody guess right?

E: Yeah, absolutely, some did get it right.

?: And her name was Rebecca Watson.

?: Rebecca

E: His name...

R: It was me.

E: Wolbertinger (ed: spelling?) from the message boards was the only one to guess correctly.

?: He should see a doctor about that.

E: He even got the name of the Pony: Twilight Sparkle.

?: Oh boy.

?: I'm sorry. Twilight Sparkle? Can they sue?

S: You like Twilight Sparkle?

P: Twilight Sparkly vampire.

?: So basically Evan, what you're saying Wolbertinger (ed: spelling?) wherever he is right now might be wearing a I love My Little Pony t-shirt, whatever that is.

E: The t-shirt actually reads "Everything I learned about skepticism, I learned from My Little Pony."

R: That is so true.

P: That's ridiculous because honestly everyone knows Hello Kitty is a lot better.

R: What? Get out of here.

E: Is Hello Kitty very skeptical?

R: No! Hello Kitty is just a cheap marketing ploy.

E: I'll take four.

P: Well, I've been put in my place.

R: My Little Ponies had content.

S: Stuff. Evan. Evan what do you've got for this week?

E: This week's Who's That Noisy.

(Noises)

P: It's David after dentist.

(Noises continue)

J: Evan look man.

E: Jay, that was for you.

J: I told you, no window lickers okay?

P: It's Kei$ha without auto-tuning.

?: You know guys...

E: That's a really good guess.

?: Something really weird and profound just happened to me.

S: Yeah.

?: I think I have finally merged with the Internet.

R: Really?

?: Because I know exactly what that is.

R: Are you Lawnmower Man? It that what this is?

?: More more Metro-Sexual Man.

E: I do predict one of our listeners, at least one of our listeners is going to get this one, so...

== Your Questions and Emails (49:58) ==

S: Thanks Evan! Let's go on to a couple of Your Questions and Emails. This one by coincidence, total cosmic coincidence, not planned in any way.

== Name That Logical Fallacy (57:25) ==

S: Well let's move on. We're going to do a name that logical fallacy.

== Science or Fiction (1:08:04) ==

S: Well, let's go on to Science or Fiction.

== Skeptical Quote of the Week (1:27:35) ==

S: We have a few very important announcements coming up but first ...

J: So this quote was sent in by Dex (ed: Spelling?)

S: ... we have a quote from Jay.

J: <blockquote>
Reality has been around since long before you showed up. Don't go calling it nasty names like "bizarre" or "incredible". The universe was propagating complex amplitudes through configuration space for ten billion years before life ever emerged on Earth. Quantum physics is not "weird". You are weird.
</blockquote>

R: That's harsh.

J: Eliezer Yudkowsky

S: Eliezer Yudkowsky

E: Is that through your diggereedoo, Jay?

J: I'm not going to reveal my secrets.

== Announcements (1:28:14) ==

S: A few uh a few important announcements.

{{Outro291}}

== References ==
<references/>

{{Navigation}}

SGU Episode 287

2012-10-20T02:40:25Z

Jestofdoom: an attempt at who's that noisy.

{{transcribing all
|transcriber = jestofdoom
}}

{{Editing required
|transcription = y

|time-stamps = y
|formatting = y
|links = y
|Today I Learned list = y
|categories = y
|segment redirects = y 
|}}
{{InfoBox
|episodeTitle = SGU Episode 287
|episodeDate = 12th Jan 2011 
|episodeIcon = File:LogoSGU.png 
|previous = 286 
|next = 288 
|rebecca = y 
|bob = y 
|jay = y 
|evan = y 
|perry = 
|guest1 = P: Phil Plait 
|guest2 = 
|guest3 = 
|downloadLink = http://media.libsyn.com/media/skepticsguide/skepticast2011-01-12.mp3
|notesLink = http://theskepticsguide.org/archive/podcastinfo.aspx?mid=1&pid=287
|forumLink = http://sguforums.com/index.php/topic,32964.0.html
|qowText = Reality has been around since long before you showed up. Don't go calling it nasty names like "bizarre" or "incredible". The universe was propagating complex amplitudes through configuration space for ten billion years before life ever emerged on Earth. Quantum physics is not "weird". You are weird. -Eliezer Yudkowsky
|qowAuthor = [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliezer_Yudkowsky]
|}}

== Introduction ==
''You're listening to the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe, your escape to reality.''

== This Day in Skepticism (3:27) ==
[http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/ganymede/discovery.html]

S: Well before go on to some serious science news, Evan what is special about today?

== News Items ==
=== Molten Exoplanet (4:57)===
[http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/01/10/molten-exoplanet-followup/]

S: Phil tell us about the latest exciting exoplanet to be discovered.

=== BMJ Slams Wakefield (13:22)===
[http://theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=2688]

S: Well, let's move on to some non-astronomy items.

=== Creationist Teacher Fired (28:52)===
[http://ncse.com/news/2011/01/recommendation-freshwater-case-006403 http://ncse.com/news/2011/01/freshwater-officially-fired-006408]

S: Let's go on to another story about another man with dubious intentions.

=== Galactic Black Holes (40:15)===
[http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/01/11/a-tiny-galaxy-that-hides-a-big-secret/]

S: Before we leave the news items, Phil give us a quick story on this black hole

== Who's That Noisy? (45:47)==

S: Evan! Get us up to date on Who's that Noisy?

E: Yeah, why don't we play last weeks Who's that Noisy? Here we go.

R: Yeah, lets.

<blockquote>
1: No, No, No! None of these books have a cure! Urr! There has to be a real reason for this. An illness. An allergy.
2: A curse.
1: I said a real reason. Something that points to something real.
2: How about this one?
1: Supernaturals? Spike, the word supernatural refers to things like ghosts and spirits and zombies. Which are just as make-believe as curses.
</blockquote>

E: Okay.

?: Except the zombies.

?: So who was that zombie.

R: I know who it is.

E: Alright Rebecca.

R: It's My Little Ponies. Only like the best toy ever.

E: Right.

R: It's right?

E: That is right. It's exactly correct.

R: I had tons of My Little Ponies as a kid.

S: I'm not shocked by that at all.

R: That's not actually true, but I did have a ton of my little ponies.

?: There was a My Little Pony cartoon?

R: Yeah.

E: There have been several Jay, several.

R: It used to come on after Gummy Bears.

P: Wait, Gummy Bears is a show?

R: What? Come on. (singing)Gummy Bears ...

?: You just made that up.

R: No I swear. (singing)bouncing here and there and everywhere.

S: So what were they talking about in that little clip.

?: Basically are talking about how not to get eaten.

S: No.

R: No, My Little Ponies.

E: I did not watch, I did not watch the entire episode but the moral of the story was that the solution going to look for the solution to a problem using a paranormal book is not a good thing to do. And thank you by the way to Adam from The Reality Check podcast who brought that to our attention.

?: Oh cool.

S: Did anyone guess right?

E: Absolutely, some did get it right.

?: And her name was Rebecca.

E: His name...

R: It was me.

E: Wolbertinger (ed: spelling?) from the message boards was the only one to guess correctly.

?: You should see a doctor about that.

E: He even got the name of the Ponies: Twilight and Sparkle.

?: Oh boy.

?: I'm sorry. Twilight Sparkle? Can they sue?

S: You like Twilight Sparkle?

?: Twilight Sparkle vampire.

?: So basically Evan, what you're saying Wolbertinger (ed: spelling?) wherever he is right now might be wearing a I love My Little Pony t-shirt, whatever that is.

E: The t-shirt actually reads "Everything I learned about skepticism, I learned from My Little Pony."

R: That is so true.

P: That's ridiculous because everyone knows Hello Kitty is a lot better.

R: What? Get out of here.

E: Is Hello Kitty very skeptical?

R: No! Hello Kitty is just a cheap marketing ploy.

E: I'll take four.

P: Well, I've been put in my place.

R: My Little Pony had content.

S: Stuff. Evan. Evan what do you've got for this week?

E: This week's Who's That Noisy.

(Noises)

P: It's David after dentist.

(Noises continue)

J: Evan come on man.

E: Jay, that was for you.

J: No window lickers okay?

?: It's Kei$a without autotuning.

E: That's a really good guess.

?: You guys. Something really weird and profound just happend to me. I think I have finally merged with the Internet.

R: Really?

?: Because I know exactly what that is.

R: Are you Lawnmower Man? It that what this is?

?: More Metro-sexual Man.

E: I do predict one of our listeners, at least one of our listeners is going to get this one.

== Your Questions and Emails (49:58) ==

S: Thanks Evan! Let's go on to a couple of Your Questions and Emails. This one by coincidence, total cosmic coincidence, not planned in any way.

== Name That Logical Fallacy (57:25) ==

S: Well let's move on. We're going to do a name that logical fallacy.

== Science or Fiction (1:08:04) ==

S: Well, let's go on to Science or Fiction.

== Skeptical Quote of the Week (1:27:35) ==

S: We have a few very important announcements coming up but first ...

J: So this quote was sent in by Dex (ed: Spelling?)

S: ... we have a quote from Jay.

J: <blockquote>
Reality has been around since long before you showed up. Don't go calling it nasty names like "bizarre" or "incredible". The universe was propagating complex amplitudes through configuration space for ten billion years before life ever emerged on Earth. Quantum physics is not "weird". You are weird.
</blockquote>

R: That's harsh.

J: Eliezer Yudkowsky

S: Eliezer Yudkowsky

E: Is that through your diggereedoo, Jay?

J: I'm not going to reveal my secrets.

== Announcements (1:28:14) ==

S: A few uh a few important announcements.

{{Outro291}}

== References ==
<references/>

{{Navigation}}

SGU Episode 287

2012-10-20T02:19:36Z

Jestofdoom: added timestamps and fixed the skeleton a little

Template:SGU episode list

2012-10-20T01:42:06Z

Jestofdoom: added episode 287

SGU Episode 287

2012-10-20T01:40:10Z

Jestofdoom: first hack at the template

User talk:Jestofdoom

2012-10-18T04:59:48Z

Jestofdoom:

'''Welcome to ''SGUTranscripts''!'''
We hope you have fun.
You will probably want to read the [[Help:Contents|help pages]].
Again, welcome and have fun! [[User:Rwh86|Rwh86]] ([[User talk:Rwh86|talk]]) 21:56, 14 October 2012 (UTC)

Shell scripts used to get show dates and episode numbers (messes up show 234):

(Yes, that's an inline newline...)

grep pid=[0-9]*\"\> ~/Downloads/rss.aspx.xhtml|sed -e 's/$pid=[0-9]*\"\>$/\
\1/g'|sed -e "s/.*pid=[0-9]*\"\>[^S]*$[^<]*$.*/The \1/"|grep Skeptics\ Guide|sed -e "s/$[0-9]$th[ ,]*/\1 /;s/February/Feb/"
| sed -e "s/The Skeptics Guide #$[0-9]*$ - $.*$/\* \[\[SGU Episode \1\]\], \2/"
:Wow, that's... pretty thorough, I guess. I don't understand much of that, but thanks! Now that you've done all that work, would now be a good time to mention that I'm working on converting the page of SGU episodes from unordered lists to a group of sortable collapsible tables? -- [[User:Av8rmike|Av8rmike]] ([[User talk:Av8rmike|talk]]) 04:20, 18 October 2012 (UTC)
::Heh heh. It wasn't hardly any work at all. I just copy pasted the output of the script in big swaths. If you have some of the formatting figured out, I can tweak that script to just output all the lines of wikified code for you if it saves you time. --[[User:Jestofdoom|Jestofdoom]] ([[User talk:Jestofdoom|talk]]) 04:59, 18 October 2012 (UTC)

SGU Episode 6

2012-10-18T04:05:39Z

Jestofdoom: erased the "this is a template" notice leftover from the over from the template

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== Introduction ==
S: Hello and welcome to the Skeptic's Guide to the Universe. Today is Thursday, July 7th 2005. I'm you're host, Steven Novella, President of the New England Skeptical Society. With me tonight are Evan Bernstein...

E: Hi everyone.

S: Perry DeAngelis...

P: Present.

S: and Robert Novella.

B: Here.

== News Items ==
=== London train bombing (0:25)===
S: So dominating the news today, not a skeptical topic but but worthy of mention, was the massive terrorist attack on the London subway system. Um, the toll stands now at over, um, 40 killed and over 700 injured. Um, just a massive attack so of course our thoughts are with the families and victims of that horrible attack.

P: Amen.

=== Science Magazine's 125 unanswered questions (0:48) ===

S: I thought we would start today with, uh, just talking about Science Magazine, they have their 125th anniversary and to commemorate that they have compiled, uh, 125 science questions that we still do not know and it's an interesting, an interesting, read.

P: I actually filled in the answers to those questions and sent them in to Science...

S: Did you?

P: they'll be in the next issue.

S: They're going to publish them next time?

P: Published in the next issue.

B: Perry, number 7 was wrong by the way.

P: (laugh) that's your opinion.

E: (laugh)

P: You're opinion.

S: So, uh, these are, uh, mostly big, huge science that uh still do not have an answer, for example, what controls organ regeneration? How does, how do, skin cells differentiate into nerve cells, uh, when an embryo is developing?

B: Skin cells? You mean they become skin cells first, then they become nerve cells? Don't they just go from like a stem cell to a nerve cell?

P: Let's ask a, a neurologist. Steve, how do, um, skin cells...

B: You know what I mean?

P: turn into nerve cells?

S: I don't think they're talking about a fully differentiated skin cell but more of a, a filler cell. The kind that, that would then like form scar tissue or cause regeneration in some animals.

P: So this sounds like it's part of the stem cell debate.

S: Yeah, it's definitely along that line. Um, they're talking about, I guess, adult derived stem cells...

P: That's the B-team of stem cells.

B: Rather specific to me and not more of a general statement.

S: How are memories stored and retrieved? Well we have somewhat of an answer.

B: Yeah, we got a decent idea about that.

S: One is are we alone in the universe. Still an unanswered question.

P: I just saw War of the Worlds I dunno.

S, B, E: (laugh)

B: Perry, what planet did you come from?

P: (laugh) That's a, that's a secret. That was question 126 I didn't quite make it...

B, E: (laugh)

P: on the list.

S: What are the limits of conventional computing?

B: Oh, come on. I've read articles about that.

S, E: (laugh)

S: So, you're not impressed with their, uh...

B: Not, not with a couple of them.

S: questions?

B: I mean, there are physical limits. Physics places limits on, on uh, on what computers can do. You know the, you know, if you had, if your, if your smallest element was an electron travelling at the speed of light then this is how fast your computer could possibly be, you know, including heat dissipation and all sorts of, well, you know, whatever maybe...

P: It's time for a trivia question. What is Data's (Star Trek Next Gen's) ultimate storage capacity?

B: Oh God it was like, uh... oo... 600...

P: Come on, Bob.

B: 600 petaflops?

(laughs)

P: That's not what he said.

E: Oh my god...

S: What did he say, Perry?

P: 800 quadrillion bits.

S: 800 quadrillion bits. That's a lot.

P: He announced it on one of the shows.

B: How many bytes is that?

E: Ya know I remember, I remember that and I remember calculating what exactly what that was and not being very impressed about it.

P: Really?

S: Yeah.

B: Well it was 1980... 9.

E: Considering...

P: Yeah think about how long ago that show was written.

B: I mean really it was pre, it was pre-internet, that show. Umm... and computers were far less powerful then they...

P: if it was...

E: Still...

P: If it was written today then it would have been considerably higher.

E: Still you would think, you know, they would, they would, take today's ultimate and just add, you know, add 4, you know, 4 orders of magnitude.

B: Right. A googleplex to the googleplex power...

E: (laugh)

B: or something like that.

P: That's true, in fact I'm often startled at, at, at, at the density of television writers. I'm really shocked.

E: (laugh).

S: Star Trek was notorious, notorious for techno babble. Scientific, technological sounding, you know, sound bites, but ultimately vacuous.

P: Right.

S: Here's a good one, um, can the laws of physics be unified? That is definitely...

E: Ah

S: and if so, how? That's a huge unanswered question.

E: It goes from questions like that to questions like this. What is the structure of water? I mean that sounds very basic. That sounds like something that scientists should be able to all agree on at this point of our knowledge of science, but...

S: They must, they must be talking about homeopathy.

E: Right. Researchers continue to tussle over how many bonds each H2O molecule makes with it's nearest neighbors.

S: Huh.

E: That's fascinating.

S: Not, not the structure of a single water molecule, but the greater structure, the super structure of water. How they interact with each other.

P: How many bonds? Hmm.

E: How many bonds.

P: Count them. Are they individual?

E: It's either one or two. I don't know.

S: Well, um, while we're perusing this, uh, science trivia, that's a good segue into the next segment of our program which is Science or Fiction. (5:54)

B: Ooo.

E: Uh, fiction.

B: (laugh) Yes.

P: (laugh)

== Science or Fiction (6:04) ==

VO: It's time to play Science OR Fiction

S: So the, there are, as, as we do each week I will introduce, uh, three science news items. Two are real, one is fake, and my skeptical colleagues will have to sniff out the fake science story. And typically I will make the fake one as plausible as possible but you have to, to know what the false element is to really figure it out.

E: I have a question before we continue.

S: Sure.

E: Did your false statement from last week turn out to be true this week?

S: Not as far as I know.

E: Well, then I guess the streak is officially over then?

S: The streak is over unless something crops up soon, but the, uh. Last week the false one was that, um, chimpanzees have been observed writing, communicating in written symbols, in written was the new element. So are you ready for the three items?

B: Yeah.

B: Sure.

S: Okay. Again I'll list all three and then, uh, I'll give you a chance to comment. Item number one, scientists have created a new form of matter called a super fluid gas. Item number two, scientists discovered the oldest living organism, a conifer, that's an evergreen tree, over 10,000 years old. And item number three, uh, scientists have discovered a fossil of a mammal with a dinosaur in it's stomach. So, those are the three items.

B: Well this is kinda weird because I actually think I've read about all three of those. But...

P: (laugh)

E: The third one sounds familiar to me.

S: One must be not, not quite true.

B: After the first two I'm thinking, "Oh, I got this one," then the third one

S: It's gotta be number three. They all sound plausible, huh?

P: Did you read about one of them in a comic book?

B: (laugh)

P: No. All right so we got super fluid gas. What is that? I don't know.

S: A new form of matter, called a super fluid gas.

P: Super fluid gas. And we got number three was a dinosaur in the stomach, and number two was the conifer 10,000 years old.

S: 10,000 years old.

E: At least the super fluid gas is not trading at $61 a barrel, I can guarantee that.

S: Probably much more.

P: Don't get me sh-tarted.

E: Yeah.

P: Uh...

E: But, we digress. I'm going to take a stab first. I'm going to say number three is the false one and I don't think, I, I think, and, here's my reasoning. I think there's uh, Steve, I think what you're doing is, uh, using the words, "mammal" and "dinosaur" and there's some kinda play in there, it's not quite exactly the way you phrased it. Something similar but not actually a dinosaur in the stomach of a mammal. So, I kinda think that's why number three I think is false.

S: But I will try not to, um, be tricky or or to play on words, and the scientific facts are either true or not true. So what we're talking about is that fossil evidence that a mammal had eaten a dinosaur.

E: I'll stay with number three.

S: Okay. Bob? Perry? What's your...

P: Bob is next.

S: Bob, is you gut talking to you?

B: Perry's next.

(laugh)

B: Yeah, my guts saying, "I have no idea because all, they all ring a bell with me. So, um, super fluid gas. I've read about the dinosaur and the mammal...

P: Bob you've gotta know about super fluid gas. You're mister physics.

B: (cough) Pardon me. Well I'm actually listing here the states of matter that I am familiar with and I come up with 5, uh 6. We got a gas, we got liquid, you have solid.

E: I know those three.

B: Right, you guys know those? And there's, uh, then there's a plasma...

P: Oh yeah.

B: which is basically um... molecules, uh, I mean atoms that have had their electrons ripped, ripped from the nucleus. Um... and that's like the atmosphere of the sun is a plasma and is, it is the most common phase of matter in the universe, is plasma. Then you got a Bose-Einstein condensate and a thermionic condensate and I did, I did read about another state that they were talking about and I kinda remember it being something like a super fluid gas.

P: Bo-bo-bo boson condesate?

B: Bose-Einstein condesate.

P: Is that the water that collects on cows in the morning?

(laugh)

B: Exactly. Exactly. Wow.

E: Bovine condensation.

B: I'm surprised you know that one that was good. Um...

P: Uh...

B: It's really a very interesting state of matter but, um... god super fluid gas. Connifer. The dino I'm most confident about. The conifer, god, I read something about, uh, uh, something tree related that was extremely old. Wow, Perry you go. I'ma have to mull this over a few more seconds.

P: Eh... have to guess. Mmmm... could a plant survive 10,000 years? I suppose it was frozen solid. Evergreen tree. Be in a cold climate. Be in a new cold climate, old cold climate. That seems possible. I have no idea about the super fluid gas, though, though that's an interesting term for Steve to just have come up with out of the blue. Maybe somebody was working on it or something. All right I'm I'm I'm guessing I'm gonna go with number one. I think number one is false.

S: Okay. Bob? Gotta gotta make a decision.

B: Yeah.

S: Put your nickle down.

B: I'm gonna, I'm gonna go with the super fluid gas. I think the, um, the name is subtly incorrect. Um... why, why would they have gas as a different state of matter when it can't really be a gas. Um... the conifer, man I remember maybe it wasn't quite 10,000 years maybe Steve is exaggerating the age a little, but I remember it was quiet quiet old. Maybe it's only 5,000 but I'm gonna go with the super fluid gas.

P: So we got two ones...

S: And a three.

P, E: And a three.

S: (laugh) Okay.

B: From that laugh, I uh...

S: So we'll take them in order we'll start with number one.

P: Alright.

S: MIT physicists create a new form of matter, is the headline. What they did was is they super cool a gas and the key is to get the gas to achieve a super fluid state. What they call high temperature super fluidity. Now, to them, high temperature...

B: Oh, high temperature.

S: yeah but high temperature, that was really the breakthrough but, this the high temperature is 50 billionths of a degree Kelvin. They call that high temperature. 50 nano-Kelvins. But that's higher than anyone has been able to do it before. And the importance is, you know, to super fluidity is sorta similar to super conductivity. It would be a very very useful property, um, for materials.

B: A super fluid, a super fluid could do very unusual things like like travel up hill things like that...

S: Right.

B: very bizarre behavior for super fluids.

S: So, they and they are calling it a super fluid gas. It is a gas. It is a fermion gas, Bob, you actually were very very close to that.

P: I said number one wasn't true, right?

E: Yes, that's right.

P: Why did I say that?

S: I dunno.

P: I mean I specifically said that's not something you'd make up.

S: I guess maybe you gave me more credit in the end.

P: I just I just got it wrong in my own head. I was stupid.

S: Okay.

B: No argument here.

P: Alright.

E: Let's move on.

S: Number two. The earth's oldest living inhabitant, called Methuselah, a biblical reference...

B: Yep.

S: is a bristlecone pine. The oldest single individual that has been recorded is 4,767 years. Very close to your guess of 5,000, Bob.

B: Ah, that why you laughed I knew it.

S: (laugh) 10,000 I doubled it 10,000. So that's the oldest living thing. 10,000 is too long. So that that's why that one is wrong.

B: Okay.

S: But there are bristlecone pine 4,767 years, is the oldest specific individual. There are many examples of them in California and in Japan, in, you know, two, three, 4,000 years old. And the third one was, is this is just you would have to hear it or not and this was a news item. Dinosaur was dinner at least once fossil shows mammals refused to be a victim and ate a satakasaur  I think is how you pronounce it. So this is basically like a dog sized mammal that was around at the time of dinosaur eating basically basically like the biggest mammal at the time, or one of them, eating one of the smallest dinosaurs at the time.

P: What impact would this have on Kansas at all, Steve?

S: (laugh) It was the uh, I-I-I don't believe the fossil was discovered in Kansas. It was discovered...

E: China.

S: in China. In China. Other than that I don't... nothing.

P: You don't think it will have any impact on the intelligent design debate?

S: What? Evidence affecting intelligent design theory?

P: Yeah.

S: I doubt it. They're calling this the T-Rex of mammals. Mammoth Robustus. This is the first fossil evidence of any animal of any mammal having having eaten a dinosaur. It's interesting, it-it's a curiosity because the textbook, ya know, canonical story of...

B: Small rodents running around...

S: small rodent living in the shadow of the giant dinosaurs and dinosaurs eating mammals.

B: Way to go mammals.

E: It's all in the Bible.

S: So there you have it. So the, uh, first and the third one were correct and the second one was, uh, incorrect because I doubled the age of the oldest living tree from 5,000 approximately to 10,000.

P: Well, I want to disqualify myself this week based on stupidity.

E: We were, we were perfect this week. So we can move on.

S: K, cause, these are obviously designed to be uh to be very difficult it a test not only of your knowledge of scientific trivia but also just are you keeping up with the latest stories in the news.

E: And it's also an exercise to show people that no matter what people say may sound scientific but it could be far from true.

S: And you know some things that sound fantastical are can be true. Ya know like a 5,000 year old tree, that that's pretty out there.

P: Or birds that stay aloft for 10 years.

S: For ten years at a time right. Like the Sooty Tern from last week's, um, example.

P: There ya go.

S: So I will continue to...

E: I still want to see the 10 year video of that thing but that's another story.

P: It's all good.

S: I'll continue to scour the science news for the most extraordinary stories and this is sorta a fun way to hear about it.

==More News Items==
===Tom Cruise (16:48)===

S: Something else, speaking of funny items in the news and I'm sure all of you have heard or seen our friend Tom Cruise in the news in the last couple of weeks.

E: Your friend, Tom Cruise, yes.

S: As you may or may not know Tom Cruise, uh, who is, ya know, a very, very good actor, who is, ya know, box office smash, his movie out right now is War of the Worlds.

E: And as my wife says, "Not bad to look at either."

S: Not bad to look at either. Yeah, I think my wife conquers on that, as well. So, we, again, a brilliant actor, but, who also happens to be a Scientologist. Uh, ya know, Scientology is a 50 year old religion. Um, some people who are not charitable would call it a cult.

P: An actor's mind is a terrible thing to waste.

S: (laugh) Right. Scientology has actually aggressively, ya know, recruited, or prosthelytized to Hollywood stars, because it wants them as it's spokespeople, and, ya know, they've been successful, not only Tom Cruise but...

E: Kirstie Alley.

B: Oh, John Travolta.

S: and and others.

P: A few other assorted kooks.

S: Uh, but the Tom Cruise episode brought out one interesting aspect of Scientology that I dunno how many people are aware of and that's that Scientologists are very anti-psychiatry. They maintain that psychiatry, as Tom Cruise directly, Scientology is a pseu-, I mean that psychiatry is a pseudoscience and they deny essentially the entire modern discipline, modern science of mental health.

P: Tom Cruise said there is no such thing as a chemical imbalance.

S: Right. There is no such thing as a chemical imbalance.

E: The reason that he focuses on that, I believe, is cause the main thrust of all Scientology plays into that whole field so of course they, they feel that they have to, uh, ya know, support their, ya know, their, uh, mind view, if you will...

S: Right.

E: of how the human mind works, and that's why he has such a problem with it cause of, cause of what they believe.

S: Yeah, I mean, basically they're the creationists of mental illness. They-they oppose a specific scientific discipline because their religious faith disagrees with it. So that they, basically, mount a-a very aggressive sophisticated campaign against psychiatry the same way that Creationists mount a campaign against evolution. Uh, but on the surface the Scientologist's views of mental illness are the idea that all of our psychological problems, all of the baggage that we carry with us, is due to, what call engrams. Engrams are basically memories, subconscious memories, of past trauma, even going back to the womb, and that the only way to get rid of your mental illnesses or you psychological problems and is to clear yourself of these bad memories, these engrams and they're, the goal of Scientologists is to become what they call "a clear", basically cleared of engrams. Of course, ya know, as wacky as that may seem, as contradictory to, ya know, modern neurology, that's actually not the real belief's that they have, that's only the surface belief. That the Dianetics, ya know, level ideas that they have. In reality what they belief is that people are being parasitically infested by the spirits of dead space aliens that were exiled to Earth by, uh, an extraterrestrial dictator, which they call Xenu.

P: Oh Xenu. I-I think.

B?: Yeah.

E?: So Steve is it like a possession then? But they don't really see it really like a possession. But it sounds like possession to me.

S: Uhhh... yeah.

B?: Pretty much.

S: It's more of, it's more of a psychic parasite. Ya know, I think, is the, is the way they, so, which of course makes it interesting that, ya know, Tom Cruise, who thinks that alien parasites are sucking off our mental health calls psychiatry a pseudoscience. That is the pot calling the kettle black if ever there were one. But, I mean, it's-it's just ridiculous and it, but interestingly it, the Scientologists do find allies among others who also question the, uh, the basic tenets of psychiatry, that question the concepts of, um, ya know, mental illnesses being due to chemical imbalances in the brain. There is a, actually a psychiatrist who is now pushing 90 the guy's ancient, called Thomas Szasz, who, ya know 40-50 years ago he had some legitimate, ya know, criticisms of the way psychiatry was being practiced, uh, but basically all of his legitimate criticisms have been dealt with over the years and you know psychiatry is definitely a much more, ya know, humane... uh...

P: It's-It's matured. It's matured like all medical science has in the last 50 years.

S: Um, but, ya know, there are, ya know, you did not want to be mentally ill 50 years ago and be institutionalized. I mean...

P: Of course.

S: it was, you really had no rights. But tho-those issues really have been dealt with and led one, ya know, sort of critic of Thomas Szasz to comment that, ya know, that he should just declare victory and move on, I mean, the-the-the battle that he was fighting is over, but, ya know, he, Thomas Szasz and his disciples have taken, ya know, sort of criticism of some these sort of questionable ethics of old school, ya know, psychiatry to the point of saying there's no such thing as mental illness and uh, ya know, I have engaged in, ya know, debates and discussions with, ya know, dozens of people who hold that belief. I don't know if any of them were Scientologists, they might have been, they don't always, ya know, label themselves as such, um, but some certainly were not, they were psychologists or-or therapists or just, ya know, interested laypeople who have bought into this very elaborate belief system that I call psychiatry denial, which is just, or just a denial of mental illness. The silliest thing about it is-is that it really denies the basic fact that the brain is a biological organ, right? It's just like your liver.

P: (laugh)

S: Yeah?

P: It's true.

S: And just like your liver can fail and not function properly and have a, ya know, chemical imbalances and hypo or hyper functioning of different, ya know, aspects of the liver cells the same is true of your brain. I mean the only difference is the brain is a lot more complex which means there could be a lot more subtle imbalances.

P: I can speak from, uh, personal experience when I had some, uh, complications from surgery in 2000 I got delirium and, uh, started, uh, I was not in control of myself. I was in the hospital I thought aliens had kidnapped me and were, uh, whatever, I dunno, trying to do experiments on me, I guess. I pulled my feeding tube out of my nose, violently, swearing at people around me. I mean, I was, my brain was compromised...

S: Your brain was not functioning normally.

P: (laugh) by the, by the illness, and, ya know, I woke up to find, to find myself tied to the bed.

S: Yet there are those who would deny the very obvious and basic conclusion that your brain was not biologically functioning normally because, ya know, you had a fever and, uh, metabolic parameters were out of whack.

P: Right.

S: Uh, they would try to interpret that as, in, ya know, psychological terms, but in psychological terms it's meaningless. Your brain cells were not working. That's what it comes down to, but, ya know, Tom Cruise says there's no such thing as a chemical imbalance. He was very critical of Brooke Shields who had suffered from postpartum depression and took some anti-depressants which she says help-helped her a great deal. He made some comment about well-well all you need is vitamins and exercise, which is again, just, ya know, pulling nonsense...

E?: Yeah, where have we heard that before?

S: out of his butt. Anyway, so, I think a lot of the, some of the press focused a lot on just sort of, ya know, the religious aspects of Scientology or on his sorta extreme views, but, I hadn't I didn't really anyone make the connection between the really bizarre...

B?: Right.

S: beliefs of Scientology and what was motivating...

P: Nobody knows about it...

S: Tom Cruise...

P: that's why, Steve.

S: right, in his, ya know, denial of, ya know, behavioral neuroscience, basically. But again I do-I do think that the parallels between the psychiatry denial of Scientologists and evolution denial of Creationists are-are very real and very interesting they are-they're also, ya know, they're very telling, and one of the advantages of being what we call, we call ourselves, we're full service skeptics, ya know, we really deal all issues across the spectrum. The real advantage to that is that you see the underlying similarities. Ya know, they all use the same logical fallacies over and over again. The same, sort of, errors in thought. The same, ya know, strategies of denial. It doesn't really matter what the-what the-the topic is. Ya know, of course, if you gonna talk intelligently about a specific topic you do need to know the factual details. You know, you can't speak in a vacuum. You know what we call arm chair skepticism, which is just sorta, shooting from the hip, You do have to, sort of, know the-the nitty gritty details, but the-the flaws in logic and the mechanisms of deception that-that people employ are all the same. Whether you're a Scientologist or a Creationists or a-a you believe in ghosts or UFO's or Bigfoot, it doesn't matter.

E?: Wait, wait, what's wrong with Bigfoot?

P: (laugh)

S: (laugh)

P: UFO's sure, but that Bigfoot.

S: It's a great website. It's a very useful website, I like, I enjoy.

B?: Yeah, right?

P: (laugh)

S: Um...

E?: (laugh)

== Skeptical Website of the Week (26:51) ==
S: well, Bob why don't we take this time for you to tell us what the skeptical website of the week is?

B: One of my, one of my favorite skeptical websites is snopes.com. It's not, uh, strictly, it is skeptical it's-it-it's a little off beat in that it, in that it discusses urban legends. I mean...

P: How do you spell that, Bob?

B: Snopes.com or urban legends?

P: Snopes.

S: Give us the url. What is it?

P: Yeah, give us the url.

B: w-w-w dot s-n-o-p-e-s. Snopes.com.

S: Okay.

B: Uh, Time Magazine in 2002 and 2003 listed it as one of the 50 best websites, and, uh, like I said it contains urban legends, uh lots of internet lore, odd news stories, strange facts and misconceptions.

S: It's a great resource. I go there all...

B: It is. It's a great resource. If you read something, uh, if you get an e-mail or someone tells you about some bizarre story, go-go to this site and do a search and, uh, and see if it's a bona fide, uh, false urban legend or if there might be some truth to it, or man he's got, he's got dozens of categories, uh, from science to religion, Coke lore as in Coca-Cola, food, and Disney, all these amazing stories that-that people, a lot of people take for granted...

S: Right.

B: and don't really think about it, uh, but actually are urban legends.

P: Bob, you say he has, is it a one man band?

B: Well this, uh, there is a guy, um, he's actually a contributor to my, to my skeptical e-mail group, and it's just, he just, uh, identifies himself as snopes, but, uh, yeah, it's a guy. I-I-I...

S: Don't know his real name?

B: Uh, ya know, I don't. Let's see. Uh... urban legends by Barbara and David Mikkelson, hmm... I wonder...

S: Well, there ya go.

B: if that's him.

P: (laugh)

B: Uhm... must be.

S: Mystery solved. So give us some examples, give us some examples.

B: Sure. He went to, I went to the science section, of course, and, um, came up with, uh, some here. You guys let me know what you think.

S: So, are all of these fake, or are there some real ones, too?

B: There's, he has categories, true, false, then he's got undetermined or ambiguous veracity...

P: Okay.

B: and then he has another, uh, another one that I actually, I won't I won't cover but he has entries of indeterminate origin, and, uh, I think that actually covers things that are, it's such a vague story that it probably happened to someone somewhere, but it's just, uh, not specific enough to tell you whether, yes, this absolutely happened, but it probably did to somebody at some point. But here's a couple, let's see, consumers need to be cautious that water boiled in a microwave oven can suddenly explode.

P: That sounds ridiculous.

S: Water explode? No, it will boil.

P: (laugh) Yeah, I mean, unless it's in a tightly closed container.

S: Yeah but I doubt the microwave itself is air tight.

E: Sounds dubious.

S: I mean, yeah, don't, you certainly don't want to boil water inside a sealed container, cause once it starts to boil it will explode.

P: Right. Wouldn't want to do that in a microwave or a camp fire.

S: Never heat a closed system.

B: He list's that as true and I don't think it necessarily needs to be, um, a closed a closed box or-or a closed system in any way it's just that, I-I'm not sure, uh, the impression I have is that, uh, is that because, I don't know, after you open it reaches some critical-critical heat that causes it, uh, to just, really explode out of the container.

P: Alright, wait a minute, so his websites, Bob, says true with no explanation?

E: No, there is an explanation.

B: He might, I've got a link here. I could follow it and see but let me uh, alright, let me-let me click it and see what comes up.

P: Yeah, uh, because it to us it sounds, uh, ridiculous.

B: Yeah. Here it is. He's got a, he's got a big, he's got a big page here on, uh, on this. True but rare. That's the status he's got here. True but rare, and I don't wanna waste time reading this, but that's, so that is...

P: Something I'm going to have to read.

E: He gives and example of a story behind it. He describes the origin's of the story. He then sites some articles in which this is mentioned, for instance from New Scientist, from the How Things Work website, and so forth. So, he does some research, puts it all together in one page and, uh, puts it up there for you.

S: But what's exploding?

P: Water exploding?

B: Actually it involves super heating.

S: Okay.

B: Let's see.

P: So that water's over heating?

S: But, super heating involves pressure.

E: I'm hear now and it says, uh, takes near perfect conditions to bring this about thus exploding water is not something the average hot beverage drinker who would otherwise now be eyeing his microwave with trepidation need fear. Odds are you'll go through life without ever viewing this phenomenon first hand and if you're one of the rare few who does get to see it you will likely not be harmed by the experience.

P: So it's a very small explosion.

B: Oh, okay.

P: Doesn't blow the microwave apart.

B: No, no. So, what's happening here is that you've got a, um, you've got water that's actually slightly above the boiling point because of a lack of nucleation sites. Those are, those are sites that gas bubbles form that-that form around...

S: Right.

B: that, uh, that when you boil when you boil water before you throw pasta in the bubbles coming up are created at, uh, nucleation sites...

S: Right.

B: but here's a better example, um. If you look at, if you pour a glass of champagne and you look and you see these bubbles appearing at a certain point on the glass and then, you know, rising through the liquid and getting bigger and-and bigger those are nucleation sites, but, uh, and-and rain, even rain, common rain, needs, uh, these, uh, nucleation sites to start forming around. If we had no impurities in our atmosphere it would be very difficult for-for rain to form. So it-so it involves super heating and then all of a sudden, ya know, since it's hotter than actually 212 Fahrenheit all of a sudden mi-, I dunno, maybe, uh, it finds some nucleation sites and bam it just uh, it just uh...

S: Okay.

B: over boils. So... that's

S: So what-what causes the lack of nucleation sites?

B: Um, certain glasses he's saying here are, um, the glass is very, is very well made or something and that there's not many nucleation sites.

P: Hm.

S: That's interesting.

B: That's enough on this one.

P: That's interesting. It's enough, but it's interesting.

B: Okay...

E: These other ones are great.

B: here's a good one. The number of people alive today is greater than the number of people that have ever died. Now that's a very common one I've heard that over and over and-and-and I believed it.

S: I wanna say that's false. Ya know, right, cause there just has...

B: Right.

S: to have been more than 6 billion people to have ever lived ever.

B: Right and it-and it-and it is false. And uh, here's another great one the Great Wall of China is the only man made object visible from the moon.

E: From the moon?

S: It's not visible from the moon.

P: From the moon?

S: It's visible from orbit.

E: But the moon is, uh...

P: The moon is a little far.

E: quarter million miles away.

S: Yeah, from low earth orbit it's visible. Like if you're in the shuttle you can see it. Isn't that correct?

B: Yeah this is, this is actually, uh, yeah, actually this from the moon is right is ridiculous cause the moon is, the earth is pretty you're standing on the moon. But I've also heard another form of this being that it's the only thing you can see from orbit that's man made and that's, and that's also false.

P: How far is the moon? How far is the earth from the moon?

B: Quarter million, quarter million miles.

S: Yeah, quarter million.

P: 239,000 miles.

B: Two light seconds.

P: I'm sure that fluctuates a little.

B: Hair and fingernails continue to grow after one's death.

S: That is false. That is false.

B: That is false. I-I believe the skin peels away

S: The skin retracts, yeah, from drying.

B: Alright. Men think about sex every seven seconds.

E: True. Oh, darn.

(laughs)

B: That's false. That's a very common one that...

S: How long has this show been?

(laughs)

E: How many thoughts? That's false, huh?

B: And, yes. And one of my favorites, thanks to the Coriolis effect toilets flush clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counter-clockwise in the southern. And that, and that is false as well.

E: We all know that's false.

S: Bob, Bob wrote an article about that for our newsletter.

E: That the Coriolis effect is only measurable in very large bodies of water.

B: And over long...

E: Oceans (laugh)

B: long periods of time.

S: Yeah. It uh, It uh, it affects hurricanes and, ya know, things like that but not your toilet bowl.

B: Right.

S: Right.

B: Yeah. The toilet bowl is just too small and it goes too fast. Basically, the direction that the water spins around when you flush depends on the direction it was going when it entered and the odd shape of the receptacle and things like that.

S: Right, right.

B: And uh...

S: Well here's another water related one that-that I heard. Uh, tell me if, I-I know that Evan knows this one cause we've spoken about it, but if you put hot water in an ice cube tray in the freezer it will freeze quicker than if you put cold water in the ice cube tray to-to freeze it to ice.

B: I've heard that.

P: Is that the same question about boiling water? If it's hot to start with or cold to start with? Okay, I don't know, let's see. The water is, uh, moving faster, right, the molecules, if it's hotter...

S: Right.

E: But it's still, if it's hotter it would take longer to equalize with the, uh, with, with the freezer.

P: That-that-that doesn't seem right.

S: Doesn't seem right and I didn't believe when I first heard I thought that can't be right because hot water has farther to cool down. Ya know...

P: (laugh)

S: it's just thermodynamics. There's nothing, ya know, special about it.

P: Seems very common sensicle.

S: But, it turns out that it's true.

B: What's, what's the physics behind it.

S: Here, here's why. And then this makes total sense. This is like, and, you can see why this might be, have been the origin of this-this old wives tale. The, if you put hot water in the ice cube trays the water will evaporate.

B: Mmm hmmm mmm mmm

S: You end up with smaller ice cubes. If you put cold water in the cube, the entire cube may take longer to freeze down to the middle but you end up with larger ice cubes.

E: Mmhmmm. Okay.

S: So you can't make more ice faster by putting...

E: Right

S: in hot water. You actually end up with less ice which dramatically reduces the-the volume to surface area and makes it freeze much quicker.

P: Obviously there's less water okay.

S: Yeah, there's less water.

P: That makes sense.

S: That's the reason. So the thermodynamics have not been violated in our freezers,...

P: (laugh)

S: but you have to account for evaporation.

P: Okay.

S: Well that-that's a great website. Again if you get a e-mail from your friend saying, "Oh, did you ever hear about this, ya know, kid who needs money for an operation" ya know, all of these things, these chain letters. If, ya know, look on that site, and there other sites that are similar, but, uhm, this is a-this is an excellent one. It'll take you about 5 minutes to figure out that that e-mail is probably bogus, and, ya know, not just with speculation but often with real links to reliable information. So before you pass on that chain letter or that, ya know, seemingly amazing fact or story that you received in e-mail use the internet for a little bit of research. Often that's what I do and then I just reply and say, "Well, here's a link to snopes.com which, ya know, exposes this story to be bogus."

== E-mail Scams ()==
S: Ya know, and speaking of...

P: E-mails.

S: scam e-mails. There are, bogus e-mails are used to spread a lot a lot more than just, uh, benign urban legends. Uh, they're often used by dedicated con artists. Now there-there have always been con artists but they have found a very fertile ground on the internet and e-mail. Uh, and it's, ya know, unfortunately responsible for a great deal of spam. They don't have to have a very sig-, ya know, high percentage of hit rates. You can send out, ya know, spam e-mails basically for free to thousands of thousands of people...

P: Millions.

S: yeah, you only have to hit one gullible person in thousands, ya know, to make it pay off. In fact, in Connecticut, the, uh, attorney general recently sent out a warning about a specific, uh, new scam. This one, this is attorney general Richard Blumenthal, of Connecticut, warned of a job offer, a bogus job offer, which...

E: That-that's different.

S: That's a new angle there. They always find new angles. Uh, this one, the job is an escrow agent. Ya know, escrow is when money is put aside to pay taxes or whatever and what the job entails is that, uh, money will be placed into your private bank account in escrow and then you pass the money onto some other company or per-, or whatever, and you keep a percentage of it for yourself and that's your fee. So it sounds like an easy way to sorta make money on the side, uh, to supplement your income. But, of course, they just all they're-all they're looking for is you're bank account number, ya know, and then once they get that they'll-they'll drain it of whatever's in there. Plus they also get other personal information then you could be in for...

P: You could suffer the horrors of identity theft.

S: Total identity theft where that can take years to work your way out of that nightmare.

P: Ah yeah.

B: I can't, I can't imagine, I mean after so much media and so much news attention to these scams people are giving personal information to strangers that-that's ultimately what it is.

S: Right.

B: I mean, I, I mean I might be other end of the spectrum. I might be a little more paranoid than I-than I need be, I mean I'm-I'm getting these popups on my Dell computer that uh, that seem, ya know, that-that seem pretty legitimate to me but they're asking me, ya know, go to this website and-and-and do this and I'm skeptical even of-of those things.

S: Yeah, I don't

B: Probably, okay, but I don't like anything popping up telling me to do something even if it's apparently for my, say my McAfee Security System that's asking me to do it, um, and everything looks legitimate and it's not a normal popup. It looks like a Dell type of popup, I'm still, I still don't want to do it because I don't, I don't wanna be prompted by anything to go on the net, on the internet, and give away information about myself.

S: I agree with you. I don't think you're being too paranoid at all.

P: I agree.

S: You basically, the-the if you want to be safe, you shouldn't click on any links, you should always type in the name of the address. If someone sends you an unsolicited link never click on it. There's...

B: Right.

S: one little key though. You can-you can put your mouse over the link...

B: Right. Mmhmm

S: and then in the lower left hand corner of your web browser it will show the name the website that you're going to go to and...

B: Right.

S: if that name doesn't match the name of the link that you're clicking on that is...

B: Red flag.

S: That's a red flag that you're probably going...

P: It's not fool proof but it's a red flag.

S: You're right. It's not fool proof it's a red flag.

B: It's pretty good but also don't forget, Steve, they don't-they don't just say go to this, ya now, http, ya know, backsla-, ya know, slash slash, and then give you the url. Usually they'll say go to this link and the words go to this link are-are-are the hyperlink. And you go over that now what you do is, just-just today I got a-an e-mail apparently from eBay saying that there's been some unusual activity in my account. Please go to this link and fix it.

S: That's always, that's, by the way, that's always a scam.

B: I highlighted... well, yeah, here and here's a few ways you can tell.I mean I highlighted the hyperlink and the link, the domain had nothing to do with, uh, with eBay, and also...

S: Or goes to just numbers. You just get, you just get the number url.

B: Right, just get the IP or something. But also it says dear eBay member. I mean, they would-they would-they would never do that. They would say dear and then your-your name.

S: Robert Novella, right.

B: Right, they would-they would use your name.

S: Dear <your name here>.

E: (laugh)

B: And those, those are the two biggest I mean.

P: And they also, ya know, nowadays they-they make websites look like legitimate websites.

S: It could look exactly, they can exactly duplicate a legitimate website.

P: Exactly. And-and that's another it's just it's horr-. And also it's not just scams and identity theft, uh, it's also a way that they send out digital disease. So, that's are viruses are spread.

S: Hey I read about one that scared me. They-they can put it's kinda like a trojan horse where they, you get a virus and what the-the virus sits on your system and it the next time you type the url to go to certain popular websites like eBay it redirects you to a fake eBay site, so...

B: Woooowww.

S: imagine that. So you're just- you're-you're just you're not clicking a link, you're not responding to anything, you're just I'm gonna go to eBay you click on e-, you type in the eBay address and this-this virus redirects you to a fake site and then you start, and then it starts recording your keystrokes and...

B: That's insidious.

S: taking your codes. Very insidi... that's why you have to have virus software running. You have to...

B: Absolutely.

S: ya know, don't visit, ya know, dubious websites, or websites that don't seem legitimate. And, ya know, you probably got the virus in the first place because you clicked a link you shouldn't have clicked.

P, B: Right.

B: But, Steve, but the url itself is subtly erroneous, right? I mean-I mean it might be eBays, with an 's', dot com.

S: No, no no, Bob you're typing in the real e-, the real, uh, url that you know of.

B: Yeah, but where are they redirecting you to?

S: It-it-it's hijacking your browser.

P: Right.

S: It's hijacking.

P: And it takes you to a fake page that looks like eBay.

S: Right.

B: And the url is correct, it looks correct, I mean.

S: It looks correct, yes, right.

B: Wow.

S: It's all behind the scenes in the programming it's getting redirected. It's nothing that you can see.

E?: That's clever.

S: Yeah, very clever. I mean this threatens internet commerce.

P: Oh, yeah.

S: If you can't be sure, if you can't be trusted that your credit card number is going to be secure, and, ya know, there have been examples of companies getting hijacked...

P: Sure.

S: and hacked and their, ya know, thousands and thousands of credit card numbers get stolen, but ya know, this is, this could really hamper commerce, cost the economy billions and billions of dollars. Um, but you ask, Bob, who in this day and age would be dumb enough to give away personal information and really it-it-it does highlight the fact that the only defense against this is education, that people just have to realize, ya know, what safe internet use is that that and the bottom line is no matter what the story, never ever give away any personal information no piece of your social security number. Here's one thing, a lot of people don't realize that the first part of your social security number, people can figure that out by when and where you were born.

E: That's right. The state you were born in and...

S: and the year that you...

E: and the year, yeah.

S: and if-if you, if they can figure that out about you which is probably information which is public knowledge, um, and you give them just the last few digits, the last four digits of your social security number they may be able to get the whole thing. So that seems innocuous.

P: Right.

S: Um, but just, the bottom line is doesn't matter what they say on the phone, what they say in e-mail, how you, what-whatever the offer is, just, it's a scam. That's the bottom line. It's a scam. Don't click it. Don't go there. Don't buy it.

P: Your skeptical toolkit has got to be in order.

S: But, the, unfortunately the biggest victims of this are the elderly.

E: Oh, sure.

S: Yeah, it's, ya know, our mom's and dad's especially, ya know, people who are, ya know, they're just get they're-they're-they're, because of just normal aging or maybe they're starting to have some, ya know, neurological problems, they're just, they're judgement's not quite there, but they're still at the point where they're living independently, ya know, maybe they're children or their family knows that they're not as sharp as they used to be but, or maybe they are sharp but they're just not computer savvy and, ya know, how many of us have set our parents up with e-mail and stuff so we can e-mail them pictures of their grand kids and then they're gonna get these spam letters too, ya know, these fake e-mails, so it's really the-the elderly who are either, ya know, unfortunately, ya know, having some early memory or judgement problems or people who are really just not computer savvy, those are the victims, and they're often times the people who can least afford it. It's just dastardly. I mean con artists like that really are very infuriating. You have to really just be evil to do that.

P: Insidious.

== Questions and Emails () ==
=== Question 1 ()===
=== Question 2 ()===

== Interview with "..." () ==

== Skeptical Quote of the Week () ==
<blockquote>
</blockquote>

== Announcements () ==

{{Outro1}} 

== References ==
<references/>

{{Navigation}}

User talk:Jestofdoom

2012-10-18T03:49:49Z

Jestofdoom: saved source code to rss feed parsing script

Template:SGU episode list

2012-10-18T03:47:53Z

Jestofdoom: added all episode numbers and dates to page

<noinclude>This template is used to display the list of full-length episodes on the [[Main Page]] and the [[SGU Episodes]] page. Additions and amendments to this template will be reflected on those pages.

Pages currently in progress should be followed by <code><nowiki>{{i}}</nowiki></code> to add the pencil icon, and pages that have sections open to other contributors to transcribe should be followed by <code><nowiki>{{Open}}</nowiki></code> to include the green arrow icon.

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{|style="margin:1em 3em"
|style="padding-right: 6em;white-space:nowrap" valign="top"|<big>'''2012'''</big>
----
* [[SGU Episode 378]], Oct 13 2012
* [[SGU Episode 377]], Oct 6 2012 {{Open}}
* [[SGU Episode 376]], Sep 29 2012 {{Open}}
* [[SGU Episode 375]], Sep 22 2012 {{Open}}
* [[SGU Episode 374]], Sep 15 2012 {{Open}}
* [[SGU Episode 373]], Sep 8 2012 {{Open}}
* [[SGU Episode 372]], Sep 1 2012 {{Open}}
* [[SGU Episode 371]], Aug 25 2012 {{Open}}
* [[SGU Episode 370]], Aug 18 2012 {{Open}}
* [[SGU Episode 369]], Aug 11 2012 {{Open}}
* [[SGU Episode 368]], Aug 4 2012 {{Open}}
* [[SGU Episode 367]], Jul 28 2012 {{Open}}
* [[SGU Episode 366]], Jul 21 2012 {{Open}}
* [[SGU Episode 365]], Jul 14 2012
* [[SGU Episode 364]], Jul 7 2012 {{tick}}
* [[SGU Episode 363]], Jun 30 2012 {{tick}}
* [[SGU Episode 362]], Jun 23 2012 {{Open}}
* [[SGU Episode 361]], Jun 16 2012
* [[SGU Episode 360]], Jun 9 2012 {{tick}}
* [[SGU Episode 359]], Jun 2 2012
* [[SGU Episode 358]], May 26 2012
* [[SGU Episode 357]], May 19 2012
* [[SGU Episode 356]], May 12 2012
* [[SGU Episode 355]], May 5 2012
* [[SGU Episode 354]], Apr 28 2012
* [[SGU Episode 353]], Apr 21 2012
* [[SGU Episode 352]], Apr 14 2012
* [[SGU Episode 351]], Apr 7 2012
* [[SGU Episode 350]], Mar 31 2012 {{tick}}
* [[SGU Episode 349]], Mar 24 2012 {{Open}}
* [[SGU Episode 348]], Mar 17 2012
* [[SGU Episode 347]], Mar 10 2012
* [[SGU Episode 346]], Mar 3 2012
* [[SGU Episode 345]], Feb 25 2012
* [[SGU Episode 344]], Feb 18 2012
* [[SGU Episode 343]], Feb 11 2012
* [[SGU Episode 342]], Feb 4 2012
* [[SGU Episode 341]], Jan 28 2012
* [[SGU Episode 340]], Jan 21 2012
* [[SGU Episode 339]], Jan 14 2012
* [[SGU Episode 338]], Jan 7 2012 {{tick}}

<big>'''2011'''</big>
----
* [[SGU Episode 337]], Dec 31 2011
* [[SGU Episode 336]], Dec 24 2011
* [[SGU Episode 335]], Dec 17 2011
* [[SGU Episode 334]], Dec 10 2011
* [[SGU Episode 333]], Dec 3 2011
* [[SGU Episode 332]], Nov 26 2011
* [[SGU Episode 331]], Nov 19 2011
* [[SGU Episode 330]], Nov 12 2011
* [[SGU Episode 329]], Nov 5 2011
* [[SGU Episode 328]], Oct 29 2011
* [[SGU Episode 327]], Oct 22 2011
* [[SGU Episode 326]], Oct 15 2011
* [[SGU Episode 325]], Oct 8 2011
* [[SGU Episode 324]], Oct 1 2011
* [[SGU Episode 323]], Sep 24 2011
* [[SGU Episode 322]], Sep 17 2011
* [[SGU Episode 321]], Sep 10 2011
* [[SGU Episode 320]], Aug 29 2011
* [[SGU Episode 319]], Aug 24 2011
* [[SGU Episode 318]], Aug 17 2011
* [[SGU Episode 317]], Aug 10 2011
* [[SGU Episode 316]], Aug 3 2011
* [[SGU Episode 315]], Jul 27 2011
* [[SGU Episode 314]], Jul 20 2011
* [[SGU Episode 313]], Jul 13 2011
* [[SGU Episode 312]], Jul 5 2011 {{i}}
* [[SGU Episode 311]], Jun 29 2011
* [[SGU Episode 310]], Jun 22 2011
* [[SGU Episode 309]], Jun 13 2011
* [[SGU Episode 308]], Jun 08 2011 {{Open}}
* [[SGU Episode 307]], May 31 2011
* [[SGU Episode 306]], May 25 2011
* [[SGU Episode 305]], May 18 2011
* [[SGU Episode 304]], May 9 2011
* [[SGU Episode 303]], May 4 2011
* [[SGU Episode 302]], Apr 27 2011
* [[SGU Episode 301]], Apr 20 2011
* [[SGU Episode 300]], Apr 9 2011
* [[SGU Episode 299]], Apr 4 2011
* [[SGU Episode 298]], Mar 30 2011
* [[SGU Episode 297]], Mar 24 2011
* [[SGU Episode 296]], Mar 16 2011
* [[SGU Episode 295]], Mar 9 2011
* [[SGU Episode 294]], Mar 2 2011
* [[SGU Episode 293]], Feb 23 2011
* [[SGU Episode 292]], Feb 16 2011
* [[SGU Episode 291]], Feb 9 2011
* [[SGU Episode 290]], Jan 31 2011
* [[SGU Episode 289]], Jan 26 2011
* [[SGU Episode 288]], Jan 19 2011
* [[SGU Episode 287]], Jan 12 2011
* [[SGU Episode 286]], Jan 5 2011

<big>'''2010'''</big>
----
* [[SGU Episode 285]], Dec 29 2010
* [[SGU Episode 284]], Dec 22 2010
* [[SGU Episode 283]], Dec 15 2010
* [[SGU Episode 282]], Dec 8 2010
* [[SGU Episode 281]], Dec 1 2010
* [[SGU Episode 280]], Nov 24 2010
* [[SGU Episode 279]], Nov 15 2010
* [[SGU Episode 278]], Nov 10 2010
* [[SGU Episode 277]], Nov 3 2010
* [[SGU Episode 276]], Sep 27 2010
* [[SGU Episode 275]], Oct 19 2010
* [[SGU Episode 274]], Oct 13 2010
* [[SGU Episode 273]], Oct 6 2010
* [[SGU Episode 272]], Sep 30 2010
* [[SGU Episode 271]], Sep 22 2010
* [[SGU Episode 270]], Sep 15 2010
* [[SGU Episode 269]], Sep 8 2010
* [[SGU Episode 268]], Sep 1 2010
* [[SGU Episode 267]], Aug 25 2010
* [[SGU Episode 266]], Aug 19 2010
* [[SGU Episode 265]], Aug 11 2010
* [[SGU Episode 264]], Aug 4 2010
* [[SGU Episode 263]], Jul 29 2010
* [[SGU Episode 262]], Jul 21 2010
* [[SGU Episode 261]], Jul 10 2010
* [[SGU Episode 260]], Jun 30 2010 {{i}}
* [[SGU Episode 259]], Jun 28 2010
* [[SGU Episode 258]], Jun 16 2010
* [[SGU Episode 257]], Jun 14 2010
* [[SGU Episode 256]], Jun 9 2010
* [[SGU Episode 255]], Jun 2 2010
* [[SGU Episode 254]], May 26 2010
* [[SGU Episode 253]], May 19 2010
* [[SGU Episode 252]], May 12 2010
* [[SGU Episode 251]], May 5 2010
* [[SGU Episode 250]], Apr 28 2010
* [[SGU Episode 249]], Apr 17 2010
* [[SGU Episode 248]], Apr 13 2010
* [[SGU Episode 247]], Apr 7 2010
* [[SGU Episode 246]], Mar 31 2010
* [[SGU Episode 245]], Mar 25 2010
* [[SGU Episode 244]], Mar 18 2010
* [[SGU Episode 243]], Mar 11 2010
* [[SGU Episode 242]], Mar 3 2010
* [[SGU Episode 241]], Feb 24 2010
* [[SGU Episode 240]], Feb 17 2010
* [[SGU Episode 239]], Feb 10 2010
* [[SGU Episode 238]], Feb 3 2010
* [[SGU Episode 237]], Jan 27 2010
* [[SGU Episode 236]], Jan 20 2010
* [[SGU Episode 235]], Jan 13 2010
* [[SGU Episode 234]], Nov 15 2009
* [[SGU Episode 233]], Jan 6 2010
* [[SGU Episode 232]], Jan 1 2010

|valign="top" style=white-space:nowrap|<big>'''2009'''</big>
----
* [[SGU Episode 231]], Dec 21 2009
* [[SGU Episode 230]], Dec 16 2009
* [[SGU Episode 229]], Dec 9 2009
* [[SGU Episode 228]], Dec 2 2009
* [[SGU Episode 227]], Nov 25 2009
* [[SGU Episode 226]], Nov 18 2009
* [[SGU Episode 225]], Nov 11 2009
* [[SGU Episode 224]], Nov 4 2009
* [[SGU Episode 223]], Oct 28 2009
* [[SGU Episode 222]], Oct 21 2009
* [[SGU Episode 221]], Oct 14 2009
* [[SGU Episode 220]], Oct 7 2009
* [[SGU Episode 219]], Sep 28 2009
* [[SGU Episode 218]], Sep 23 2009
* [[SGU Episode 217]], Sep 12 2009
* [[SGU Episode 216]], Sep 9 2009 {{i}}
* [[SGU Episode 215]], Sep 1 2009
* [[SGU Episode 214]], Aug 25 2009
* [[SGU Episode 213]], Aug 18 2009
* [[SGU Episode 212]], Aug 12 2009
* [[SGU Episode 211]], Aug 4 2009
* [[SGU Episode 210]], Jul 29 2009
* [[SGU Episode 209]], Jul 22 2009
* [[SGU Episode 208]], Jul 11 2009
* [[SGU Episode 207]], Jul 1 2009
* [[SGU Episode 206]], Jun 18 2009
* [[SGU Episode 205]], Jun 16 2009
* [[SGU Episode 204]], Jun 11 2009
* [[SGU Episode 203]], Jun 9 2009
* [[SGU Episode 202]], Jun 3 2009
* [[SGU Episode 201]], May 27 2009
* [[SGU Episode 200]], May 20 2009
* [[SGU Episode 199]], May 13 2009
* [[SGU Episode 198]], May 7 2009
* [[SGU Episode 197]], Apr 30 2009
* [[SGU Episode 196]], Apr 22 2009
* [[SGU Episode 195]], Apr 15 2009
* [[SGU Episode 194]], Apr 8 2009
* [[SGU Episode 193]], Apr 1 2009
* [[SGU Episode 192]], Mar 25 2009
* [[SGU Episode 191]], Mar 18 2009
* [[SGU Episode 190]], Mar 12 2009
* [[SGU Episode 189]], Mar 4 2009
* [[SGU Episode 188]], Feb 26 2009
* [[SGU Episode 187]], Feb 11 2009
* [[SGU Episode 186]], Feb 9 2009
* [[SGU Episode 185]], Feb 4 2009 {{i}}
* [[SGU Episode 184]], Jan 28 2009
* [[SGU Episode 183]], Jan 21 2009
* [[SGU Episode 182]], Jan 15 2009
* [[SGU Episode 181]], Jan 7 2009

<big>'''2008'''</big>
----
* [[SGU Episode 180]], Dec 30 2008
* [[SGU Episode 179]], Dec 23 2008
* [[SGU Episode 178]], Dec 16 2005
* [[SGU Episode 177]], Dec 10 2008
* [[SGU Episode 176]], Dec 3 2008
* [[SGU Episode 175]], Nov 20 2008
* [[SGU Episode 174]], Nov 18 2008
* [[SGU Episode 173]], Nov 12 2008
* [[SGU Episode 172]], Nov 5 2008
* [[SGU Episode 171]], Oct 29 2008
* [[SGU Episode 170]], Oct 22 2008
* [[SGU Episode 169]], Oct 11 2008
* [[SGU Episode 168]], Oct 8 2008
* [[SGU Episode 167]], Oct 1 2008
* [[SGU Episode 166]], Sep 24 2008
* [[SGU Episode 165]], Sep 17 2008
* [[SGU Episode 164]], Sep 10 2008
* [[SGU Episode 163]], Sep 3 2008
* [[SGU Episode 162]], Aug 26 2008
* [[SGU Episode 161]], Aug 20 2008
* [[SGU Episode 160]], Aug 13 2008
* [[SGU Episode 159]], Aug 6 2008
* [[SGU Episode 158]], Jul 30 2008
* [[SGU Episode 157]], Jul 23 2008
* [[SGU Episode 156]], Jul 16 2008 {{tick}}
* [[SGU Episode 155]], Jul 9 2008
* [[SGU Episode 154]], Jul 2 2008
* [[SGU Episode 153]], Jun 21 2008
* [[SGU Episode 152]], Jun 11 2008
* [[SGU Episode 151]], Jun 9 2008
* [[SGU Episode 150]], Jun 4 2008
* [[SGU Episode 149]], May 28 2008
* [[SGU Episode 148]], May 21 2008
* [[SGU Episode 147]], May 14 2008
* [[SGU Episode 146]], May 7 2008
* [[SGU Episode 145]], Apr 30 2008
* [[SGU Episode 144]], Apr 23 2008 {{tick}}
* [[SGU Episode 143]], Apr 16 2008
* [[SGU Episode 142]], Apr 9 2008
* [[SGU Episode 141]], Apr 2 2008
* [[SGU Episode 140]], Mar 26 2008 {{i}}
* [[SGU Episode 139]], Mar 19 2008
* [[SGU Episode 138]], Mar 12 2008
* [[SGU Episode 137]], Mar 5 2008
* [[SGU Episode 136]], Feb 27 2008
* [[SGU Episode 135]], Feb 20 2008
* [[SGU Episode 134]], Feb 13 2008
* [[SGU Episode 133]], Feb 6 2008
* [[SGU Episode 132]], Jan 30 2008
* [[SGU Episode 131]], Jan 23 2008
* [[SGU Episode 130]], Jan 16 2008
* [[SGU Episode 129]], Jan 9 2008
* [[SGU Episode 128]], Jan 2 2008

<big>'''2007'''</big>
----
* [[SGU Episode 127]], Dec 26 2007
* [[SGU Episode 126]], Dec 19 2007
* [[SGU Episode 125]], Dec 12 2007
* [[SGU Episode 124]], Dec 5 2007
* [[SGU Episode 123]], Nov 28, 2007 {{Open}}
* [[SGU Episode 122]], Nov 20 2007
* [[SGU Episode 121]], Nov 14 2007
* [[SGU Episode 120]], Nov 7 2007
* [[SGU Episode 119]], Oct 30 2007
* [[SGU Episode 118]], Oct 24 2007
* [[SGU Episode 117]], Oct 17 2007
* [[SGU Episode 116]], Oct 10 2007
* [[SGU Episode 115]], Oct 3 2007
* [[SGU Episode 114]], Sep 27 2007
* [[SGU Episode 113]], Sep 19 2007
* [[SGU Episode 112]], Sep 12 2007
* [[SGU Episode 111]], Sep 5 2007
* [[SGU Episode 110]], Aug 28 2007
* [[SGU Episode 109]], Aug 24, 2007
* [[SGU Episode 108]], Aug 11 2007
* [[SGU Episode 107]], Aug 8 2007
* [[SGU Episode 106]], Aug 1 2007
* [[SGU Episode 105]], Jul 25, 2007 {{i}}
* [[SGU Episode 104]], Jul 18 2007
* [[SGU Episode 103]], Jul 11 2007
* [[SGU Episode 102]], Jul 3 2007
* [[SGU Episode 101]], Jun 20 2007
* [[SGU Episode 100]], Jun 19 2007
* [[SGU Episode 99]], Jun 13 2007
* [[SGU Episode 98]], Jun 6 2007
* [[SGU Episode 97]], May 30 2007 {{i}}
* [[SGU Episode 96]], May 23 2007
* [[SGU Episode 95]], May 16 2007
* [[SGU Episode 94]], May 9 2007
* [[SGU Episode 93]], May 3 2007
* [[SGU Episode 92]], Apr 25 2007
* [[SGU Episode 91]], Apr 18 2007
* [[SGU Episode 90]], Apr 10 2007
* [[SGU Episode 89]], Apr 4, 2007 {{i}}
* [[SGU Episode 88]], Mar 28 2007
* [[SGU Episode 87]], Mar 21 2007
* [[SGU Episode 86]], Mar 14 2007
* [[SGU Episode 85]], Mar 7 2007
* [[SGU Episode 84]], Feb 28 2007
* [[SGU Episode 83]], Feb 21 2007
* [[SGU Episode 82]], Feb 15 2007
* [[SGU Episode 81]], Feb 7 2007
* [[SGU Episode 80]], Jan 31 2007
* [[SGU Episode 79]], Jan 24, 2007
* [[SGU Episode 78]], Jan 15 2007
* [[SGU Episode 77]], Jan 10 2007
* [[SGU Episode 76]], Jan 3 2007

<big>'''2006'''</big>
----
* [[SGU Episode 75]], Dec 27 2006
* [[SGU Episode 74]], Dec 20 2006
* [[SGU Episode 73]], Dec 13 2006
* [[SGU Episode 72]], Dec 6 2006
* [[SGU Episode 71]], Nov 29 2006
* [[SGU Episode 70]], Nov 21 2006
* [[SGU Episode 69]], Nov 15 2006
* [[SGU Episode 68]], Nov 8 2006
* [[SGU Episode 67]], Nov 1 2006
* [[SGU Episode 66]], Oct 25 2006
* [[SGU Episode 65]], Oct 18 2006
* [[SGU Episode 64]], Oct 11 2006
* [[SGU Episode 63]], Oct 4 2006
* [[SGU Episode 62]], Sep 27 2006
* [[SGU Episode 61]], Sep 20 2006
* [[SGU Episode 60]], Sep 13 2006
* [[SGU Episode 59]], Sep 5 2006
* [[SGU Episode 58]], Aug 30 2006
* [[SGU Episode 57]], Aug 23 2006
* [[SGU Episode 56]], Aug 15 2006
* [[SGU Episode 55]], Aug 9 2006
* [[SGU Episode 54]], Aug 2 2006
* [[SGU Episode 53]], Jul 26 2006
* [[SGU Episode 52]], Jul 19 2006
* [[SGU Episode 51]], Jul 12 2006
* [[SGU Episode 50]], Jul 5 2006
* [[SGU Episode 49]], Jun 28 2006
* [[SGU Episode 48]], Jun 21 2006
* [[SGU Episode 47]], Jun 14 2006 {{i}}
* [[SGU Episode 46]], Jun 7 2006 {{i}}
* [[SGU Episode 45]], May 31 2006
* [[SGU Episode 44]], May 24 2006
* [[SGU Episode 43]], May 17 2006
* [[SGU Episode 42]], May 10 2006
* [[SGU Episode 41]], May 3 2006
* [[SGU Episode 40]], Apr 26 2006
* [[SGU Episode 39]], Apr 19 2006
* [[SGU Episode 38]], Apr 12 2006
* [[SGU Episode 37]], Apr 6 2006
* [[SGU Episode 36]], Mar 29 2006
* [[SGU Episode 35]], Mar 22 2006
* [[SGU Episode 34]], Mar 15 2006
* [[SGU Episode 33]], Mar 9 2006
* [[SGU Episode 32]], Mar 1 2006
* [[SGU Episode 31]], Feb 22 2006 {{Open}}
* [[SGU Episode 30]], Feb 15 2006
* [[SGU Episode 29]], Feb 8 2006
* [[SGU Episode 28]], Feb 1 2006
* [[SGU Episode 27]], Jan 25 2006
* [[SGU Episode 26]], Jan 17 2006
* [[SGU Episode 25]], Jan 11 2006
* [[SGU Episode 24]], Jan 6 2006

<big>'''2005'''</big>
----
* [[SGU Episode 23]], Dec 21 2005
* [[SGU Episode 22]], Dec 14 2005
* [[SGU Episode 21]], Dec 7 2005
* [[SGU Episode 20]], Nov 23 2005
* [[SGU Episode 19]], Nov 16 2005
* [[SGU Episode 18]], Nov 2 2005
* [[SGU Episode 17]], Oct 26 2005
* [[SGU Episode 16]], Oct 12 2005
* [[SGU Episode 15]], Oct 6 2005
* [[SGU Episode 14]], Sep 28 2005
* [[SGU Episode 13]], Sep 14 2005
* [[SGU Episode 12]], Sep 7 2005
* [[SGU Episode 11]], Aug 31 2005
* [[SGU Episode 10]], Aug 23 2005
* [[SGU Episode 9]], Aug 10 2005
* [[SGU Episode 8]], Aug 2 2005
* [[SGU Episode 7]], Jul 20 2005
* [[SGU Episode 6]], July 7 2005 {{i}}
* [[SGU Episode 5]], Jun 29 2005
* [[SGU Episode 4]], Jun 15 2005 {{i}}
* [[SGU Episode 3]], Jun 7 2005 {{i}}
* [[SGU Episode 2]], Jun 1 2005
* [[SGU Episode 1]], May 4 2005 {{tick}}
|}