SGU Episode 387

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SGU Episode 387
15th Dec 2012
(brief caption for the episode icon)
SGU 386                      SGU 388
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
B: Bob Novella
R: Rebecca Watson
J: Jay Novella
E: Evan Bernstein
Guest
JB: Joshie Berger
Quote of the Week
Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.
George Bernard Shaw
Links
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SGU Podcast archive
Forum Discussion

Introduction

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

This Day in Skepticism (5:25)

• December 15, 1973 The American Psychiatric Association votes 13–0 to remove homosexuality from its official list of psychiatric disorders, the DSM-II.

News Items

Creationist Tactics (10:25)

• A Marshall McLuhan moment with creationist Paul Nelson

Truth in Education (15:31)

• Truth in Education

Dawn of Life (22:10)

• Researchers propose new way to look at the dawn of life

History of Cheese (28:28)

• Evidence of world's 'oldest' cheese-making found

Quickie with Bob - Ocean Robots (37:29)

• Ocean science robot revolution hits symbolic millionth milestone

News Items Continued

Vampire Warning (29:31)

• The Serbian village that's warning of a vampire on the loose

Skeptical Puzzle ()

Puzzle: There are three boxes. One is labeled "CARROTS" another is labeled "CELERY". The last one is labeled "CARROTS AND CELERY". You know that each is labeled incorrectly. You may ask me to pick one vegetable from one box which you choose. How can you label the boxes correctly?

Interview with Joshie Berger ()

Jewie or Fiction Item #1: The bible prohibits work/labor on the Sabbath, the day of rest. Religious Jewish define this prohibition very broadly and consider a multitude of tasks n simple actions to be considered 'work.' Among them the prohibition of 'separating,' defined as removing anything undesired from desired things. Examples of this would be filtering water or even picking out bones from fish before eating. This prohibition ultimately led to religious Jews creating the boneless popular dish called 'gefilte fish.' Item #2: Many things are prohibited for Jews to do during the Sabbath. Among them is carrying any item outdoors. This includes carrying home keys in your pockets or even pushing an infant in a stroller. To allow for such activities, Jews put up a string around their neighborhoods thus encircling it all and making it as if it was one large common area and things may be carried within its perimeter. Item #3: The bible, in efforts to restrict cruelty to animals, does not allow a farmer to muzzle his ox while threshing his field. The Talmud revered book of religious Jews, entertains a loophole for Jews to employ where farmers would have contracts drawn up with neighbors that would temporarily switch ownership of oxen during threshing. This would result in the farmer not muzzling his own animal but rather his neighbors animal thus not violating the biblical prohibition which says 'thou shalt not muzzle YOUR ox.' Item #4: The bible prohibits shaving ones face. While all religious Jewish abide by this biblical prohibition, non ultra orthodox Jews allow cutting/trimming ones beard. In recent times though, with the advent of electric shavers, the option of shaving is now available to religious Jews who do not wish to violate the biblical prohibition. The logic is that electric shavers employ a 2 blade cutting method which act like tiny scissors and are merely cutting the hair very short and not actually shaving it.

Science or Fiction ()

Item #1 A new study finds that reducing dietary fat from a high fat diet can cause withdrawal symptoms of anxiety and food craving. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121212092104.htm Item #2 Researchers examining generic pharmaceuticals find that they frequently have significant chemical differences from the their brand-name version. http://communications.medicine.iu.edu/newsroom/stories/2012/regenstrief-study-finds-that-generic-drugs-often-have-incorrect-/ Item #3 A new fossil analysis suggests that large multicellular creatures may have appeared on land prior to evolving in the sea. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121212134050.htm

Skeptical Quote of the Week ()

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.

George Bernard Shaw

References