SGU Episode 450

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SGU Episode 450
February 22nd 2014
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SGU 449                      SGU 451
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
B: Bob Novella
R: Rebecca Watson
J: Jay Novella
E: Evan Bernstein
Quote of the Week
Ignorance is nothing shameful; imposing ignorance is shameful. Most people are not to blame for their own ignorance, but if they wilfully pass it on, they are to blame.
Daniel Dennett, Breaking the Spell.
Links
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Show Notes
Forum Discussion

Introduction

You're listening to the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe, your escape to reality. S: Hello and welcome to the Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe. Today is Wednesday February 19th 2014, and this is your host Steven Novella. Joining me this week are Bob Novella

B: Hey everybody

S: Rebecca Watson

R: Hello everyone

S: Jay Novella

J: Hey guys

S: And Evan Bernstein

E: Good evening my friends, how are you?

S: Anything new in your lives?

J I mean you can’t, Steve, you can’t leave the floor open like that cuz I’m gonna talk about my son.

S: What’s he doing this week?

J: His pseudo-talking, the babble thing is happening quite a bit and it’s so adorable. Oh my god it’s epic!

S: Yeah it’s cute when they start to babble in their protolanguage.

J: And he’s so skeptical, it’s ridiculous

B: Ha ha

S: What you should do, Jay, is for the bedtime story, you should read him the dialogue concerning the two chief world systems.

J: I’ll get right on that

R: What a strange thing to suggest one read a baby. Especially considering that book was placed on the index of forbidden books not too long ago. Hmm

E: Not too long ago?

This Day in Skepticism ()

• February 22, 1632: Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialogue_Concerning_the_Two_Chief_World_Systems

News Items

Genovese Myth ()

• http://nypost.com/2014/02/16/book-reveals-real-story-behind-the-kitty-genovese-murder/

Pseudoscience Vandalism ()

• http://www.livescience.com/43469-great-pyramid-vandalized-by-conspiracy-theorists.html

Subway and Azodicarbonamide ()

• http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/eating-yoga-mats/

Petawatt Laser ()

• http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/176233-petawatt-death-star-laser-prepares-to-investigate-quantum-mechanics-chemistry-and-more

AIDS Denialist Silence Critic ()

• http://www.patreon.com/creation?hid=236649

Who's That Noisy ()

• Answer to last week: Atoms moving

Science or Fiction ()

Item #1: Scientists report new evidence that purports to find the missing mass from galaxy clusters – a previous 40% discrepancy between observations and predictions from cosmological models. Item #2: New research finds that people make better decisions when they believe that outcomes are predetermined by fate. Item #3: Archaeologists report on the oldest human footprints found outside of Africa, from a UK site dated to 0.78 to 1 million years ago, pushing back the earliest known humans in northern Europe by at least 350,000 years.

Skeptical Quote of the Week ()

'Ignorance is nothing shameful; imposing ignorance is shameful. Most people are not to blame for their own ignorance, but if they wilfully pass it on, they are to blame.' - Daniel Dennett, Breaking the Spell.

S: The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe is produced by SGU Productions, dedicated to promoting science and critical thinking. For more information on this and other episodes, please visit our website at theskepticsguide.org, where you will find the show notes as well as links to our blogs, videos, online forum, and other content. You can send us feedback or questions to info@theskepticsguide.org. Also, please consider supporting the SGU by visiting the store page on our website, where you will find merchandise, premium content, and subscription information. Our listeners are what make SGU possible.

References