SGU Episode 546

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SGU Episode 546
December 26th 2015
(brief caption for the episode icon)
SGU 545                      SGU 547
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
B: Bob Novella
C: Cara Santa Maria
J: Jay Novella
E: Evan Bernstein
Quote of the Week
Those who are serious in ridiculous matters will be ridiculous in serious matters.
Cato the Elder
Links
Download Podcast
Show Notes
Forum Discussion

Introduction

• Why time goes faster as you age

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

Year in Review (1:37)

• Year in Review: Best Science News Items

• Cara joins the show, fly-by of Pluto, observation of Ceres, landing on a comet, the blue / gold dress, new hominid (muletti), CRISPR, Brontosaurus returns, flowing water on Mars

Best Of (24:23)

• SGU moments Skeptic of the Year, Jackass of the Year

• New segments: Forgotten Superheroes of Science and What's the Word, Interns helping on the show, Jay's blaster bit, performing with Bill Nye, dissing Richard Dawkins at Extravagana,

Jackass of the Year: Foodbabe, Martin Shkreli, the entire anti-GMO movement, Gweneth Paltrow

Skeptic of the Year: Kevin Folta (defending GMO's), Jay nominates Steve for coping with the court case,

In Memoriam (1:02:17)

• George Barris, Batmobile creator
• Bruce Hyde, Lt. Kevin Riley on original 'Star Trek'
• Christopher Lee
• Leonard Nimoy
• Oliver Sacks
• John Nash
• Yogi Berra
• Wayne Dyer, self-help guru
• Wallace Samson – one of the founders of Science-Based Medicine

Cara Mashup (1:05:00)

• Cara Mashup: Best of Cara 2015

S: So before we get to Science or Fiction, Cara, every year, when we do this review, a fan sends us a mashup of one of the rogues, of like, the funniest things that they said throughout the year. And this year, it was your turn!

C: Right!

E: (Laughs) You've been mashed.

S: 'Cause everyone else has been done before, so, and you're the new rogue. So, let's take a listen to what they've got.

C: Back at my house, we would call that a Dad joke, which is complete and total horseshit.

S: Peenas

C: (Butthead laugh)

C: I could probably handle Jon Ham.

C: It's bullshit.

C: But a lotta people just think she's a bitch.

C: Peenas – hee hee!

C: Oliver Sacks said, “Shit, no more crazier than a jackall, am I right?”

C: Let's not forget, entertainers with vaginas.

C: Gah! Dern it!

C: He would have contaminated the shit out of the red planet!

C: Duct tape is magic, and should be worshiped.

C: All I got to say to that is like, climate change, yo.

C: It's good that they didn't call them the Mad Habberdashers.

C: Yep, another week, another poop story.

C: I get non-fat milk so I can add whip.

C: They call them crips.

C: I might be Googling him right now.

C: A good argument should be like sex, it shouldn't be just masturbating.

C: I wonder how male my brain is.

C: Your DVR must be so boring.

C: PEENAS.

E: You have been mashed.

(Rogues laugh)

B: That was awesome!

C: That's so mature.

B: I don't know how he pulls that off – how does he pull that off? Think about the work that would be involved. Unless he does it, every episode he listens to, he saves little snippets.

J: Well, that's the way to do it, of course.

E: Absolutely!

B: Yeah, that's the only way.

C: I don't know, I loved 'em too, 'cause they were all really random. Apparently I just say a lot of weird shit.

E: I love these. These mashups are like a rite of passage; it's very, very cool, I think.

S: Yeah, so that was from Jason Ferber. Jason's been making those for us every year. So thanks, Jason, we really appreciate that.

C: Yeah, thanks Jason.

B: Thanks Jason!

S: Guys

E: Yeah?

S: Let's go on to Science or Fiction.

Science or Fiction (1:06:57)

Item #1: Scientists have discovered an organism that has not evolved detectably in over 2 billion years. Item #2: A new study finds that people get more trusting as they get older. Item #3: A new study changes the estimate for the evolution of eukaryotes from a maximum of 2.8 billion years ago to 3.5 billion years ago.

Skeptical Quote of the Week (1:23:02)

"Those who are serious in ridiculous matters will be ridiculous in serious matters." - Cato the Elder

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.

Today I Learned

• Rogues explain where Forgotten Superheroes of Science came from. It was a consequence of people complaining about Rebecca covering “too many women” on This Day in History.

• Monsanto has contacted both Cara and Steve, offering to pay them for their work. Both of them have turned down the offer because it would hurt their reputations.

References