SGU Episode 464

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SGU Episode 464
May 31st 2014
(brief caption for the episode icon)
SGU 463                      SGU 465
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
B: Bob Novella
R: Rebecca Watson
J: Jay Novella
E: Evan Bernstein
Quote of the Week
It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.
Attributed to Mark Twain
Links
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Show Notes
Forum Discussion

Introduction

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

This Day in Skepticism ()

• May 31, 1981: the Jaffna Public Library is destroyed by the Sri Lankan government.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_of_Jaffna_library

News Items

Solar Highways ()

• http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/solar-freakin-roadways/

Suspended Animation ()

• http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/suspended-animation-human-trials-about-begin

Comb Jellies ()

• http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature13400.html

PETA Autism Pseudoscience ()

• http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/peta-embraces-autism-pseudoscience/

Planetary Diameters ()

• http://www.universetoday.com/33962/diameters-of-the-planets/

Who's That Noisy ()

• Answer to last week:

Questions and Emails

Question #1: Corrections ()

Robyn WilliamsTriple CrownOrganic FoodDear Dr Novella,Before I make my correction I must first let you know how much I enjoy both the SGU in general and your scientific activism outside of the podcast. As someone who is involved in Science and the Public, you are an inspiration to me and one of the reasons I have chosen to pursue the Public Understanding of Science as both a career and a hobby. You have my thanks.Unfortunately I must also inform you of a mistake in last week’s Science or Fiction. It is a mistake you could hardly be blamed for as more than half of the reports I saw regarding this issue also got it wrong in one form or another and if I were not a practicing Archaeologist with a keen interest in Physical Anthropology, I probably would have missed it as well. It regards the story of the H. antecessor footprints found in England. You stated, as many articles did, that this pushed the date of human occupation of Northern Europe back 350k and was the earliest evidence we had of human occupation in the region. Unfortunately this is not the case. In fact, while these certainly are the oldest footprints in Northern Europe and are very interesting indeed, we found the tools of this specific hominid, in this specific place in 2010.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_antecessorWe have known for at least three years that H antecessor was in this exact part of England at around 1mya, so this discovery, while amazing, did not push back the known human occupation of Northern Europe (or even this specific location) at all.Again, thanks for all of the work you do. You have inspired me to engage more openly and often with the public in Science communication, to start my own science/entertainment based podcast and even to get together with my local science museum (Ruben H Fleet Science Center) to volunteer my time for Science Café and other public outreach programs. You are more than a public educator, you are a domino setting off other such educators around the world.Archaeological Field Director/Co-Principal InvestigatorTierra EnvironmentalRobert Timothy

Science or Fiction ()

Item #1: Neptune’s moon, Triton, is the only body known to have cryovolcanoes. Item #2: Up until the 1850s, astronomers recognized 11 planets in our solar system. Item #3: The body in our solar system with an atmosphere most similar to Earth’s is Saturn’s moon, Titan.

Skeptical Quote of the Week ()

“It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.” Attributed to Mark Twain

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