SGU Episode 691

This is the transcript for the latest episode and it is not yet complete. Please help us complete it! Add a Transcribing template to the top of this episode before you start so that we don't duplicate your efforts.

This episode needs: transcription, time stamps, formatting, links, 'Today I Learned' list, categories, segment redirects. Please help out by contributing!

How to Contribute

SGU Episode 691
6th October 2018
(brief caption for the episode icon)
SGU 690                      SGU 692
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
B: Bob Novella
J: Jay Novella
E: Evan Bernstein
Quote of the Week
'The biggest gift of science is teaching us how to free our mind. So stay skeptical, be curious, and ask questions.'
Vince Ebert (German entertainer and science communicator)
Links
Download Podcast
Show Notes
Forum Discussion

Introduction

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

Questions and Emails ()

Traumatic memory (57:47)

S: So we're gonna do one e-mail this week. This comes from Daniel Mangum from Tigard, Oregon--Oregon, er, T-I-G-A-R-D. TEE-gard? TIG-urd?

J: TIG-eeeard...

E: Ahhh, yes.

S: I don't know how to pronounce that. He writes: "I got my SGU book today…yipppeee! I started reading and finished chapter 2 on memory. I know you guys avoid politics as much as possible, but would you consider talking about this subject in the context of the recent testimony by Dr. Blasey Ford and Judge Kavannaugh?"

E: No.

S: Uh, well, Daniel--

E: No.

S: Thanks for the positive comments about the book; this is the week the book launches, so we're getting a lot of people telling us about their experience reading the book; we appreciate it. So, yes, this is--while we do not try to get into political discussions, meaning talking about, like, promoting any particular partisan position or ideology, informing the science behind an important political subject is exactly what we do, right? And so this is--this is interesting cause this is something that a lot of people are talking about in the last couple of weeks and most people have no idea what they're talking about, right?

E: Right.

S: And so they're going to then default to whatever their political opinion is, whereas I think what we should be doing is, regardless of what side of this issue we're on in terms of our partisan afiliations, we should try to get the science correct.

Skeptical Quote of the Week ()

The biggest gift of science is teaching us how to free our mind. So stay skeptical, be curious, and ask questions. - Vince Ebert (German entertainer and science communicator)

Announcements ()

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