SGU Episode 46
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| SGU Episode 46 |
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| 7th June 2006 |
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| (brief caption for the episode icon) |
| Skeptical Rogues |
| S: Steven Novella |
B: Bob Novella |
R: Rebecca Watson |
J: Jay Novella |
E: Evan Bernstein |
P: Perry DeAngelis |
| Guest |
PP: Phil Plait |
| Links |
| Download Podcast |
| Show Notes |
| Forum Discussion |
Introduction
You're listening to the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe, your escape to reality.
News Items
The World Survives June 6th, 2006 (00:50)
- Times Online (Link expired)
- NBC News: 6/6/06: The Date is Near
Skepchick infiltrates Christian Scientists (5:00)
- Skepchick: Rebecca Infiltrates Enemy Territory
Questions and Emails (11:48)
Altruism and Evolution
Great show. Absolutely one of my favorite podcasts! My wife eagerly awaits my lobbing the "science or fiction" her way after each show.
Speaking of the fact or fiction segment, I have a question about the altruism gene discovery as studied in the multicellular organism Volvox. You defined altrusim as "you do something which sacrifices your own Darwinian fitness in order for your relatives to survive." I was viewing this gene as somehow increasing fitness, such as by increasing the overall percentage of like genes passed on to future generations since the individuals in a simple multicellular organism are highly related. So while you don't reproduce, your overall fitness is still higher than had you "gone it alone." Otherwise the altruism gene would be selected against, right? An analogous, though far more complex, situation might be the "altruism" of non reproducing individuals in social insect species.
Please set me straight if I'm looking at this incorrectly.
Thanks!
Marty Steitz
Minnesota, US
Reply to 9/11 Hoax (14:01)
More on 9/11 (16:28)
Interview with Phil Plait (24:16)
Science or Fiction (1:03:21)
Question #1 This week military surgeons are testing a system for remote mobile robotic "telesurgery." Question #2 New study suggests that phantom limb pain is psychosomatic. Question #3 Drinking caffeine makes us more susceptible to persuasion.
Announcements (1:10:11)
S: The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe is produced by the New England Skeptical Society. For information on this and other podcasts, please visit our website at www.theskepticsguide.org. Please send us your questions, suggestions, and other feedback; you can use the "Contact Us" page on our website, or you can send us an email to info@theskepticsguide.org. 'Theorem' is produced by Kineto and is used with permission.
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