SGU Episode 475

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SGU Episode 475
August 16th 2014
(brief caption for the episode icon)
SGU 474                      SGU 476
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
B: Bob Novella
R: Rebecca Watson
J: Jay Novella
E: Evan Bernstein
Quote of the Week
There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily.
George Washington
Links
Download Podcast
Show Notes
Forum Discussion

Introduction

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

This Day in Skepticism ()

• August 16, 1634: Urbain Grandier is burned at the stake for witchcraft.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urbain_Grandier

News Items

Carrington Event Redux ()

• http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2014/08/01/solar_storm_a_massive_2012_cme_just_missed_the_earth.htmlhttp://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/another-carrington-event-inevitable/

Rangeomorphs ()

• http://www.theskepticsguide.org/the-first-animals-were-living-fractals-maybe

Shark Week Pseudoscience ()

• http://www.vox.com/2014/8/11/5991961/shark-week-is-once-again-making-things-up

Cervical Manipulation and Strokes ()

• http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/a-statement-on-cervical-manipulation-and-dissections/

iPhone Performance ()

• http://www.zdnet.com/does-apple-throttle-older-iphones-to-nudge-you-into-buying-a-new-one-7000032136/with Rene Ritchie, Editor-in-Chief of iMore, co-host of Iterate, Debug, Review, The TV Show, Vector, ZEN & TECH, and MacBreak Weekly podcasts. Cook, grappler, photon wrangler. Follow him on Twitter and Google+.

Who's That Noisy ()

• Answer to last week: Luray Caverns Stalagtite Organ

Questions and Emails

Question #1: Follow up ()

Ebola Virus and The Hobbit

Science or Fiction ()

Item #1: An examination of certain Cro-Magnon remains suggests that a mummification process was used, not unlike early Egyptian techniques. Item #2: For the first time a scientist has developed a technique for creating glass out of elemental metal. Item #3: A new study finds that certain “rubble asteroids” are held together by more than their mutual gravity, and that some other unidentified force is involved.

Skeptical Quote of the Week ()

'There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily.' - George Washington.

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