SGU Episode 392

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SGU Episode 392
19th Jan 2013
(brief caption for the episode icon)
SGU 391                      SGU 393
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
B: Bob Novella
R: Rebecca Watson
J: Jay Novella
E: Evan Bernstein
Guest
M: Massimo Polidoro
Quote of the Week
No facts are to me sacred; none are profane; I simply experiment, an endless seeker with no past at my back.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Links
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SGU Podcast archive
Forum Discussion

Introduction

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

S: Hello and welcome to the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe. Today is Tuesday, January 13, 2013, and this is your host Steven Novella. Joining me this week are Bob Novella,

B: Hey, everybody.

S: Rebecca Watson,

R: Hello, everyone.

S: Jay Novella,

J: Hey, guys.

S: And Evan Bernstein.

E: How's everyone tonight?

S: Good, how are you, Evan?

R: Super.

J: Good.

E: Fine. Thank you, thank you, fine.

S: Evan, I noticed you stopped your foreign language hellos.

R: That's true.

E: Well, are you saying that I should have kept that up as a regular segment? It was more of like an experiment.

S: No. I just noticed that you stopped.

R: We were just wondering if you ran out of languages. (laughter)

J: Evan, what are you experimenting with now?

E: (laughing) I'm not necessarily experimenting with anything right now, but, Steve, I'm glad you mentioned it. You sort of rekindled my memory on that. Perhaps I will bring that back, or try something a little bit different.

S: I wasn't trying to encourage you, I was just making an observation.

E: Very astute. Nothing gets by you, Doctor.

This Day in Skepticism (1:05)

• Jan 19, 1915: The electric neon sign was patented in the United States by George Claude of Paris, France.

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News Items

Predicting Murders (7:36)

• Minority Report has arrived: Maryland and Pennsylvania using computers to predict future crimes

Lead and Crime (14:49)

• America's Real Criminal Element: Lead

Biggest Thing in the Universe (25:27)

• Biggest Thing in Universe Found—Defies Scientific Theory

Million Dollar Challenge (30:11)

• Defending the Million Dollar Challenge

Turkey Bans Evolution Books (39:12)

• Turkey's science state council halts publication of evolution books

Quicky With Bob: Apophis Update (42:31)

• Apophis asteroid: Large space rock 'will not hit in 2036'

Who's That Noisy? (44:40)

• Answer to last week: John of God

Interview with Massimo Polidoro (47:20)

• Massimo Polidoro, director of the Italian Skeptics

Science or Fiction (1:00:13)

Item number one. A recent study finds that subject's memory for Facebook posts were significantly greater than for book entries or faces. Item number two. New research finds that some children diagnosed at a young age with autism may outgrow the diagnosis entirely. And item number three. A new study finds that graphic cigarette warnings have minimal effect, and are no more effective than text-only warnings.

Skeptical Quote of the Week (1:16:53)

No facts are to me sacred; none are profane; I simply experiment, an endless seeker with no past at my back.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Announcements

NECSS (1:17:18)

• NECSS - Northeast Conference on Science and Skepticism

Podcast UFO (1:18:00)

• Podcast UFO #33. Skeptic, Evan Bernstein

References