SGU Episode 402
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| SGU Episode 402 |
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| 30th March 2013 |
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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 |
| Guest |
KW: Karl Withakay |
| Quote of the Week |
There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. |
| Links |
| Download Podcast |
| SGU Podcast archive |
| Forum Discussion |
Introduction
You're listening to the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe, your escape to reality.
This Day in Skepticism (2:39)
March 30: Happy birthday to Mary Whiton Calkins and happy death day to Ellen Swallow Richards. Two BAMF ladies for the price of one.
News Items
Homeopathy Debate (6:11)
Small Pterosaur (17:10)
Fracking Earthquakes (25:05)
Never Eat Again (33:48)
Voyager at the Edge (41:52)
Who's That Noisy? (46:01)
- SGU Forums: Who's That Noisy? Episode #402
- Why Worry? Answer to last week: Amanda Peet
Questions and Emails (49:12)
Question 1: More than Gravity ()
I'm a friend of Rebecca's, a former CFI employee, and a huge fan of SGU, so let me start by thanking you for all that you do! My editor at Buffalo Spree magazine sent me a press release about two local scientists affiliated with Ecology and Environment, Inc. just outside of Buffalo, New York. They have apparently established something called the "More than Gravity" theory. I did some Googling and had trouble finding anything about this that didn't seem to come right from the press release; if two local scientists are using a prominent Buffalo company to promote woo, I want to know about it and write about it; that said, if there's something to this I am obviously interested in covering that as well. Have you heard anything about this? Having no physics background I don't have a lot of frame of reference, but the lead to the press release prickled my skeptic senses: "Through 50 years of research and observation, scientific and engineering experts, Gerhard and Kevin Neumaier, have developed a new theory that refutes the 400-year old assumptions currently held by the scientific community." Any help you could give me would be much appreciated! Thanks, Julia Burke
Science or Fiction (1:01:48)
Item #1. Scientists report the discovery of new lizard species, tetrahymena, that exists in seven distinct sexes. Item #2. Nature recently reported that two counterfeit scientific journals successfully scammed hundreds of researchers out of author fees. And item #3. New genetic evidence suggests that primates evolved trichromatic color vision while still nocturnal, rather than as an adaption to diurnal living, as previously believed.
Skeptical Quote of the Week (1:17:04)
There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.
Søren Kierkegaard
Announcements
NECSS (1:18:12)
Rebecca at Academia Film Olomouc (1:18:58)
Cordial Deconstruction (1:20:00)
References
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