SGU Episode 161

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SGU Episode 161
August 20th 2008
(brief caption for the episode icon)
SGU 160                      SGU 162
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
B: Bob Novella
R: Rebecca Watson
J: Jay Novella
E: Evan Bernstein
Quote of the Week
'To defy the authority of empirical evidence is to disqualify oneself as someone worthy of critical engagement in a dialogue'
The 14th Dalai Lama
Links
Download Podcast
Show Notes
Forum Discussion

Introduction

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

News Items ()

Remembering Perry ()

• Remembering Perry blog post

Monkey Eludes Dragnet ()

• http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5in4dvXJ6FYdl9JebM9uaIiauUHBQD92M7P0G0

Bigfoot Body Follow Up ()

• http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,406101,00.html

Robot with Biological Brain ()

• http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=356

Doping ()

• http://www.wired.com/medtech/drugs/news/2008/08/olympic_doping?currentPage=1

Special Report ()

• The JREF (http://www.randi.org/)evaluates the claims of Colin Ross for the Million Dollar Challenge, and SGU host Steven Novella reports on his involvement with the evaluation.

Interview with Adam Savage ()

• Interview with Adam Savage of Mythbusters at TAM 6 in Las Vegas

Science or Fiction ()

Item # 1: By making an alloy of iron, silicon, and manganese, researchers have created a practical superconductor at temperatures just under zero degrees celcius, just short of the holy grail of a “room-temperature” superconductor. Item # 2: A new study shows that lining endotracheal tubes used for patients on a ventilator with silver reduces the incidence of pneumonia by 36%. Item # 3: Scientists have developed a thin film that can radically change its absorption or emittance of light and heat, which can be used to insulate so-called micro-satellites.

Quote of the Week ()

'To defy the authority of empirical evidence is to disqualify oneself as someone worthy of critical engagement in a dialogue' - The 14th Dalai Lama

S: The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe is produced by the New England Skeptical Society in association with the James Randi Educational Foundation and skepchick.org. For more information on this and other episodes, please visit our website at www.theskepticsguide.org. For questions, suggestions, and other feedback, please use the "Contact Us" form on the website, or send an email to info@theskepticsguide.org. If you enjoyed this episode, then please help us spread the word by voting for us on Digg, or leaving us a review on iTunes. You can find links to these sites and others through our homepage. 'Theorem' is produced by Kineto, and is used with permission.

References