| |
The Skeptics' Guide To The Universe - Podcast 1 - 5/4/2005
|
|
|
|
|
<<< Back to Podcast Archive
|
|
The Skeptics' Guide To The Universe
The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe is a weekly Podcast talkshow discussing the latest news and topics from the world of the paranormal, fringe science, and controversial claims from a scientific point of view. -The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe: Your escape to reality -Produced by the New England Skeptical Society in association with the James Randi Educational Foundation(JREF) : http://www.theness.com
|
Podcast
1
-
May 04, 2005
|
|
Intelligent Design, Reverse Engineering UFOs, Magicians, and Exploding Toads.
|
|
Segment: News Items
|
|
NPR's What I Believe
|
Essayist Errol Morris discusses his belief in Truth
|
|
Exploding Toads Baffle Scientists
|
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4486247.stm
|
|
Reverse Engineering UFO Technology
|
Reverse Engineering Extraterrestrial UFOs flight patterns - fast, completely erratic and unpredictable with gaps in motion!
|
|
Intelligent Design in Kansas
|
The National Center for Science Education: Information resource for defending evolution from creationist attacks. Provides updated information on the attempt to insert Intelligent Design into Kansas public schools, and other evolution/creation battlegrounds.
http://www.ncseweb.org
|
|
Segment: Questions and Emails
|
|
Question #1
|
I recently read a book called "Darwin's Black Box" by Behe. It's thesis is that there are systems called "irreducibly complex systems" which appear to have no evolutionary advantage until all of their parts are present, and so would not seem to be candidates for evolving via natural selection through small changes. His conclusion is that these systems are evidence for intelligent design. I'd like to see an analysis of his example systems by a skeptic or hear a proposal for how such systems might have evolved.
|
|
Segment: Group Discussion
|
|
Magician Alain Nu
|
Magician Alain Nu was featured recently on "The Mysterious World of Alain Nu" on The Learning Channel. Alain claims to perform his magic tricks with mystical energy, such as "chi" "psychic energy" and "mental power."
Here a just a few quotes and comments from Mr. Nu:
In one interview, Alain comments about how he does his spoon-bending trick. He claims that spoons were bent by his "chi"-charged fingertips, "chi" being the "Chi Gong" energy-balancing exercises developed in ancient China
Early in his career, Alain would hold séances in the basement of a friend's home. He and his friends would gather around, light candles, hold hands, and break out a Ouija board. On one occasion, he says, the board summoned a ghost that was keenly interested in an old glass of whiskey: "We realized that the person was probably an alcoholic or something, because the Ouija board kept going toward the glass with the remains of alcohol in it. It was at moments like that that I felt I could have actually experienced real magic."
"Skeptics would say that we were fooling ourselves," he continues, "but I would tend to think that in many ways, regardless of whether or not we were fooling ourselves, we were tapping into this wonderment that I think is important for people. I think it's important to be skeptical. To be skeptical is to be open, but to completely close your mind off to something that doesn't seem rational is not exactly skeptical."
"We lit all the candles and held hands and conjured ghosts." "The most amazing thing about it was that ghosts actually did appear during our little trance ceremonies."
One change he wants hasn't happened yet: the empowering of more women - "They have a different energy."
"Science cannot explain what I do. Many people have tried to guess. I am just an ordinary man. I do not try to explain myself."
http://www.nu-magic.com/cparts.htm
|
|
Segment: Announcements
|
|
|
|
|
|
|