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The Skeptics' Guide To The Universe - Podcast 170 - 10/22/2008
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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 170 - October 22, 2008

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Interview with Phil Plait
News Items: Psychology of Superstition, Another Solar Breakthrough, UK UFO, Announcing SkepticBlog
Your Questions and E-mails: Blacklight Free Energy
Science or Fiction



Segment:   News Items     
Psychology of Pattern Recognition      http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/322/5898/115
Yet Another Solar Breakthrough      http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/fullspect.htm
Cold War UFO     http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27279684/?gt1=43001
Announcing SkepticBlog      http://www.skepticblog.org

Segment:   Questions and E-mails     
Question #1 Blacklight     I am emailing from my iPhone while listening to you lot - what a great time we live in. Astonishing technology and intelligent discussion on tap.
Blacklight power recently made renewed claims as reported in the New York times online. I don't see a lot of skeptical chatter on this. I found a brief mention on skepchick and reasonable coverage on wikipedia.
I would be very interested to hear your views given the high profile backers who I read are invested in this. My gut says that it is nonsense, but who said that they prefer not to think with their gut?
John Pollard
UK

http://www.blacklightpower.com/profile.shtml
http://www.villagevoice.com/1999-12-21/news/quantum-leap/
http://www.mail-archive.com/vortex-l@eskimo.com/msg10909.html

Segment:   Interview     
Interview with Phil Plait     We discuss with Phil his new book, Death from the Skies

http://www.badastronomy.com
http://www.randi.org

Segment:   Science or Fiction     [ Click Here to Show the Answers ]
Item #1     A new study demonstrates that synaesthesia can be induced in normal subjects through hypnosis.
Item #2     Scientists have discovered how to selectively and safely erase specific memories and have demonstrated this in mice.
Item #3     Using transcranial magnetic stimulation, researchers were able to implant an image directly into the visual cortex of a subject.

Segment:   Quote of the Week     
Quote of the Week     "The scientist does not study nature because it is useful; he studies it because he delights in it, and he delights in it because it is beautiful." - Henri Poincaré
 
 
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