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The Skeptics' Guide To The Universe - Podcast 194 - 4/8/2009

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The Skeptics' Guide To The Universe

The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe is produced by SGU Productions, LLC - dedicated to promoting critical thinking, reason, and the public understanding of science through online and other media. The first episode of the SGU podcast went online on May 4th, 2005. It soon became a popular science/skeptical podcast, and remains one of the most popular science podcasts on iTunes.

SGU Podcasting Awards: SGU on XM: You can listen to the SGU on America's Talk XM 166 every Saturday night from 8-9pm Eastern.

Podcast 194 - April 08, 2009

Interview with Daniel Loxton
News Items: Dennis Lee Strikes Again, Computers That Do Science
Your Questions and E-mails: Home Energy Scam
Science or Fiction
Who's That Noisy



Segment:   News Items     
Dennis Lee Strikes Again     http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29899191/
Computers That Do Science     http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/04/newtonai.html http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/04/robotscientist.html

Segment:   Questions and E-mails     
Question # 1 - Home Energy Scam     Last year I was visiting my mom and she had an appointment with some people to come over and check her house because they could "save her money" on her electrical bill. Of couse when they showed up I was immediatly asking for specifics about what they did. They had all kinds of fancy words and equipment, but here is the jist. The lady pluged a device with a small LCD screen into the wall sockett and said, "Ooohhh..." then told me that the current in the line was jumping up and down really bad. She also threw in some "wave" and Diffrental" words She then pluged a capacitor into another plug on the same circuit and showed me her little LCD readout witch had droped to neer zero. She told me that the capacitor would store all that wasted energy "noise" and smooth out the flow in the lines, then release it later. Thus saving up to 30% on your energy bill. I was astounded, mostly that my mother and stepdad would let these people within 100 yards of their front door. There are so many reasons why this is bunk, the most obvious being that if it works, this guy should be richer than the entire Middle East. Have you heard about this one? Sorry I cant remember the name of it, but I found a similar one here. http://www.kvarenergysavings.com/ The diference is that the ones my parents were installing just pluged into your wall outlet. Great show, keep up the good work. Jason Brown Idaho

Segment:   Interview     
Interview with Daniel Loxton     http://www.skeptic.com/junior_skeptic/ http://media.libsyn.com/media/skepticality/063_skepticality.mp3 WHAT DO I DO NEXT? DOWNLOAD the full discussion version (PDF) http://www.skeptic.com/downloads/WhatDoIDoNext.pdf READ the Quick Reference Guide version at Skeptic.com http://www.skeptic.com/article/WhatDoIDoNext LISTEN to my Skepticality interview inrtoducing this project on (20MB MP3) http://media.libsyn.com/media/skepticality/098_skepticality.mp3

Segment:   Science or Fiction     [ Click Here to Show the Answers ]
Item # 1     New research suggests that Vitamin D supplementation may exacerbate autoimmune disease. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-04/arf-vdm040809.php
Item # 2     A new study finds that treating asymptomatic acid reflux can significantly improve asthma symptoms. http://esciencenews.com/articles/2009/04/08/stop.prescribing.heartburn.medication.asthma.patients.without.acid.reflux
Item # 3     Scientists have discovered a possible mechanism to pacify rather than kill harmful bacteria in order to treat or prevent bacterial infections. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090408145546.htm

Segment:   Who's That Noisy     
Whos That Noisy     Answer to last week: Douglas Adams

Segment:   Quote of the Week     
Quote of the Week     "Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all." and "To teach superstitions as truth is a most terrible thing." - Hypatia of Alexandria
 
 
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