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The Skeptics' Guide To The Universe - Podcast 290 - 1/31/2011

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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 290 - January 31, 2011

Guest Rogue: Dr. Ray Greek - The Science of Animal Models
This Day in Skepticism
News Items: Homeopathy Pseudoscience, Teachers Cautious about Evolution
Who's That Noisy
Your Questions and E-mails: Countering Fallacies
Name That Logical Fallacy
Science or Fiction



Segment:   This Day in Skepticism     
February 5, 1897     the Indiana State House legislature passed Bill No.246 which in effect gave 3.2 exactly as the value of pi.

Segment:   News Items     
Luc Montagnier and Homeopathy     http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dana-ullman/luc-montagnier-homeopathy-taken-seriously_b_814619.html and http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2011/01/it_almost_makes_me_disbelieve.php
Teachers Cautious about Evolution     http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110127141657.htm

Segment:   Who's That Noisy     
Who's That Noisy     Answer to last week: The singing sands

Segment:   Questions and E-mails     
Question #1 - Countering Fallacies     As all usually say, thanks for doing the show. After 18 months of listening, it still remains a weekly highlight to download a new episode. I have a question (or proposal) regarding the coverage of logical fallacies. I still consider myself fairly new to the skeptical community and continue to enjoy the exercise of "name that logical fallacy". Much of the time spent on logical fallacies in the skeptical community relies on how to identify them, but as I hone my ability to discuss and debate topics, I have noticed that I fall short in my ability to counteract a particular fallacy. I would enjoy hearing more about effective ways to approach a logical fallacy once it is apparent. It is one thing to say, "that's a straw man!", but in my experience, that does little to return a discussion back to the argument at hand. Hopefully this makes sense, and thanks in advance. Congrats on being picked up on XM. Louis Denver, CO

Segment:   Name That Logical Fallacy     
Name That Logical Fallacy     Arguments Noticed that you really have a huge chip on your shoulder about creationists and yet while your descriptions of the type of arguments they us may be accurate that does not negate their conclusions. Personal opinion on a subject does not automatically make you correct either indeed as there are so many inexplicable things that science cannot fathom simply does not rule out a Creator. Lets face it if there is a Creator of all things then we'd have to pretty much guarantee, irrespective of all possible 'clever' arguments to the contrary His arrogant creations put forward, He would have to be so much smarter than they could ever be. Chris Weller Australia

Segment:   Science or Fiction     [ Click Here to Show the Answers ]
Item #1     A recent analysis of a hadrosaur fossil finds that the dinosaur lived 700,000 years after the K-T extinction that supposedly killed off all non-avian dinosaurs. http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-01-dinosaurs-survived-mass-extinction-years.html
Item #2     A study of subjects trying to quit smoking indicates that fMRI analysis of their brain activity is more predictive of their success than their self-assessment. http://ur.umich.edu/1011/Jan31_11/1997-quit-smoking
Item #3     Scientists report that as many as 20% of all North American bats are infected with rabies. http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-01-rabies-stereotype.html

Segment:   Skeptical Quote of the Week     
Quote of the Week     "Oh, the truth, oh yeah, lot of trouble that got us into, didn't it, over the last maybe thousand years? Hitler knew the truth, so did Stalin, so did Mao Zedong, so did the Inquisition. They all knew the truth and that caused such horror. Certainty is the enemy. " Anthony Hopkins
 
 
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