Episode #468
News Items
Who's That Noisy
- Answer to last week: Arthur Conan Doyle
Science or Fiction
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Item #1
Science
Astronomers have detected the coolest white dwarf ever discovered, so cool that it is essentially an Earth-sized diamond. https://public.nrao.edu/news/pressreleases/cold-white-dwarf
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Item #2
Fiction
New research suggests that after 3-4 repetitions of studying, further repetitions actually diminish memory recall. http://news.uci.edu/press-releases/uci-study-finds-that-learning-by-repetition-impairs-recall-of-details/
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Item #3
Science
Research funded by the US Naval Research Lab details a plan to reduce devastating tornadoes by building a series of giant walls throughout “tornado alley.” http://www.worldscientific.com/page/pressroom/2014-06-23-02
Skeptical Quote of the Week.
‘The significance of our lives and our fragile planet is then determined only by our own wisdom and courage. We are the custodians of life’s meaning. We long for a parent to care for us, to forgive us our errors, to save us from our childish mistakes. But knowledge is preferable to ignorance. Better by far to embrace the hard truth than a reassuring fable. If we crave some cosmic purpose, then let us find ourselves a worthy goal.’ Carl Sagan