The Rogues' Gallery

News, Opinion, and Interesting Items in Science and Skepticism

Podcast #513 - May 9th, 2015

Main Image for Episode 513
SGU 10 year anniversary live streaming event
Special Guests: George Hrab, Brian Wecht, Julia Galef, Richard Saunders
News and Discussion Items: Slapping Therapy Death, Black Box Tech, Tesla Home Battery, Podcast Patent Troll
Science Fiction or Fiction
Pseudoscience or Fiction

News Items

  • Slapping Therapy Death http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2015/05/01/an-australian-child-dies-while-undergoing-a-particularly-cruel-form-of-quackery/
  • Black Box Tech A discussion of where technology is leading.
  • Tesla Home Battery http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/tesla-introduces-the-home-battery/
  • Podcasting Patent Troll http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-32286340

Interview

  • Interview with Julia Galef http://rationallyspeakingpodcast.org/about/

Science or Fiction [ Show Answers ]

  • Item #1 The sound of a TIE figher engine is actually an elephant call mixed with other sounds.
  • Item #2 Most actors cast as Storm Troopers needed to be left handed due to the design of their E-11 blaster rifle.
  • Item #3 Luke Skywalker and his relatives were originally imagined as dwarves in early drafts.
  • Item #4 Luke Skywalker and his relatives were originally imagined as dwarves in early drafts.
  • Item #5 R2D2 is named after a piece of film editor's jargon. It means Reel 2 Dialog 2.
  • Item #6 During filming of Empire, the actors had a fake script that read, 'Luke, you are your own father.'

Science or Fiction [ Show Answers ]

  • Item #1 The Bates Vision Correction System claims to correct vision by staring in particular compass directions, aligning the eyes with the Earth's magnetic field.
  • Item #2 Dr. Randell Mills claims that he has a process to make hydrogen atoms shrink into 'hydrinos,' providing a source of free energy.
  • Item #3 The 'New Chronology' claims that events attributed to ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian culture actually occurred in the Middle Ages and that recorded human history began around 800 AD.