Episode #253
News Items
- Cell Phone Cancer Update
- Why Does Matter Exist
- Applied Kinesiology
- BMA Trashes Homeopathy
- Early Bird Feathers
- Ball Lightening
- Pesticides and ADHD
Who's That Noisy
- Answer to last week – the sound of Dark Matter
Question #1 – Liquid Mountaineering
- http://skepchick.org/blog/2010/05/how-to-google-aka-liquid-mountaineering-is-a-viral-ad/
- Big fan etc etc but I often (in the podcast, in the Why Are Nerds Unpopular article) hear/see you use the term ‘cult’. Could you give a definition of what a cult is? Specifically, could you provide one that distinguishes a ‘cult’ from, say, a Baptist church, or a Buddhist society, while also being encompassing enough to include all of the different groups that people have applied the label ‘cult’ to? I ask because I do not have such a definition, and from everything that I know about the sociology of religions it is not possible to have such a definition. ‘Cult’ seems to be a derogatory term applied by members of a dominant/popular religious group towards a smaller religious group that they don’t like, and I’m disappointed that you use it so readily and without any qualification. I know you’re very busy, but I hope you find time to respond. Regards, Jakub
Science or Fiction
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Item #1
Science
A new study shows that wild birds prefer conventionally grown seeds to their organically grown counterparts. http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/PressRelease/pressReleaseId-75017.html
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Item #2
Science
A recent review concludes that epidemiological and animal data support the conclusion that caffeine slows progression and improves function in Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. http://www.physorg.com/news193317154.html
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Item #3
Fiction
Researchers announce that they have successfully developed a universal flu vaccine that can be widely available prior to the next flu season. http://www.physorg.com/news193498065.html