Episode #420
News Items
Who's That Noisy
- Puzzle for last week: You are a detective, with a specialty in deciphering coded messages. During an investigation, you stumble upon a piece of paper which reads: 0.7734, 57718 37818 51 3718. 173 Being the world-class detective you are, you have immediately decoded the message. So … what is the message?
Science or Fiction
-
Item #1
Science
A new report details the case of a patient who developed synesthesia following a stroke. http://www.sciencecodex.com/st_michaels_reports_second_known_case_of_patient_developing_synesthesia_after_brain_injury-116646
-
Item #2
Science
A recent study finds that psychotherapy over the internet is as effective as face-to-face therapy, and possibly even more effective. http://www.mediadesk.uzh.ch/articles/2013/psychotherapie-via-internet-wirkt-gleich-gut-oder-besser-wie-im-sprechzimmer_en.html
-
Item #3
Fiction
A new analysis finds that the average person is host to almost 1000 different parasite species. http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21929270.300-parasitism-is-the-most-popular-lifestyle-on-earth.html#.UfhCqI21F8F
Skeptical Quote of the Week.
‘Why should anyone bother to study at least a little logic? To sharpen the mind in a world saturated by streams of propaganda and advertising. To know when a pitchman is conning you, when some ‘expert’ or pundit is propounding a dubious doctrine, when someone is making an apocryphal claim about miracles or divinity or the afterlife. To chasten one’s own thinking, to develop an appreciation for tenable arguments and a respect for good reasoning. To become more adept at solving problems, whether they’re encountered in business, science, politics, or the law.’ Philosophical Society (www.philosophicalsociety.com/logic.htm) Sent in by Nick Tiller