SGU Episode 242

Introduction
You're listening to the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe, your escape to reality.

Chile Earthquake Shortens Day

 * http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/03/100302-chile-earthquake-earth-axis-shortened-day/

Darwinius Revisited

 * http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1830698/darwinius_not_a_human_ancestor_after_all/index.html

Raining Fish

 * http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1254812/Hundreds-fish-fall-sky-remote-Australian-town-Lajamanu.html

Acupuncture for Depression

 * http://journals.lww.com/greenjournal/Fulltext/2010/03000/Acupuncture_for_Depression_During_Pregnancy__A.7.aspx

Haunted Hotels

 * http://www.usatoday.com/travel/hotels/2010-02-26-hauntedhotels26_CV_N.htm

Who's That Noisy

 * Answer to last week: an elephant

Question #1- Skeptic vs Contrarion
"skeptics/contrarian What is the difference? I am really interested in improving my awareness. The rhetorical techniques used by others to manipulate the unknowing and gullible, are my call to arms. Can you and will you give me some assist? Russell Bell Houston, Texas"

Question #2 - Personality Tests
"Hi Guys! Love the show, changed my life, etc. I experienced something interesting recently that I do not believe that you have discussed on the show. I work for a healthcare organization that required us employees to go through a series of 'Enneagram' workshops. These workshops delved into our enneagram personality type and how our personality type shapes our social interactions and outlook on life. My wife is a staff member at the local University and she had to take the True Colors personality test and attend similar workshops. Many of my friends have also been required to take similar tests for their workplaces, such as the Myers-Briggs test. Two questions: -What do you guys think of these 'professional' personality tests? I felt that my personality typing was fairly accurate (considering it's a self reporting questionnaire), but then my type was over extrapolated with implications and sounds eerily similar to a generalized astrology reading. -What do you think these personality tests being used in the workplace? This seems like a bad path to start down... The specific enneagram I took was in a book, but http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/ is a good example of the 'theory'. There is also a wikipedia entry on the subject. My wife's test is http://www.truecolorstest.com/True_Colors_Test.shtml With snowy regards here in Denver, Joe P"

Science or Fiction
Item # 1: Fluorescent lighting in supermarkets enhances nutrient levels of spinach. Item #2: Artificial marijuana is becoming increasingly popular with teens in the US. It is made of common dried herbs and sprayed with a potent psychotropic drug. Item #3: HCFCs which have been used for years as a replacement for ozone destroying CFCs, slowly damage the ozone layer once a critical threshold amount has been released in the atmosphere.

Quote of the Week
"'Large skepticism leads to large understanding. Small skepticism leads to small understanding. No skepticism leads to no understanding.' - Xi Zhi"