SGU Episode 431

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

This Day in Skepticism

 * October 19, 1936: Birthday of Johnnetta Betsch Cole

Money Predicts Apocalypse

 * http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UU7rrWQ1nPI

Herbal Supplements

 * http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/whats-in-your-herbal-supplement/

Politics and Dogma

 * http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/extreme-dogmatism/

Singularity vs Bridge

 * http://www.gizmag.com/quantum-black-holes-singularity/29242/

Who's That Noisy

 * Answer to last week: Meteor entering atmosphere

Question #1: Cooling Drinks
"Greetings and thank you for the best podcast ever created! In addition to a wonderful listening experience I also have learned a great deal about how to teach my 4 1/2 year old daughter about science (specific thanks to you Steve and of course Pamela Gay via her own podcast as my daughter at 3 1/2 knew her planets, aware of gravity, etc…)Background for question: I was really charged with cooling drinks for a party at our house and completely dropped the ball (we had all warm drinks in August in DC and folks started arriving–my wife was irked to say the least that I forgot about this). My buddy who had already arrived told me to put the drinks in the freezer and pack frozen veges around the various bottles and cans, which I dutifully did without thinking at first.Question: Did packing frozen veges and such around the drinks so that they made contact with the cans and bottles–as opposed to the drinks simply sitting in an empty rack– make any difference? If so how/why? Isn’t the air in the freezer and all contents more or less EXACTLY the same temperature? Thanks. My apologies in advance but I did not have time to research any answer via the internet. Many thanks in advance.MattWashington DC"

Name That Logical Fallacy
"I’ve been considering an argument that I know is a logical fallacy, but I cannot put my finger on exactly which logical fallacy it is. The argument is related to the recent flareup of the perennial Washington Redskins name controversy. The argument goes something like this:So-and-so is a member of an American Indian tribe and she is not offended by the use of the name Redskins, therefore the name Redskins is not offensive. I feel like there are a few possible logical fallacies that fit (cherry picking, non-sequiter), but I cannot quite nail down which fits. Any ideas?All the best,Patrick HelmesCincinnati, OH"

Science or Fiction
Item #1: A single brown bat can consume 1,200 mosquito-size insects in one hour. Item #2: The sucker footed bat from Madagascar attaches to palm leaves by suction cups on its wings and ankles. Item #3: Bats are the most common source of human rabies in the Americas, but this is still rare, only causing 1-2 cases per year in the US. Item #4: Draculin is an anticoagulant (blood-thinner) purified from the saliva of vampire bats.

Skeptical Quote of the Week
"...academic credentials are neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for having your ideas taken seriously. If a famous professor repeatedly says stupid things, then tries to claim he never said them, there’s no rule against calling him a mendacious idiot — and no special qualifications required to make that pronouncement other than doing your own homework.Conversely, if someone without formal credentials consistently makes trenchant, insightful observations, he or she has earned the right to be taken seriously, regardless of background."

J: Paul Krugman!