SGU Episode 173

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

Junk DNA

 * http://www.physorg.com/news145038245.html

Mini Nuclear Reactor

 * http://blogs.zdnet.com/emergingtech/?p=1089 http://www.theskepticsguide.org/sgublog/?p=367

Chandrayaan-1 Update

 * http://www.universetoday.com/2008/11/08/chandrayaan-1-now-successfully-in-lunar-orbit/ http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMJD85KXMF_index_0.html

Phoenix Ends

 * http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/main/

Child Witches

 * http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/nigeria/3407882/Child-witches-of-Nigeria-seek-refuge.html

Interview with Paul Offit

 * Paul Offit is a pediatrician and the author of the book: Autism's False Prophets.

Science or Fiction
Item #1: A new study finds that eliminating sugary sodas from high schools significantly reduced obesity levels over a two year period. Item #2: A new study finds that the majority of commercial television stations are providing the bare minimum of mandated educational/informational programming for children, and much of that is minimally educational. Item #3: The UK is suffering a critical shortage of sperm donation.

Quote of the Week
"'Man is a credulous animal, and must believe something; in the absence of good grounds for belief, he will be satisfied with bad ones.' - Bertrand Russell"