SGU Episode 237

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

Book Release: Evolution

 * http://skepticblog.org/2010/01/19/book-release-evolution/ A new book for children on evolution by Daniel Loxton

Dowsing for Bombs

 * http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/8471187.stm

Alien Life on Earth

 * http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/7068765/The-search-for-aliens-should-start-on-Earth-not-outer-space-says-scientist.html

Ginger Dinosaurs

 * http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8481448.stm

I Have Lizards in my Pants

 * http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/01/26/international/i140829S94.DTL&tsp=1

Who's That Noisy

 * Answer to last week: Dr. Maurice Hilleman

Question #1 - Addiction
"Question #1 – Addiction Addictions - the truth behind them Message: Hello SGU! First off, congrats for the awesome podcast - you guys make science news and skepticism extremely entertaining. You're among the leaders of the skeptic movement, and really mean a lot to us. Even as a student attending Imperial College, a science-only university, I find there is not enough active scientific skepticism being promoted, and you guys are an excellent resource of clarity and reason. Anyways, I was having a discussion with a friend over addictions, in particular substance abuse like alcohol. He was arguing that, ultimately, it is a choice that the addict makes and that it is not a real 'disease' as such. I'm undecided on this issue, being wary of the bullcrap that Alcoholics Anonymous, amongst other organizations, feeds their members in order to turn them into born-again Christians, but at the same time I don't feel the issue is as simple as that. Since Dr. Novella's specialization is neuroscience, how akin to a 'real' disease is alcoholism and other substance? In your opinion should other, 'milder' addictions (non-chemically driven ones like, say, videogame addiction) be also considered 'addictions' or are they simply choices that the person chooses not to make? Is there even a scientific consensus on these issues? Thanks very much for reading, I wish you all the very best. Hopefully I'll make it down to a skeptics in the pub in London and get to meet Rebecca (!!), in the meantime thank you so much for all the hard work you put into this and keep on making the awesome podcast! Mike Lara London, UK"

Name That Logical Fallacy
"'Skeptics believe that ALL vaccines are safe and effective (even if they've never been tested), that ALL people should be vaccinated, even against their will, and that there is NO LIMIT to the number of vaccines a person can be safely given. So injecting all children with, for example, 900 vaccines all at the same time is believed to be perfectly safe and 'good for your health.' http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=1506"
 * Name That Logical Fallacy

Science or Fiction
Item #1: Naturalists have discovered that when wasps lay their eggs in figs without reciprocating by fertilizing the fig tree, the tree retaliates by killing the eggs. Item #2: Researchers have discovered that bats and dolphins have the same genetic mutations in the same protein responsible for their echolocation. Item #3: A new study finds that running barefoot burns 15% more calories than running shod.

Quote of the Week
"“It appears to me (whether rightly or wrongly) that direct arguments against christianity & theism produce hardly any effect on the public; & freedom of thought is best promoted by the gradual illumination of men’s minds which follow[s] from the advance of science.' - Charles Darwin"