SGU Episode 78

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

Stem Cell Debate Continues

 * House votes to fund stem cell research: www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/11/AR2007011100251.html?referrer=email&referrer=email&referrer=email New source of stem cells found in amniotic fluid. www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanId=sa003&articleId=F4BB3ACB-E7F2-99DF-349FD71C1164C66D  Article about the chilling effect the Federal ban on stem cell lines has produced. www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,1979639,00.html

Randi Revises Psychic Challenge

 * With an Interview with Jeff Wagg, the director of the JREF and the Challenge. www.randi.org

Government Conspiracies
"Steven, Bob, Rebecca, Jay, Perry, and Evan (whew!), I'll start off as most do by thanking you for a wonderful podcast. Having just recently discovered the show, I promptly signed up for a 1 year membership to support your work and began working my way through previous episodes. On to my question (apologies if it's been discussed before and I haven't yet gotten to it!): What advice do you have for skeptics and critical thinkers for evaluating 'conspiracy theories' with regard to the government? And by this, I don't mean the complete idiocy that takes the form of moon landing hoax conspiracies or flying saucers and the like. I mean the more prevalent 'theories' such as information suppression, cover-ups, clandestine deals, corruption, all the way up to more extreme things like 9/11 involvement, election fixing, etc. Personally speaking, I find no shortage of clear and well-publicized issues that anger me about the current administration. However, the items reported in the news are often not enough some people and other things are talked about as though they were fact. It can often be very difficult to tell where the facts end and the theories and 'woo-woo' begin. When I challenge people on their claims, I'm called either naive or some sort of crypto-republican or Bush apologist. And of course I'm reminded that our government (both parties) has a history of cover-ups, scandals, and conspiracies so perhaps this casts things in a different light? Sorry that this question has turned out to be so political, but really my question is more generic. How might scientific methods or critical thinking be applied to these kinds of claims? Thanks, Jeret Lemontt Santa Barbara, CA"

Herbs, Hags, and Kids
"First off I want to say I love your podcast, you are by far the best one out of many that I subscribe to and hope you can answer a few questions of mine. I have three separate questions for the panel, first, I just finished listening to episode number 48 with Steve Mirsky,(another great podcaster I listen to) where you guys just touched on herbal remedies such as Ginko Biloba and how full of B.S. much of it is. Could you guys perhaps go down the list of some of the more popular ones and debunk some of their claims, if not anything else do it for my mother, who is a fanatic for them, some truth would be nice. My second question is one for myself, I suscribe to a podcast called mysterious universe, not for the science, but for the muse of entertainment it brings. One subject that has come up a few times is of shadow people or 'old hag syndrome' where a person is lying awake and unable to move and witnessing a shadow figure climbing over them. I would love to hear to skeptical/ truth on this matter and what is exactly happening during these reported events. My last question is, who's kids do I keep hearing in the background of some of the episodes? Just one of those annoying little questions I keep wondering for no apparent reason. Thank you guys, I look forward to more and please to Rebecca that no, I will not marry her so please stop proposing. Ian Horner San Diego, California  Some Ginkgo references: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12186600&query_hl=1"

Skepticism a Movement?
"The question from the last podcast (1/13/06) about when you became a skeptic sounded uncomfortably to me like discussions I have heard about when I came to Christ or when I came to organic food. I dont mean to slander you all (I listen to the podcast religiously (oops!)) and I think you are great. But I dont think that skepticism is something you come to or are converted to. My friends refer to me as a skeptic but I dont think of myself as such. I just believe in using what intelligence I have coupled with the information available to view the world critically and with clear sight. Let us be honest: if we were living 300 years ago we all might well believe in ghosts and we would all believe that the earth is the center of the universe. We know today that there are no ghosts to an extent the same way we know that the atom consists of a positive nucleus surrounded by a swarm of negative electrons: somebody who did the research told us. Looking at skepticism as some kind of movement desirable in itself leads to what you briefly discussed at the beginning of the global warming segment, i.e., people who ignore reasonable evidence get some credibility just because they are skeptics. Don Jennings Torrance, CA, USA"

Scientology
"Thank you for all the hard work you put into each podcast. I am interested in your views on Scientology (I hope I am spelling it correctly!). Obviously, I know that none of you believe in Xemu (sic). But I am more intrested in how this cult is able to attract followers. I am sure that you get plenty of show topics from listeners, but I think a show about Scientologies' beliefs, and how the cult operates would be an informative show.  I just started listening in November, and I have not been able to listen to all the back episodes, so please forgive me if you have already done a show on this topic. If you have done this topic already, could you let me know the show number?  Thank you again, and I am happy to be one of your 10,000 listeners.  Also, tell RW that I cannot send her a proposal as I am happly married with three kids. Sorry.  William Watkinson Detroit, MI"

Randi Speaks

 * The Uncompromising Observations of a Veteran Skeptic Each week James Randi gives a skeptical commentary in his own unique style.  This week's topic: Whats My Line.

Science or Fiction
Question #1: Scientists have discovered a possible 'off switch' for HIV. Question #2: Researchers have found that being bilingual delays the onset of dementia by as much as four years. Question #3: Scientist have used a new technique to date a modern human skull that was discovered 50 years ago, and the new dating shows that humans migrated out of Africa as early as 150,000 years ago.

Skeptical Puzzle
"This Week's Puzzle The French and the Germans both agree And so do Chinese, from twelve hundred BC It only takes 10, placed upon 3 Peer through one eye and you will soon see Designed to impress children as young as three It dazzles adults, especially those that believe All it takes is a skeptic to add fabric you see The magic disappears, and this trick is history What is it? Last Week's Puzzle I have something that was said to have existed in the first century That was first written about in the eighth century That was actually produced in the 14th century That was almost destroyed in the 16th century And proven to be a hoax in the 20th century What do I have?  Answer: The Shroud of Turin  Winner: Mike from the message board Correction - Rich Ludwig was credited on the show but he did not get the answer correct (oops)."

Quote of the Week
"'Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.'- John Adams"