SGU Episode 274

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

Dark Matter Strangeness

 * http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/43970

Supreme Court Vaccine Case

 * http://theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=2387

Gliese 581g Follow up

 * http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2010/10/recently-discovered-habitable-world.html

Who's That Noisy

 * Answer to last week: the first purported recording of a human voice

Question #1 - Magic Burgers
"I thought you might be able to shed some light on the seemingly magical properties of McDonald's food. In the movie Super Size Me, and this article from the Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1319562/McDonalds-Happy-Meal-bought-Sally-Davies-shows-sign-mould-6-months.html It seems that McDonald's burgers and fries will not decay if left out, and for some reason that's a bad thing. I don't know if the fact that food should decay is a false premise, but I thought this might make an interesting quick topic if you haven't already discussed it. Thanks for the great podcast year after year! -Andy Paulo Glastonbury, CT"

Interview with Ben Goldacre

 * www.badscience.net

Science or Fiction
Item #1: Researchers find that feeling in love is as effective in pain relief as narcotic medications. Item #2: A new study finds that whale feces contributes more nitrogen to fish ecosystems that all rivers combined. Item #3: Astronomers have discovered the largest galaxy supercluster ever - with hundreds of galaxies and with a mass of around 800 trillion solar masses.

Quote of the Week
"'An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't.' - Anatole France"