SGU Episode 424

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

This Day in Skepticism

 * August 31,1909: Nobelist Paul Ehrlich began the first chemotherapy (a term he coined).

Energized Water

 * http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/wave-goodbye-to-global-warming-gm-and-pesticides-29525621.html

Probiotics for Mental Health

 * http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/probiotics-for-mental-health/

Death by Iridology

 * http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/death-by-iridology/

Immortality

 * http://www.dvice.com/2013-8-20/study-most-americans-not-interested-immortality

Who's That Noisy

 * Answer to last week: John Mack

Question #1: Question Authority
"This week I noticed one of my anarcho-hippie friends’ ”Question Authority!” buttons. I appreciate the skeptical sentiment – obviously we should question whether Saddam Hussein has WMDs or whether God really exists. But some authorities are authoritative – we shouldn’t question the medical establishment on links between HIV and AIDS or the scientific establishment on the reality of anthropogenic global warming. Is there an SGU version of ”Question Authority!” that balances the necessity of open inquiry with the recognition of legitimate authorities? Is it short enough to print on a bumper sticker?Soren RagsdaleUnited Kingdom"

Interview with Cara Santa Maria

 * http://carasantamaria.com/

Science or Fiction
Item #1: Acids taste sour, while bases taste bitterhttp://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/180acidsbases.html Item #2: The pH of spinal fluid averages from 4.5-5.5, mainly from the presence of carbonic acid. Item #3: In a study of 20 soft drinks, RC cola was found to be the most acidic at a pH of 2.4. Item #4: The world’s strongest acid, carborane, which is a million times more potent than sulphuric acid, is also one of the least corrosive.

Skeptical Quote of the Week
"“A faith that cannot survive collision with the truth is not worth many regrets.”- Arthur C. Clarke, The Exploration of Space"