SGU Episode 89

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

9/11 Conspiracy Celebrities

 * L.A. Times: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-goldberg3apr03,1,5017886.column

Charlie Sheen might narrate Loose Change http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/march2007/230307Gibson.htm

Holy Water for AIDS

 * Sky News: news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1258762,00.html?f=rss

Astrology Fails Largest Test

 * Skepchick: http://skepchick.org/skepticsguide/viewtopic.php?t=2066

April Fool Fake Fairy

 * BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/derbyshire/6514283.stm

Avoiding the Holocaust

 * BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/6517359.stm

Neal Adams on Fox

 * Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/video2/player06.html?040107/040107_wl_adams&Weekend_Live&Fact%20or%20Fiction%3F&acc&Science&-1&News&215&&&new

Congress and the Singularity
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/treder20070401/

Peanut Butter Disproves Evolution
Hello Skeptic League of America!

Love the show! I found that and thought you'd like it.

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/video/50013/

(Christian Right evangelist Chuck Missler.)

It's hilarious. I was speechless. It REALLY made me rethink my position on evolution... This new theory is reminiscent of the Johnny Cochrane's Chewbacca defense:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH5EblIjkrk

Keep up the good work,

Benoit Methot (Ben-wa May-taught) Montreal, Canada

Peloop
This is so stupid that it boggles the mind: http://www.peloop.com/

And it's being promulgated by Dr Omar Long. Far infra-red rays? Air vitamins? But perhaps it's worthwhile mentioning again why magnets have no effect on the blood or vessels. Or you could just have the rogues test the device for some empirical evidence.

Jerad Zimmermann.

When Birds Attack
Dear skeptics,

I'm a dedicated listener and love every episode of the skeptic's guide that you produce. I thought you might be interested in a field report in the ongoing monkeys vs birds struggle. I recently traveled to Tanzania and went out on safari. It was an amazing experience and everything proceeded flawlessly... until we stopped to eat lunch. We got out of our vehicle, and almost immediately we were attacked by a species of African Jerkbird (actually Black Kites). They mercilessly swooped in on our lunches! In one case, they stole a piece of chicken out of my friend's hand as she was about to bite into it! We had no way to retaliate other than to jump up and down, make high-pitched noises and shake our fists at the sky. We promptly retreated to the vehicle, where we finished what was left of our decimated lunches.

I'm sure Perry will be disappointed, but in this round of monkeys vs birds, the birds definitely had the upper hand.

Thanks again for all you do!

Matt N. USA

Groupthink
I am a subscriber of Skeptic magazine and I tend to seek out other media friendly to skeptics but I think your show violates the spirit of skepticism. All of the panelists think alike and don't seem to disagree much on anything.

That, to me, is scary.. and unnatural.

Also, don't get so stuck on "reason" alone... you should consider ethics as well. Reason without ethics is meaningless. Charles

Name that Logical Fallacy
I'm wondering if there is a particular logical fallacy which would cover the claim, "they would never do that", as in, "the U.S. military would never have dropped flares over a populated area," or "the Jewish priesthood would never have made up a story which portrayed one of their patriarchs in such a negative light, so the incident of the Golden Calf must really have happened."

Peter Gaffney Los Angeles, United States

Science or Fiction
Item #1: A new study shows that in the workplace female sexual harassment of male co-workers is just as prevalent as male sexual harassment of female co-workers. Item #2: Recent psychological studies have shown that cartoonish video game violence was as much correlated with increased violent and aggressive behavior as is more graphic and realistic video game violence. Item #3: Recent research indicates that Japanese and American computer users use different emoticons for the same emotions, and this reflects differences in how the two cultures perceive emotions from facial expressions.

Skeptical Puzzle
This Week's Puzzle

Please be still my beating heart For the best kiss of my life That tingling on my skin does start In vain my stress can cause much strife

What am I describing?

Last Week's Puzzle Take a rose Place it in lime The outcome is usually death

I am mired by what Doctor Griffin would say A dimmer version of a baby's last breath

What am I describing?

Answer: Sirenomelia Winner: none

Skeptical Quote of the Week
"If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it's still a foolish thing."