SGU Episode 419

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

This Day in Skepticism (0:49)

 * July 27 1921: Frederick Banting proves insulin regulates blood sugar.

Giant Virus	 (3:44)

 * http://bigthink.com/ideafeed/giant-viruses-may-be-a-new-domain-of-life

Gluten (12:15)

 * http://www.vancouversun.com/health/diet-fitness/Gluten+free+diets+healthy+choice/8368326/story.html http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/is-gluten-the-new-candida/

Death Wave (21:51)

 * http://news.discovery.com/human/health/death-happens-slower-than-thought-cell-by-cell-130713.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

The Pitch Drops (30:33)

 * http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/the-pitch-drops-science-experiment-going-for-69-years-caught-on-film-for-first-time-8720320.html

Revenge of the Conspiracy Theorists (37:04)

 * http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/revenge-of-the-conspiracy-theorists/

Quickie with Bob - Cassini Picture of Earth (47:27)

 * http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/newsreleases/newsrelease20130722/

Who's That Noisy? (49:10)

 * http://sguforums.com/index.php/topic,46744.0.html
 * Puzzle for this week: You are a detective, with a specialty in deciphering coded messages. During an investigation, you stumble upon a piece of paper which reads: 0.7734, 57718 37818 51 3718. 173 Being the world-class detective you are, you have immediately decoded the message. So ... what is the message?

Name That Logical Fallacy (53:55)
"I have been listening to the SGU for a few years and I am having a bit of a problem. In my work place there are a few employees that do substandard work. When I mention it to them they almost always brush it off as 'Well I'm not perfect like you' or 'No one can be as good as you are'. Recently I said to one of them 'Well, that is a Logical Fallacy, specifically an Ad Hominem'. One of the the persons I said this to responded 'No it isn't, because those always have to be negative'. Never mind that I don't think they said that I am 'Perfect' nor 'Good' seriously, it got me thinking, does an Ad Hominem have to be negative in nature? I view you to be kind of a de facto logical fallacy clearing house, and am interested in your knowledge / view on this topic. Also, and this will sound completely ridiculous, the last 2 times this conversation has come up in the work place was in regards to the other persons abilities to close and lock a door before leaving as the last person out of the building, Specifically in their lack of being able to such a cyclopean task. For further information, I work with people who have graduated from at least 4 years of college, and can apparently feed themselves. Thank you very much, and I apologize if I have taken up much of your time. Chris"

Science or Fiction (1:02:58)
Item #1: A recent study finds that occasional marijuana use increases alertness, probably through improved sleep quality. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-07-marijuana-adolescence-permanent-brain-abnormalities.html Item #2: Scientists have discovered that the herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) is packed under pressure 8 times higher than a car tire, and uses that pressure to blast its DNA into the nucleus of cells. http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/news/2013/07/pressurized-virus-blasts-its-infectious-dna-into-human-cells.aspx Item #3: A new analysis finds that 2000 year old techniques for gold and silver plating produced results that cannot be achieved even with modern technology. http://phys.org/news/2013-07-ancient-technology-metal-coatings-years.html

Skeptical Quote of the Week (1:15:27)
He is a barbarian, who thinks the customs of his tribe are the laws of nature.' -	Caesar, from Caesar and Cleopatra, Act II, by George Bernard Shaw