SGU Episode 506

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SGU Episode 506
March 21st 2015
(brief caption for the episode icon)
SGU 505                      SGU 507
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
B: Bob Novella
J: Jay Novella
E: Evan Bernstein
Guest
R: Richard Saunders
Quote of the Week
The man of science has learned to believe in justification, not by faith, but by verification.
Thomas Henry Huxley
Links
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Show Notes
Forum Discussion

Introduction

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

Forgotten Superheroes of Science (6:41)

• Irène Joliot-Curie: Nobel prize winning chemist who discovered artificial radioactivity

News Items

Australia Pans Homeopathy (10:36)

• http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/media/releases/2015/nhmrc-releases-statement-and-advice-homeopathy http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/science-journalism-and-homeopathy-for-depression/

NYT and Wearable Tech (20:10)

• http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/19/style/could-wearable-computers-be-as-harmful-as-cigarettes.html?_r=0

LHC Computer Grid (31:52)

• http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2015/03/how-the-worlds-largest-distributed-computing-grid-helped-find-the-higgs-boson/

Naturopathy (40:50)

• http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/naturopathic-delusions/
• http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/nd-confession-part-1-clinical-training-inside-and-out/

Questions and Emails

Question #1. Garbage Disposals vs Composting (48:13)

Hi all Yeah, I'll make it brief. I am a lazy sod, but with a good, environmentally friendly heart, metaphorically speaking. I have been considering installing a garbage disposal in my sink as part of our kitchen renos. My wife thinks composting all our waste is better for the environment but it is messy (a bit), smelly (a bit) and inconvenient, especially with meat and fish waste which gets a bit funky in the summer. I find conflicting information on the things when I do a bit of research. What's the friggin' deal? Thanks guys Thanks Steve from Canadia

Dumbest Thing of the Week (52:32)

• http://metro.co.uk/2015/03/16/does-this-weeks-eclipse-prove-the-moon-is-a-giant-alien-spaceship-5106083/ In a recent YouTube video, Christopher Knight, author of Who Built the Moon says, ‘The same numbers keep popping up. As Isaac Asimov said, the eclipse is the most extraordinary coincidence. We started to look at the numbers – and they all worked perfectly.

Science or Fiction (58:18)

Item #1: A new analysis finds that beetles as a group have an extremely low extinction rate, which is partially responsible for their extensive diversity. Item #2: Flies have a stunted pair of hind wings that rapidly vibrate and act as gyroscopes, detecting pitch, yaw, and roll in flight. Item #3: A new study finds that people generally become more distrusting and suspicious as they become older.

Skeptical Quote of the Week (1:15:21)

"The man of science has learned to believe in justification, not by faith, but by verification." - Thomas Henry Huxley

Announcements

NECSS Early Bird Registration (1:17:39)

S: The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe is produced by SGU Productions, dedicated to promoting science and critical thinking. For more information on this and other episodes, please visit our website at theskepticsguide.org, where you will find the show notes as well as links to our blogs, videos, online forum, and other content. You can send us feedback or questions to info@theskepticsguide.org. Also, please consider supporting the SGU by visiting the store page on our website, where you will find merchandise, premium content, and subscription information. Our listeners are what make SGU possible.

References