SGU Episode 634

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SGU Episode 634
September 2nd 2017
(brief caption for the episode icon)
SGU 633                      SGU 635
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
B: Bob Novella
C: Cara Santa Maria
J: Jay Novella
E: Evan Bernstein
Quote of the Week
Bias is strong. It is in us, in our families, in our communities. It is in our institutions. It feels safe, but bias is very dangerous. It cannot only skew the results of a test, it can undermine our conclusions and the policies we make based upon those conclusions. It is imperative that each one of us confront our own personal as well as institutional bias and prejudice and to excise them in any way that we can.
Adam Savage
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Show Notes
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Introduction

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

What's the Word ()

• Liminal

News Items

40 Years of Voyager ()

• http://www.pbs.org/the-farthest/home/

Ichthyosaurs ()

• http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-41012226

Strongest Resistive Magnet ()

• http://www.technology.org/2017/08/26/the-strongest-resistive-magnet-in-the-world-with-41-4-teslas-will-push-quantum-computing-forward/

GMO and Dunning Kruger ()

• http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/gmo-and-dunning-kruger/

Banning Mention of Global Warming ()

• http://www.nature.com/news/us-energy-agency-asked-scientists-to-scrub-references-to-climate-change-1.22513

Who's That Noisy ()

• Answer to last week: Doppler Effect

Science or Fiction ()

Item #1: A new study finds that eating a bland meal resulted in the release of greater endorphins in the brain than eating a delicious meal. Item #2: A new analysis finds that ancient Roman drinking water, despite the widespread use of lead pipes, was likely perfectly safe. Item #3: Researchers find that 80-year-olds are as street savvy (able to determine how threatening someone is likely to be) as 18-year-olds.

Skeptical Quote of the Week ()

'Bias is strong. It is in us, in our families, in our communities. It is in our institutions. It feels safe, but bias is very dangerous. It cannot only skew the results of a test, it can undermine our conclusions and the policies we make based upon those conclusions. It is imperative that each one of us confront our own personal as well as institutional bias and prejudice and to excise them in any way that we can.' -Adam Savage

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