SGU Episode 367
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| SGU Episode 367 |
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| 28th July 2012 |
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| (brief caption for the episode icon) |
| Skeptical Rogues |
| S: Steven Novella |
B: Bob Novella |
R: Rebecca Watson |
J: Jay Novella |
E: Evan Bernstein |
| Quote of the Week |
Homeopaths do not have a physical brain, but merely 'skull water' with the memory of brains. |
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| Download Podcast |
| SGU Podcast archive |
| Forum Discussion |
Introduction
You're listening to the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe, your escape to reality.
This Day in Skepticism ( )
- July 28, 1996: The remains of Kennewick Man was discovered
News Items
Skeptical Conferences ( )
- TAM DragonCon CSICon
Sally Ride ( )
Mood Photography ( )
Neurologica Blog: Mood Photography
Computer Modeling Life ( )
Phys.org: Researchers produce first complete computer model of an organism
Artificial Jellyfish ( )
BBC News: Artificial jellyfish created from heart cells
Firewalk Mishap ( )
Neurologica Blog: Firewalk Mishap
Who's That Noisy? ( )
Questions and Emails
Multivitamins ( )
Science or Fiction (0:47:31)
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This section is in the middle of being transcribed by tnewsome (talk) as of {{{date}}}. To help avoid duplication, please do not transcribe this section while this message is displayed. |
(jingle)
Voiceover: It's time for Science or Fiction
S: Each week I come up with three science news items or facts, two real and one fake. And I challenge my panel of skeptics to tell me which one they think is the fake. You guys ready for this week?
J: Yeah.
B: Yeah.
E: Uh huh.
J: Oh Yeah.
S: Oh yeah. Okay, here we go. Item number one: A new study show that while multitasking a visual task with an audio task—such as driving while talking on the phone—significantly impairs performance, combining two visual tasks had little effect. Item number two: Scientists have identified a new syndrome—delayed severe allergic reaction to red meat caused by a tick bite. And item number three: Researchers have found a distinct subsystem for smell in the mouse that is likely dedicated to smelling behaviorally important odors, such as fear. Bob, go first.
B: Uh, oh boy, wow. You know you read news items— I don't know where you pull these from. Ummm.
S: And you never will (laughs), if I can help it! Imagine how hard my job would be if you knew where I'm going for my stupid news items.
B: Ha, ha. Alright a new study shows that while multitasking a visual test with an audio task impairs performance like we've heard before, but combing two visuals had little effect. Uh man, you know, I'm just not, I'm just not buying that. Cause all the studies I've read, not recently, but we've talked about it enough, they really didn't distinguish that. And I would think that, I would think that if you had two visual tasks, I mean, the idea of going back and forth, you know, would kind of the same as, you know, multitasking at work. You're going from one task to another, to the other and it's just never as good as just sticking to the one for a while. Umm, hmm. Let's see. Got a new syndrome here, delayed severe allergic reaction to red meat caused by a tick bite. Damn. I have no idea what to say about that. I can't think of anything that would get any red flags. Oh geez, I don't know. Let's see what the third one is. Distinct subsystem for smell in the mouse dedicated to things like fear. Umm, bsch-yeah, I guess, that's possible. When a creature is experiencing fear there could be some sort of release of something that would be identifiable and associated with fear— I guess. Two visual tasks. Alright, I'm gonna say the multitasking one. Umm, I'm— I still think that even if it's two visual tasks that multitasking there will be some impairment going on, because that. So yeah, I'll say that ones fiction.
S: Okay, and Rebecca?
R: Okay, the multitasking item reminds me of something I read ages ago that showed that talking on a cell phone while driving impairs your ability to drive safely much, much than carrying on a conversation with someone who is in the car with you. Which at the time, I think, was attributed to the fact that you don't have to guess at the other person's emotions and things when they're in the car with you. But you are using your sight. Uhh, so, more so, than you would on the cell phone. So, because of that, that item rings true to me. That, uhh, audio is more demanding for us than visuals. Sooo, tentatively I'm saying that one makes sense. "Allergic reaction to red meat caused by a tick bite", I haven't, I only recently learned that you can have allergic reactions to meat. I didn't realize that was a thing. But I know that is a thing now so I'm more likely to believe that than I might have previously. Caused by a tick bite? Yeah, I mean, I guess see, maybe, you know you have a certain immune response to a tick bite that also cause an allergy that you didn't have before. So that one makes sense too. The one, the one that's not making sense is the idea that mice have a dedicated area for, a dedicated subsystem for smelling fear because, mostly because behaviorally important odors such as fear, that's what bugs me because I don't understand how smelling fear in another animal is important to mouse at all. Like mice are just scared of everything, all the time. Right? Like why would they care if the cat that's after them is afraid of something. Suddenly they are gonna turn around and charge the cat? No, that's not gonna happen. I've never seen that happen. All I've ever seen is mice running for their dear little lives. So, I can't see any reason for the mouse to have the ability to detect fear in other animals. So, that one, I'm gonna say is the fiction.
S: Okay, Evan?
E: Well, let's have a look. Umm, the multitasking one, we've spoken quite a few times on the show about multitasking. Umm, but specifically, visual task with an audio task? I'm not sure we've phrased it in a specific context such as this. So, umm, it's very interesting. Significantly impairs performance, combining two visual effects had little effect. Two visual tasks had little effect. Well, driving is a visual task, what else would I be doing while I'm driving? Visual task, well— texting is a visual task. Kinda thinking that, I mean, well that's other tasks as well but certainly visuals a main component of that. Uhh, hhm, I'm not sure about that one. Umm, the second one the new syndrome. Severe— delayed severe allergic reaction to red meat. And the tick bites the carrier? So apparently what's happening here is that the tick bite carries something in it's saliva? Little tick's saliva? That gets into your system, through the blood and causes you to have an allergic reaction to red meat? Is the anything— I can't—I'm trying to think of what else to kinda equate this to. But I can't think of an example off the top of my head. (sucks breath) So, moving one to the last one. Mi— I mean— uhh. Mice that have a distinct subsystem for smell? That smells behavioral[ly] important odors as fear. I'm thinking that that one's— of the three— I kinda think that that one probably is the most likely to be true. You know, they find all kinds of cool things about mice. Mice are the classic test animal. But a distinct subsystem. Uhh, I'm not sure, that one seems to make a lot of sense to me in a certain way. Umm, Rebecca, you were talking about how mice are kinda fearful and skittish of everything and I think that actually plays into, uhh, why they may have a subsystem for it that they detect it. So, it's between, for me, multitasking or the tick bite and allergy. (sucks breath) Uhh, well, I don't like the two visual tasks having little effect. I don't know about that, I think you really gotta keep your eyes on the road, that's the bottom line. So, I'll say that that one's the fiction.
J: That a boy!
S: (drowsily) I'm sorry, which one?
E: The multitasking is the fiction.
S: I'm, I was doing something else.
(laughter)
S: Alright, Jay?
E: Ha, ha, ha.
J: I'm gonna go in reverse order. I absolutely think the one about the mice smelling fear— being wired to smell fear. Sure, that makes a lot of sense to me. I'm curious to know—
R: Seriously?
J: Yeah, just.
R: Just me?
J: Well, you know, I don't want to throw out the big pheromone thing. I mean it's like people throw that word around like, you know, it explains all these different things or whatever. But absolutely, you know, sure they could smell— you know, you were talking about the cat as a predator and all that and, sure, why wouldn't they be able to smell it. Smell things that the animal is putting off, whatever. Yeah, that makes sense. The one about the red meat caused by tick bites, the allergy situation. The only thing about that one I don't like is the word "delayed". Like a "delayed sever allergic reaction". Why would it be delayed? It's very strange. I hate ticks and I hate being bitten by ticks and I hate everything to do with them. And I think we should try to destroy all ticks and bedbugs. But anyway, I don't know about this one, I mean, what have I got to say other than it's weird and I hope that that one's the fiction. But the one that I didn't like from the moment that I heard it— that's why I went in reverse order— is this whole hoo-hah about combing visual tasks has little effect, that's BS. Combining visual tasks, meaning two different things you have to visually keep track of at the same time, that one is the fiction by far. Is the fiction. Thank-you.
S: Okay.
J: Thank-you.
S: Alright.
R: I alone in here?
Item number 1: A new study shows that while multitasking a visual task with an audio task, such as driving while talking on the phone, significantly impairs performance, combining two visual tasks had little effect. Item number 2: Scientists have identified a new syndrome - delayed severe allergic reaction to red meat caused by a tick bite. Item number 3: Researchers have found a distinct subsytem for smell in the mouse that is likely dedicated to smelling behaviorally important odors, such as fear.
Skeptical Quote of the Week (1:07:11)
Homeopaths do not have a physical brain, but merely 'skull water' with the memory of brains.
Robin Ince
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