SGU Episode 407
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| SGU Episode 407 |
|---|
| 4th May 2013 |
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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 |
P: Perry DeAngelis |
| Guest |
JR: James Randi |
| Quote of the Week |
Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. |
| Links |
| 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 ()
- May 4th, 2005: SGU records its first episode
News Items
Funding Science ()
Curse Scam ()
ITER - Fusion Reactor ()
Einstein Still Correct ()
Special Report ()
- Oblivion Review: The Rogues take a skeptical look at Oblivion the movie.
Who's That Noisy? ()
Questions and Emails ()
Question 1: Is SETI Science?()
Hi, guys! Got a question for you: do you consider the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence to be science or pseudoscience? I recently got into an online debate and found myself in the minority because I maintained that the central thesis -- that if intelligent life exists somewhere out there in the greater universe, we would be able to recognize it based upon patterns in radio waves -- is not falsifiable. It seems to me that there could be three reasons why, if we turn our telescopes in any specific direction, we would not find patterns in the radio waves: 1 -- there's nothing there, 2 -- there's something there but they haven't yet developed the technology to create those patterns, or 3 -- we're looking for the wrong things. It would seem to me that the only way to truly falsify SETI, we'd need to map quite literally every body in the universe and rule them out one by one and say that they don't have anything there in terms of extraterrestrial intelligence. Unlike other complex hypotheses that are limited by available technologies, I'm not convinced that the task of mapping the universe is even possible, even with a sufficiently advanced technology. What do you think? Am I missing something? I'm not trying to argue that the endeavor of SETI is a waste of time or energy, but I'm just not sold on it qualifying as genuine science. Thanks! Jim Phynn Horsham, PA
Science or Fiction ()
Item #1: Although not the longest river in the world, the Amazon is the biggest, containing more water than the next 10 largest rivers combined. Item #2: Although not the threat often portrayed in film, schools of red-bellied piranha will occasionally feed on large animals and are responsible for about 20 human deaths per year. Item #3: The Amazon contains more fish species than the Atlantic Ocean.
Skeptical Quote of the Week ()
Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.
J: William Butler Yeats!
Announcements ()
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.
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