SGU Episode 517
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| SGU Episode 517 |
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| June 6th 2015 |
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| (brief caption for the episode icon) |
| Skeptical Rogues |
| S: Steven Novella |
B: Bob Novella |
J: Jay Novella |
E: Evan Bernstein |
| Quote of the Week |
"Belief is so often the death of reason." |
Anton Lesser as ex-maester Qyburn, Game of Thrones, Season 5, Episode 8 |
| Links |
| Download Podcast |
| Show Notes |
| Forum Discussion |
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Introduction
You're listening to the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe, your escape to reality.
Forgotten Superheroes of Science ()
- Magaret Hamilton: Saved the landing of the first moon mission with her robust computer code
News Items
Laser Weapons ()
Chocolate Science Sting ()
- http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/a-chocolate-science-sting/ http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/citation-bias-confirmation-bias-for-scientists/
How Many Species? ()
In Memoriam – Dr. Wallace Sampson ()
Quickie with Bob: Proton Spin ()
Who's That Noisy ()
- Answer to last week: talking piano
Questions and Emails
Question #1: Rape Statistics ()
In a recent SOF, Steve included a news item suggesting that about 20% of college females had been victims of rape or some other form of sexual assault. The rogues were almost incredulous upon hearing such a high figure, as was I; not just because it seemed incredibly high, but because late last year, I’d read an article reporting that the number was around 0.61% of college females. The article claimed to have gotten this figure from a recent DOJ report on sexual assaults. I was able to dig around for the report, which can found in the following link from the Bureau of Justice Statistics website: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/rsavcaf9513.pdf Honestly, I’m not even sure what to believe anymore regarding this topic, but I trust the SGU more than I do most media outlets. So if you say the 20% figure is the more accurate figure, then I’ll be more inclined to dismiss the DOJ’s report. If not, then it seems you guys are due for a correction. Thank you for the work that you do. Max Hartford
Question #2: Charities and Effectiveness ()
Regarding your recent piece on charities with high overhead costs and low transparency: You may be interested in following this piece up with some information about why it's not just the overhead costs and transparency that can be problems in charities, but also their effectiveness. Some charities/projects actually have negative impacts on communities, and some charities are hundreds or even thousands of times more effective than others. I think this is an important addition and SGU is a great platform to share it. The work of Peter Singer and organisations such as GiveWell and The Life You Can Save are good places to start, and I'm also happy to provide some more information and ideas, being involved in this space myself. Michael Dello-Iacovo Australia
Science or Fiction ()
Item #1: A new study finds that an impaired ability to identify odors is associated with a significant increase in the risk of death over a four year follow up. Item #2: Researchers find that higher socioeconomic status correlates with a significantly increased breadth of taste in music. Item #3: A new study changes the estimate for the evolution of eukaryotes from a maximum of 2.8 billion years ago to 1.5 billion years ago, 1.3 billion years later than previously thought.
Skeptical Quote of the Week ()
"Belief is so often the death of reason." Actor Anton Lesser as disgraced ex-maester Qyburn, 13 minutes & 36 seconds into Season 5, Episode 8 “Hardhome” of Game of Thrones (First Aired May 31, 2015)
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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