SGU Episode 552

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SGU Episode 552
February 6th 2016
(brief caption for the episode icon)
SGU 551                      SGU 553
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
B: Bob Novella
C: Cara Santa Maria
J: Jay Novella
E: Evan Bernstein
Quote of the Week
Treat beliefs not as sacred possessions to be guarded but rather as testable hypotheses to be discarded when the evidence mounts against them.
Philip Tetlock
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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 ()

• Lorna Wing
  Lorna Wing was a British psychiatrist who was instrumental in re-defining our conception of Autism.

News Items

Concussions in the NFL ()

• http://bigstory.ap.org/article/de85a68ce48c4dc09bef04f2ce2526b1/ap-survey-concussions-not-most-nfl-players-chief-concern

Zika Conspiracy ()

• http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2016/02/05/zika-virus-the-conspiracy-theories-flow-fast-and-furious/

Spa Death ()

• http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/spa-death-and-the-dangers-of-pseudoscience/

Planetary Defense System ()

• http://www.blastr.com/2016-1-29/nasas-new-planetary-defense-program-officially-and-running

Lab-Grown Meat ()

• http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3428438/First-test-tube-MEATBALL-revealed-Startup-claims-lab-grown-meat-shelves-three-years-says-raising-animals-eat-soon-unthinkable.html

Who's That Noisy ()

Answer to last week: Lightning on Jupiter

What's the Word ()

Epistasis

Science or Fiction ()

Item #1: Researchers at MIT have created a new RFID chip that is virtually impossible to hack. Item #2: A new study contradicts prior conclusions, finding there is no evidence that radiation from X-rays and CT scans cause cancer. Item #3: A newly published computer simulation supports the conclusion that both Jupiter and Saturn significantly protect the inner solar system from comets, making life on Earth possible.

Skeptical Quote of the Week ()

Treat beliefs not as sacred possessions to be guarded but rather as testable hypotheses to be discarded when the evidence mounts against them. Philip Tetlock

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