SGU Episode 601

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SGU Episode 601
January 14th 2017
(brief caption for the episode icon)
SGU 600                      SGU 602
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
B: Bob Novella
C: Cara Santa Maria
J: Jay Novella
E: Evan Bernstein
Guest
D: David Gorski
Quote of the Week
It is when we are most desperate that we are at our most vulnerable. It’s hard to be objective, to ask for the evidence, and to critically appraise it. But that’s when it’s probably most important.
Scott Gavura, Bad Science Watch (Canada)
Links
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Show Notes
Forum Discussion

Introduction

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

What's the Word ()

• Parallax

News Items

Colliding Stars ()

• http://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/1/6/14184094/scientists-predict-stars-colliding

Countering Fake News ()

• https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/07/opinion/sunday/how-to-destroy-the-business-model-of-breitbart-and-fake-news.html?_r=0

Relaxing Music ()

• http://www.inc.com/melanie-curtin/neuroscience-says-listening-to-this-one-song-reduces-anxiety-by-up-to-65-percent.html

A New Organ? ()

• http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/crux/2017/01/06/got-mesentery-news-wrong/#.WHaSOBsrI_V

Who's That Noisy ()

• Answer to last week: Whistling Language

Questions and Emails

Question #1: Dino Tail in Amber ()

Great work covering the dinosaur tail trapped in amber, and I really enjoyed the interview with Brian Switek. I emailed once before; I co-host the dinosaur podcast 'I Know Dino' with my wife and I have a few more details about the dinosaur tail discovery I thought you might find interesting: To your question of how they know it wasn't a fake -The amber from this region in Myanmar actually fluoresces a characteristic blue when bombarded with UV light, which makes for a convenient way to authenticate it. To the question of whether some sort of scientific review could be put in place for Myanmar amber deposits -The area in Myanmar where the amber is found isn't currently controlled by the government. It's under the control of the Kachin Independence Army which effectively prevents regulation of Burmese amber in the region. As a result, scientists have to go to the market independently and purchase the amber there. But the government is hopefully that they might regain control through negotiations soon. Just an awesome side note -They also published on 2 wings found earlier, and mentioned in an interview that they collected 9 more specimens which apparently haven't been published yet. http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2016/160628/ncomms12089/full/ncomms12089.html Keep up the awesome podcast! I've been a happy member for years now :) And if you ever want to talk dinosaurs we'd be happy to help! Sincerely, Garret Kruger

Interview with David Gorski ()

• http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/anti-vaccine-nonsense-at-cleveland-clinic/
• https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/trump-meets-with-rfk-jr-to-discuss-vaccine-safety/

Science or Fiction ()

Item #1: A new study finds that exercising only on the weekends, compared to being inactive, has no measurable benefit in terms of heart health and mortality. Item #2: Scientists have genetically engineered a Salmonella bacterial species to seek out and destroy glioblastoma tumor cells and have successfully tested the treatment in rats. Item #3: The Hubble Space Telescope has discovered a probable new exoplanet using a unique method – by imaging a shadow cast upon a ring of dust surrounding the parent star.

Skeptical Quote of the Week ()

'It is when we are most desperate that we are at our most vulnerable. It’s hard to be objective, to ask for the evidence, and to critically appraise it. But that’s when it’s probably most important.' - Scott Gavura, Bad Science Watch (Canada)

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