SGU Episode 656

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SGU Episode 656
February 3rd 2018
Hand-held nanopore device can sequence an individual's genome
SGU 655                      SGU 657
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
B: Bob Novella
J: Jay Novella
E: Evan Bernstein
Guests
BD: Brian Dunning, writer and producer
EE: Emery Emery, comedian, film editor, and producer
Quote of the Week
No idea should be suppressed. And it applies to ideas that look like nonsense. We must not forget that some of the best ideas seemed like nonsense at first. The truth will prevail in the end. Nonsense will fall of its own weight, by an intellectual law of gravitation. If we bat it about, we shall only keep an error in the air a little longer. And a new truth will go into orbit.
Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, British-American astronomer and astrophysicist
Links
Download Podcast
Show Notes
Forum Discussion

Introduction, Hawaii trip: wedding, bananas, and woo

Voice-over: You're listening to the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe, your escape to reality.

News Items

S:

B:

C:

J:

E:

(laughs) (laughter) (applause) [inaudible]

Portable DNA Sequencing (16:15)

• Gattaca

Alternative Treatment for Bears (22:13)

• Bears burned in California wildfires go holistic for pain

Acoustic Tractor Beam (26:23)

• The world's most powerful acoustic tractor beam could pave the way for levitating humans

Super Blue Blood Moon (32:50)

• Skywatchers see 'super blue blood Moon'

Who's That Noisy? (38:13)

Answer to previous Noisy:

slowed-down audio of a kookaburra

New Noisy (40:25)

[old-sounding recording hinting at "Alouette" song]

... what the Noisy is for this week ...

Questions/Emails/Corrections/Follow-ups (41:12)

Email #1: Driverless Cars ()

_consider_using_block_quotes_for_emails_read_aloud_in_this_segment_
with_reduced_spacing_for_long_chunks –

Interview with Brian Dunning and Emery Emery (52:15)

• Science Friction: a documentary about scientists who get misrepresented by the media

Science or Fiction (1:21:55)

Theme: Hawaii Item #1: A traditional Hawaiian diet consisted mostly of poi, resulting in a ratio of 12 percent protein, 18 percent fat and 70 percent carbohydrates. Item #2: The Hawaiian alphabet includes only 13 letters, one of which is the ‘ or okina. Item #3: Hawaii is home to over a dozen venomous snakes, second only to Australia in terms of deadliest vipers.

Answer	Item
Fiction	A dozen venomous snakes
Science	13-letter alphabet
Science	Traditional diet of poi

Host	Result
Steve	swept

Rogue	Guess
Jay	A dozen venomous snakes
Bob	A dozen venomous snakes
Evan	A dozen venomous snakes

Voice-over: It's time for Science or Fiction.

Evan's Response

"Pass the poi."

Skeptical Quote of the Week (1:37:15)

No idea should be suppressed. … And it applies to ideas that look like nonsense. We must not forget that some of the best ideas seemed like nonsense at first. The truth will prevail in the end. Nonsense will fall of its own weight, by a sort of intellectual law of gravitation. If we bat it about, we shall only keep an error in the air a little longer. And a new truth will go into orbit.
– Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin (1900-1979), British-American astronomer and astrophysicist

Signoff/Announcements (1:41:43)

S: —and until next week, this is your Skeptics' Guide to the Universe.

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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Today I Learned

• Fact/Description, possibly with an article reference
• Fact/Description
• Fact/Description

References

Vocabulary