Topic: Podcast Topic suggestions

[Skulker]

The topic of patriotism is seldom discussed - anywhere. Yet, it seems to me that the faulty belief that your country must be in the right or have god on its side may be at the heart of more senseless killing and death than any other fallacy. [CItation Needed] As a youngster and a draft dodger I was astounded to watch friends march off to take part in the pointless killing of two or three million people.[CItation Needed]

Or are you just making this stuff up ?

[seaotter]

The topic of patriotism is seldom discussed - anywhere. Yet, it seems to me that the faulty belief that your country must be in the right or have god on its side may be at the heart of more senseless killing and death than any other fallacy. As a youngster and a draft dodger I was astounded to watch friends march off to take part in the pointless killing of two or three million people.

I disagree with your definition of patriotism. I refuse to let the american exceptionalists have the term. A patriot recognizes the countries faults and works to correct them.

[uolj]

The topic of patriotism is seldom discussed - anywhere. Yet, it seems to me that the faulty belief that your country must be in the right or have god on its side may be at the heart of more senseless killing and death than any other fallacy. [CItation Needed] As a youngster and a draft dodger I was astounded to watch friends march off to take part in the pointless killing of two or three million people.[CItation Needed]

Or are you just making this stuff up ?

Why do you need a citation for something that is explicitly qualified with "it seems to me"?

(Also, I'm guessing RatBite is referring to the Vietnam War given that draft dodging was mentioned. Via wikipedia here is a source for 2-3 million deaths.)

[Skulker]

The topic of patriotism is seldom discussed - anywhere. Yet, it seems to me that the faulty belief that your country must be in the right or have god on its side may be at the heart of more senseless killing and death than any other fallacy. [CItation Needed] As a youngster and a draft dodger I was astounded to watch friends march off to take part in the pointless killing of two or three million people.[CItation Needed]

Or are you just making this stuff up ?

Why do you need a citation for something that is explicitly qualified with "it seems to me"?

(Also, I'm guessing RatBite is referring to the Vietnam War given that draft dodging was mentioned. Via wikipedia here is a source for 2-3 million deaths.)

So ratbite is your sockpuppet ? Is that why you're answering for him/her ?

[Billzbub]

I haven't read through this entire thread, so flame me if someone already suggested this idea.

I would love to see an episode that is an overview of all things skeptical.  It would be sort of like speed-dating where you flirt with an idea as fast as you can and then move on to the next one.  Once complete, skeptics could direct people to the episode for an overview of topics that skeptics have been talking about.  I know the show is only and hour or so long with an intro and exit, so maybe you could pick the top 25 topics and give them 2 minutes each.

Ready...GO!

[hroobarb]

"Scientists use brain imaging to reveal the movies in our mind"

I'm having some problems making heads or tails of this.
I would like to hear what Steve, with his neurological expertise, has to say about this.

http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2011/09/22/brain-movies/

[seaotter]

Have we said interview the caustic soda guys?

[The God Delusion]

A podcast on Social Anxiety Disorder

[clavicorn]

I would like to see the SGU address the Andrea Rossi cold fusion business...

[tonydrake]

I keep on hearing that 'sk/ceptics keep an open mind, and will change on evidence'.

So apart from religion (too easy - I went from catholic to atheist - most of us have travelled that low handing fruit), what other major believe have anyone changed based on evidence.

I've 2 - I now believe that speed cameras are good (not just revenue raisers) and that marijuana has a link to psychotic disorders.

Anyone?

[seaotter]

Mold & vitamins

[ufo]

 I read the following with interest in my local paper today.  Have you guys looked into this?  I checked QuackWatch.com and found nothing about it there.  I suspect that among Dr. Steve Novella and the Skeptical Rogues there is enough general and specific knowledge to let us know if this is BS of if there is something to it.   The assertion that there are 9 proteins in modern wheats which are not in "wild" wheat varieties is intriguing, but there is so much dietary crap in the media these days, that I would definitely like a 2nd thru 6th opinion from you guys on this one.


 
New book on wheat goes against the grain
 
U.S. cardiologist says destructive dietary ingredient causes rashes, diabetes, colitis and more
 
By TRACEY TUFNAIL, Vancouver Sun November 14, 2011
 
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    Story
    Photos ( 2 )

 
In his new book, Wheat Belly, cardiologist Dr. William Davis, of Wisconsin, argues that the world’s most popular grain, found in everything from lager to licorice to lunch meat, is destructive to weight loss and overall health. He links its consumption to diabetes, dementia, arthritis and digestive problems.
 
More Images »
 
In his new book, Wheat Belly, cardiologist Dr. William Davis, of Wisconsin, argues that the world’s most popular grain, found in everything from lager to licorice to lunch meat, is destructive to weight loss and overall health. He links its consumption to diabetes, dementia, arthritis and digestive problems.
Photograph by: Benny Sieu, MCT

Book Review

WHEAT BELLY: Lose the wheat, lose the weight, and find your path back to health (by William Davis, MD)

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/health/book+wheat+goes+against+grain/5704519/story.html#ixzz1dkeT4KBi

[michaelbnewman]

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/450/so-crazy-it-just-might-work

"Act One" of Episode 450 of This American Life is a great segment about how an amateur scientist fails to achieve science due to a lack of skeptical skills. Synopsis: a music teacher believes he has figured out how to kill cancer cells with sound waves. He seeks to have his invention validated in a lab under the guidance of a trained scientist. However, after failed attempts to prove this method in a rigorous manner... he starts up a quack website to promote his cure.

My favorite part is how the trained scientist asks the amateur about how he handed the control sample of cancer cells (paraphrasing): Did you take the control out of the refrigerator and leave it on the counter for the same amount of time as the main test sample treated with sound waves?... Response: No (he doesn't see why that is required).

My question to the SGU panel: Is the music teacher a true believer the entire time? Or did he start normal and become a quack? I would argue he's a true believer the entire time, since he had so much conviction about his technique, and not about the scientific method. Further, the interviewer makes clear the confirmation bias he had.

[GoodWolf]

I have a topic worthy of discussion! Pornography and masturbation.

Today I found on reddit a subreddit called r/nofap [http://www.reddit.com/r/NoFap]. A board that advocates refraining from masturbating. Thinking that since I had found this place linked from a religious board that everyone would be doing it to avoid making Jesus cry, I started a discussion asking if there were many people people there refraining for religious reasons. A few were but a lot weren't. So I asked why then that they would not fap if not to avoid making baby Jesus cry. Their reasons seemed fairly dubious to me. While their faq "explains" the benefits of not fapping, which mostly sound quite dubious, a lot of the people answered that their porn addiction lead to erectile dysfunction.

I'd like to know what the science says about porn addiction.

Also in one of the comment threads that got a little ugly, I was referred to a website that I thought seemed very alarmist and dubious. YourBrainonPorn.com

It makes a lot of claims about the affects of porn on the brain, so this should be right up your alley, Dr. Steve, and some of them sound crazy, like for instance that some guys might go gay because of porn "abuse". It certainly follows that excessive porn numbs one's tastes and you start escalating, but changing your sexuality sounds very extreme.

I'd love to hear what you guys make of this.

[Jeremy's Sea]

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/450/so-crazy-it-just-might-work

"Act One" of Episode 450 of This American Life is a great segment about how an amateur scientist fails to achieve science due to a lack of skeptical skills. Synopsis: a music teacher believes he has figured out how to kill cancer cells with sound waves. He seeks to have his invention validated in a lab under the guidance of a trained scientist. However, after failed attempts to prove this method in a rigorous manner... he starts up a quack website to promote his cure.

My favorite part is how the trained scientist asks the amateur about how he handed the control sample of cancer cells (paraphrasing): Did you take the control out of the refrigerator and leave it on the counter for the same amount of time as the main test sample treated with sound waves?... Response: No (he doesn't see why that is required).

My question to the SGU panel: Is the music teacher a true believer the entire time? Or did he start normal and become a quack? I would argue he's a true believer the entire time, since he had so much conviction about his technique, and not about the scientific method. Further, the interviewer makes clear the confirmation bias he had.

I'm glad you posted that, I think it's a brilliant discussion about how lack of scientific training can lead otherwise extremely brilliant people down the path of self delusion.