Topic: Episode #256

[Old Hoplite]

Does Ms. Watson think that there is sexism in skepticism, as a movement?

Or is it that skepticism doesn't appeal to a large number women and there are some ways to perhaps make it more appealing?

Did you hear the sexism episode?

Not as I recall, what episode by number is it?

[Trinoc]

The SGU is not broadcast/classroom friendly. If anyone wants to use it for kinds, in class, or whatever- it is their responsibility to clean it up first, or choose segments that are appropriate to their venue.
SGU 5x5 is clean for the classroom.

That's pretty obvious.... Too many genitalia-related jokes for twelve year olds. Hmm, or on second thought, maybe not enough.

The issue of "explicit" language and suitability for the classroom has nothing to do with the kids: they've heard it all and more already, and the most it can do is correct some of their misconceptions (or introduce new ones). The issue is whether it will embarrass teachers or cause apoplexy among the self-appointed moral guardians who could make trouble for the school.

[Beep Boop Boop]

There is probably a better place for this, but I just have to say.

What the hell is Cory Doctorow doing at TAM,  BoingBoing is slowly turning into a very wooish site and good share of it comes from Cory.  I won't even get into his insane logical fallacies when it comes to law and politics.  I don't really dislike the guy but I also don't think he belongs anywhere near TAM.

Anyone who attends TAM London please I beg you, if he is on a panel and you have, a chance confront him with this:

http://boingboing.net/2010/03/17/happy-meal-is-ageles.html

He has posted that story twice on BoingBoing.

I tend to agree.  His articles range from insightful to confusing.  I'm not entirely sure if its because he uses fluffy language in his articles but I do get weird vibes from his articles. 

At this point, BoingBoing is largely an entertainment blog (to draw the readers) combined with Cory's dumb intellectual property ideas - draw them in with entertainment, then hit them with crappy anti-copyright sermons.  I wish Doctorow would find better use for his time than bullying working people while undermining the creative industries.

You know I really wouldn't go that far.  One of the best articles I have read from him slams people who think that an incremental improvement isn't innovation.  Also, he does make great arguments against some of the braindead draconian measures that the creative industries go through. 
EDIT:
Heheh... I have a better question for him. Heheh... Ask him what he thinks about writing for a magazine with which one of their science writers is a creationist?  Mind you I have mixed feelings about that myself but only because I have no idea what to do with a person who while very intelligent has extreme cognitive dissonance.

[DoctorAtlantis]

Alan Moore was most likely invited to TAM London thanks of his excellent, thought-provoking and funny talk at 9 Lessons and Carols for Godless People back in December. He spoke about his snake god. Again, I'm very much looking forward to his talk.

Hey, Elton John played Rush Limbaugh's wedding.  Who knew?

I love Moore's work though he's such an iconoclast I wonder if I'd like him personally?  Probably wouldn't matter - by the time I finished geeking out he'd have written me off as a complete nut-job.

Apparently Dave Gibbon listened to our Cthulhu episode of MonsterTalk and I had a complete Real Ultimate Power moment complete with wind blowing and wailing of guitars. 

I think, in all seriousness, bringing in people who aren't part of the "regular" skeptic lecture circuit is thought provoking and will drive some amazing conversations.

It may also be exciting for Aubrey De Gray (if he's there) to get so many geeks running up to ask for his autograph.

[werecow]

The SGU is not broadcast/classroom friendly. If anyone wants to use it for kinds, in class, or whatever- it is their responsibility to clean it up first, or choose segments that are appropriate to their venue.
SGU 5x5 is clean for the classroom.

That's pretty obvious.... Too many genitalia-related jokes for twelve year olds. Hmm, or on second thought, maybe not enough.

The issue of "explicit" language and suitability for the classroom has nothing to do with the kids: they've heard it all and more already, and the most it can do is correct some of their misconceptions (or introduce new ones). The issue is whether it will embarrass teachers or cause apoplexy among the self-appointed moral guardians who could make trouble for the school.

Preaching to the choir?

[Trinoc]

Preaching to the choir?

I'm not sure. There may well be skeptics who nevertheless subscribe to the idea that there are certain "adult" subjects about which children should be (or attempted to be) kept in ignorance until a certain arbitrary age.

[werecow]

Preaching to the choir?

I'm not sure. There may well be skeptics who nevertheless subscribe to the idea that there are certain "adult" subjects about which children should be (or attempted to be) kept in ignorance until a certain arbitrary age.

Well, I'm not sure if I'd introduce a five-year-old to the topic of, say, the ins-and-outs of applied medieval torture techniques, or if I would read them the Kama Sutra. But as far as explicit language goes, I think it's better to teach them what is or isn't appropriate in specific social settings than to try and keep them from hearing it (an effort which would fail miserably anyway).

[mh]

I was a bit confused about the H1N1 bit. Is it not possible that the seasonal flu didn't go away at all, but just because of all the hype etc, anybody who had any flu of any kind assumed it was H1N1. Just because people are thinking about it, worrying about it, and as soon as they get a flu symptom they assume the worst. I take it there is a reason why this is not the case?

I was wondering about that myself. I know since H1N1 I like to make frequent use of the hand sanitizers that were installed in public buildings. I can't start my day without taking a hit of that stuff before I go up the work elevator. It's a high not unlike being a student in the 1970s and huffing your freshly printed "ditto".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_duplicator#Smell
http://theyalwayscomeback.blogspot.com/2008/02/ditto-machine.html

I wonder if such measures resulted in making it harder for the season flu to spread.

Considering that hand sanitizers are anti-bacterial and the flu is a virus, I seriously doubt it. 

[seaotter]

Are you saying hand sanitizers don't kill viruses?

[Morvis13]

read the bottle.

[seaotter]

I don't have one "handy".

[seaotter]

The CDC site says use soap and water, but alcohol based hand sanitizer in high concentration for long enough time will kill h1n1. Other sanitizers might be useful. I guess they mean for bacteria.