Topic: Episode #309

[Caffiene]

Anyway, I have to agree with Bob in that one doesn't need light to build "a' laser.  In one sense that true only for lasers that are optically pumped.  Some are pumped using electricity (e.g. some laser diodes) or chemical reactions (e.g., excimer laser - very cool).

Not even that...

You need light for an optically pumped laser to produce the beam. You dont need the light just to have the device itself sitting on your bench.

Saying you need light to make a laser is like saying you cant make a teapot unless youve brewed some tea.

[seaotter]

In regard to the superstition topic:

During the recent Rapture nonsense, I had several conversations with a coworker who's a born again Christian. To make a long story short, I argued that the book of Revelation is the ravings of madman. His counterpoint was that if I didn't believe, that I shouldn't have an problem drawing a 666 on my arm and handed me a pen. I wouldn't do it. He smiled a shit-eating grin and said 'repent brother' as he walked away. Bastard.  Is this some kind of conditioning from living in a Christian culture or am I just a coward? I call myself an agnostic, but for all intents and purposes I am an atheist.

I'm an atheist and I have a problem writing Allah on my arm too. I don't understand what the guys point is. Are you says you were scared to write 666 on your arm? If so, why?

[PANTS!]

Biological lasers - cool!  Reminds me of [mild SPOILER ALERT] the character Culla in 'Sundiver'.

I came here to mention the same thing. I can't believe the rogues missed a David Brin reference. Specifically sine they have mentioned the Uplift series before.

And Evan, if you havn't listened to They Might Be Giant's excellent album Here Comes Science, you should do so. It would tell you about the difference between meteors and meteorites.

What Is a Shooting Star? - They Might Be Giants

The other pop culture reference I have in relation to panic is the move "Chicken Run". On the DVD they even had a panic button.  When pressed it would show short clips of claymation chickens going nuts.

Anyway. Good show.

[AgnosticBuddha]

I'm an atheist and I have a problem writing Allah on my arm too. I don't understand what the guys point is. Are you says you were scared to write 666 on your arm? If so, why?

I think his point was that because I wouldn't do it, I am a believer and a 'backsliding sinner'.  As for the reason why I wouldn't do it, I really don't have an answer. A guess there's a nugget of superstition buried deep in my brain somewhere. I just thought it kind of paralleled the e-mail Dr. Novella commented about.

[DRmeg378]

It's a human response. It reminds me of this

Psychologist and cognitive neuroscientist Bruce Hood has been known to brandish a cardigan belonging to the serial killer Fred West in the lecture hall. West tortured, raped, and murdered at least 12 women. Of course, a moment's reflection will reveal that his sartorial choices probably had nothing to do with his grisly hobby. And there's no possibility of catching serial killer disease from his sweater, right? Nonetheless, most people will refuse to wear the sweater once they know its provenance (false provenance, actually, the sweater Hood uses is not really West's). Odder still, in large lecture halls, members of the audience will physically recoil from the few people who say they are willing to wear the sweater. The crowds, which often consist of highly-educated, secular people, laugh nervously as this little drama is played out, says Hood, because they realize that there is something odd and illogical about their reaction.

http://reason.com/archives/2009/06/12/would-you-wear-a-serial-killer

Atheists and skeptics try and use their reason to overcome our instincts, but that doesn't mean we can eradicate them.

[pandamonium]

I wouldn't have done it on the principle that your coworker seems to be kind of an ass. Also, that's poor reasoning, to say the least. "You won't write some random thing I decide on your arm, therefore Revelations is true!!!!" wut? You should have told him you'd write '666' if he wrote "Krishna is real" on his. Turn around is fair play, I say.

[seaotter]

Oh and 666 isn't the right number but I forgot what the real number is.. Oh http://www.google.com/m/url?client=safari&ei=GfMFTuiwHKSLsAfh5r8H&hl=en&oe=UTF-8&q=http://www.religionnewsblog.com/11134/beasts-real-mark-devalued-to-616&ved=0CBYQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNEefr7FyLnYvZdFXO3VGH2rdgWuPA

It's 616!

[Anders]

666 is in some manuscripts, while others have 616.

[PANTS!]

I wouldn't have done it on the principle that your coworker seems to be kind of an ass. Also, that's poor reasoning, to say the least. "You won't write some random thing I decide on your arm, therefore Revelations is true!!!!" wut? You should have told him you'd write '666' if he wrote "Krishna is real" on his. Turn around is fair play, I say.

I wouldn't do it on the same grounds that I wouldn't write a nasty word on my arm, or draw a swastika, or genitalia.  Its offensive to some people.  Why go round trollin' people?

[Trinoc]

I wouldn't have done it on the principle that your coworker seems to be kind of an ass. Also, that's poor reasoning, to say the least. "You won't write some random thing I decide on your arm, therefore Revelations is true!!!!" wut? You should have told him you'd write '666' if he wrote "Krishna is real" on his. Turn around is fair play, I say.

I wouldn't do it on the same grounds that I wouldn't write a nasty word on my arm, or draw a swastika, or genitalia.  Its offensive to some people.  Why go round trollin' people?

I'd probably refuse on the grounds that it would be a pain to wash it off again. I might make an exception if the other person would write "God does not exist" or "I deny the Holy Spirit" on their hand first.

[pandamonium]

Or maybe "Satan is swell!"

[d17182]

The Science or Fiction reveal link displays all three as "science".

And it still says that, even though at about 1:11:43 it is revealed to be #3. When will this error be corrected?