Topic: Episode #326

[Steven Novella]

Interview with Stephen Macknik and Susana Martinez-Conde
This day in Skepticism
News Items: Vitamins and Mortality, Megavirus, NDEs, More UFOs, Electrosense, Airborne Petition
Who's That Noisy
Science or Fiction

[craig]

Thanks!

[James]

for!

[Chew]

Sagan used Fermat's Last Theorem on channelers. He said he would ask them "Should we be good?" and they would reply with new-agey nonsense. Then he'd ask them "What is the proof of Fermat's Last Theorem" and he would never hear back from them.


Unfortunately for skeptics, Fermat's Last Theorem has been proved so we need to find another test. I like Steve's Dark Matter suggestion.

[Trinoc]

Thanks folks. Now please excuse me while I wash my hands.

WTN sounds like the day the worm-eaten old apple tree in my garden finally fell over.

Edit: Zaffod .. Ha! Who's the rogue who has never listened to the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy? Philistine!

[Chew]

Ha! Another Moon UFO discussion!

Daily Mail's circulation is 2 million, the 3rd largest in the UK.

[Trinoc]

Ha! Another Moon UFO discussion!

Daily Mail's circulation is 2 million, the 3rd largest in the UK.

Depressing, isn't it? The Daily Mail is our equivalent of Fox News, but with a much longer disgraceful history.

<Godwin>
The Daily Mail is the paper that said Hitler was a great guy and we should have a leader like him.
</Godwin>

Actually, since 2000, it's second. The only thing more depressing is that The Sun is first.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_newspapers_in_the_United_Kingdom_by_circulation

[Anders]

Sagan used Fermat's Last Theorem on channelers. He said he would ask them "Should we be good?" and they would reply with new-agey nonsense. Then he'd ask them "What is the proof of Fermat's Last Theorem" and he would never hear back from them.


Unfortunately for skeptics, Fermat's Last Theorem has been proved so we need to find another test. I like Steve's Dark Matter suggestion.

OTOH, that makes us vulnerable to a technique knows as "make shit up."

[Not_So_Big_Al]

Just showed the picture of the 'UFO' to my 4-year-old. She decided, independently, that it was a...seagull.

[Trinoc]

I think when they find an even bigger virus they should call it Tyrannovirus Rex.

Didn't Steve say in at least one earlier podcast that folic acid supplements were good thing, particularly for women to prevent birth defects? I also think I remember some positive things said about vitamin D in a not too distant podcast.

[Chew]

Didn't Steve say in at least one earlier podcast that folic acid supplements were good thing, particularly for women to prevent birth defects? I also think I remember some positive things said about vitamin D in a not too distant podcast.

They've discussed vitamin D quite a lot.

It was in a Science or Fiction in this episode: http://www.theskepticsguide.org/archive/podcastinfo.aspx?mid=1&pid=194

[Trinoc]

They've discussed vitamin D quite a lot.

It was in a Science or Fiction in this episode: http://www.theskepticsguide.org/archive/podcastinfo.aspx?mid=1&pid=194

That was a negative report about vitamin D, but wasn't there also a report about vitamin D deficiency among pale skinned temperate climate folks (like UK and a lot of America) having bone problems in older age because people don't get out in the sun much, recommending supplements (since of course deliberate exposure to lots of sunlight has other health issues)?

Surely the report in the SoF question should say there is a danger to people with autoimmune diseases to having too much vitamin D, irrespective of the source? And of course in this case it only applies to people with autoimmune diseases, which isn't most of us. It could even be interpreted as saying vitamin D improves the immune system, which for most of us is a good thing.

[mddawson]

It isn't brain surgery:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/THNPmhBl-8I" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/THNPmhBl-8I</a>

[seaotter]

Thanks fir the podcast!

[Diagoras]

So I listened to this episode yesterday during a long drive. Today, I'm listening to it again, and as I listen I'm instantly reminded of where I was along the drive. "Oh, when Steve said that I was at the red light waiting to turn." ... "This is the point where I was driving by that big lake." ... "Here's when I finally made it back to town." Funny how our brains work, eh?