The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe

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The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe
Hosting Steven Novella, MD, Evan Bernstein, Perry DeAngelis (May 4, 2005 – August 8, 2007), Jay Novella, Robert Novella, Rebecca Watson (since March 29, 2006)
Updates Weekly
Debut May 4, 2005
Genre Science and skepticism
Website www.theskepticsguide.org

The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe is a weekly, one-hour podcast hosted by Steven Novella, MD and a panel of "skeptical rogues". It is the official podcast of the New England Skeptical Society, and is produced in conjunction with the James Randi Educational Foundation. The show features discussions of myths, conspiracy theories, pseudoscience and the paranormal from the point of view of scientific skepticism. The show also features discussions of recent scientific developments in layman's terms, and interviews authors, people in the area of science, and other famous skeptics.

Contents

[edit] Guests

Most Skeptics' Guide episodes contain interviews. Often the interviews feature well-known scientists or skeptics, for instance Massimo Pigliucci or Joe Nickell. Rarely the guests are proponents of fringe or pseudoscientific views. Notable guests include[1]:

[edit] Repeat Guests

Phil Plait has been the only guest interviewed on the show four times. Joe Nickell and Richard Wiseman have been interviewed three times, while Mark Crislip, Ken Feder, James Randi, Steven Salerno, Michael Shermer, Brian Trent, and Eugenie Scott have each been interviewed on the show twice as of March 2008.

[edit] Production

The show is prerecorded via a Skype conference call. Each caller records his/her own audio and then the locally recorded tracks are mixed together. Steven Novella does the editing of the show himself.

The uncredited woman who provides the voice-over that introduces each segment is the wife of podcast member Jay Novella.

[edit] Segments

Opening: The Skeptics' Guide usually opens with Dr. Novella and the panelists discussing that week's top news stories of concern to skeptics. This is generally followed with the answering of listener email.

Science or fiction: "Science or Fiction"[3] is a game very similar to the "Bluff the Listener" segment of National Public Radio's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! quiz show. Dr. Novella presents the panelists with three recent stories of a scientific nature, two of which are true, the other fiction. The co-hosts then have to use their knowledge of science and skeptical senses to figure out which story is fiction. The fake story may either be a complete fabrication or based on a factual story with a critical detail changed to make it fictitious. "Science or Fiction" is occasionally themed, such that all stories discuss similar topics.

Skeptical quote: The show closes with Jay Novella reading a quote from a famous person that is relevant to skepticism or science. The quotes had previously been read by Perry DeAngelis until his death in August, 2007. Perry, after identifying the source of the quote, would give the person's profession and then add "of some note". ("Isaac Asimov. A scientist fiction writer of some note.") Jay announces the source in an exaggerated radio announcer voice. On May 10, 2008 host Steven Novella posted a survey on the SGU message board asking listeners if they preferred Jay read the source of the quote before or after the reading of the quote. The voting is open ended.

[edit] Occasional or Defunct Segments

Skeptical puzzle: At the end of the show, Evan Bernstein presents the listeners with a skeptical puzzle, usually about some person or topic within the field of pseudoscience. Occasionally the puzzle is presented in verse, and on Episode 96 it was presented as if by a fictional skeptical rapper Kom’n Cents[4]. Listeners may answer the puzzle via email or on the message board. Recognition (albeit no actual cash prize or gift) is given the following week to the first person to correctly answer the puzzle. The show has announced it will discontinue the skeptical puzzle feature. The Skeptical puzzle has been discontinued since episode #130 to allow Evan to concentrate on other areas including SGU 5x5.

Randi speaks: As of September 20, 2006, James Randi joined the podcast providing a weekly commentary segment called "Randi Speaks". Randi, a professional magician and skeptic, expounds upon a topic on his mind for that week (which may or may not have to do with skeptical matters). The segment disappeared for a period but returned for the August 8, 2007 episode with a different format. Instead of Randi delivering a prepared essay, an SGU host asks Randi a question which Randi then answers and expands upon.

Name that logical fallacy: Dr. Novella regularly presents the panelists with a recent argument, usually of a pseudoscientific nature, that has either appeared in recent news or has been submitted by listeners for consideration. The panelists are challenged to point out the flaws in the presented argument, with specific references to any logical fallacies employed. The segment debuted during Episode 40[5] but it is not featured in every show. Many of the fallacies named are taken from the show's "Top 20 Logical Fallacies" list[6].

[edit] Theme music

The show's theme music is "Theorem" by the band Kineto (Kineto's Myspace page). The theme was acquired from the Podsafe Music Network. Prior to the September 5, 2006 show, Thomas Dolby's "She Blinded Me with Science" was the show's theme.

[edit] Listenership

As of June 2008, more than 35,000 listeners download the show each week. It is typically in the top ten listings for science podcasts on the iTunes store, and is currently ranked #1 on Digg in the Science Podcasts category.[7]

[edit] Perry DeAngelis (8/22/1963 - 8/19/2007)

Listeners were saddened by the news of co-host Perry DeAngelis' passing away on August 19, 2007[8], shortly before his 44th birthday. Perry died after a long battle with a number of chronic illnesses (mainly scleroderma). Despite being in hospital, he still managed to call in from his hospital bed to perform his Skeptical Quote of the Week duty.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Interviewees. SGUfans.net.
  2. ^ Marketwire (November 5, 2007). "Jimmy Carter: No Truth to UFO Rumors". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-11-17.
  3. ^ Science or Fiction Statistics. SGUfans.net.
  4. ^ Episode 96. Official Skeptics' Guide Site.
  5. ^ Episode 40. Official Skeptics' Guide Site.
  6. ^ Novella, Steven. Top 20 Logical Fallacies. Official Skeptics' Guide Site.
  7. ^ Science and Medicine Podcasts. Digg. Retrieved on 2007-11-17.
  8. ^ Novella, Steven. Perry DeAngelis: 8/22/1963 8/19/2007. NeuroLogica Blog.
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[edit] See also

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

[edit] External links

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