Episode 64: Quantum Nonsense, has been posted. It’s a combination of some new material and two previous blog posts. The topic is basically an intro to quantum mechanics and a discussion of how it is used and abused by pseudoscientists today. And, I branch away from Coast to Coast for other sources of audio clips! There’s also a puzzler and an addendum to the previous episode.
February 8, 2013
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Exposing PseudoAstronomy 
I just discovered that you’re never too old to learn. Thankyou.
One of my favorite xkcd strips is titled “At home with the Heisenbergs”
“Honey, I can’t find my car keys”
“You probably know too much about their momentum”
Comment by Expat — February 9, 2013 @ 9:08 am |
Glad you liked.
Comment by Stuart Robbins — February 9, 2013 @ 11:31 am |
I’ve enjoyed this episode a lot. You might be interested to know that Brian Dunning coined the term “Appeal to Quantum Physics” to cover the misuse of the field by people like Deepak Chopra, he first used it in the “Beyond Listener Feedback” episode (11th of May, 2010) when replying to someone who stated that Brian “…omitted any reference to quantum physics which is the science of chiropractic and the subluxation” when he had discussed Chiropractic in an earlier episode.
Comment by Graham — February 10, 2013 @ 4:46 am |
On the topic of “the final epsilon,” one of my favorite Isaac Asimov essays, “On the Relativity of Wrong”, discusses this notion. It’s a short essay/letter and well worth reading.
http://chem.tufts.edu/answersinscience/relativityofwrong.htm
Comment by jmckaskle — February 12, 2013 @ 9:31 am |
I really enjoyed this episode. Once again you explained the science and contrasted that with the “pseudo.” Too many skeptical and science podcast do not do this. They will criticize someone for not getting the science right but not giving a full understandable explanation. I know the math is a killer but you were able to give a “popular explanation” without sounding too sharp or not getting to the heart of it. Thank you. This is one of my favorite podcast -keep up the good work.
Comment by Eric L Broomfield — February 17, 2013 @ 8:24 pm |
Thanks!
Comment by Stuart Robbins — February 17, 2013 @ 10:55 pm |
Found this news item on the Nightinggale Collaboration (Anti-Health Woo) website, discussing how the British Advertising Standards Agency responded to adverts selling a ‘quantum gizmo’ to ‘cure what ails you’.
http://nightingale-collaboration.org/news/142-wddty-8-quantum-flapdoodle.html
The most disturbing thing is on the woo peddlers website (Linked to through the Nightinggale Collaboration website):
“All forms, all creatures, every animal, bird, insect, flower, bacterium, fish – everything are expressions of consciousness arising out of the information contained in the Quantum Fields which are God.”
Later on they refer to the ‘Quantum Fields’ in the feminine…
Comment by Graham — September 11, 2013 @ 8:11 pm |
Word salad much?
Comment by Stuart Robbins — October 5, 2013 @ 10:52 am |
So according to Andy Basiago; Andy is due to become President of the USA this year…That will be interesting. How is he doing in the race so far?
Comment by Trebor — July 11, 2016 @ 6:43 pm |
I, too, was wondering that recently. For what it’s worth, he has stated that he could become President as part of the 2016 stuff, so he said being VP and then the P dying would count.
Comment by Stuart Robbins — July 11, 2016 @ 6:46 pm |