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Qinella
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Location: the crib
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 Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 1:20 am Post subject: |
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| RACETRAITOR wrote: |
| Qinella wrote: |
Science or Fiction (like Mike Walker's Gossip Game):
1. New study suggests that Homosapiens innovated male-female division of labor, and this gave them a critical advantage of Neanderthals.
2. A newly published study has linked frequent cell phone use to declining cognitive function, as measured by standard IQ.
3. New research shows that the effectiveness of advertising has nothing to do with the actual message they contain. |
That's a tough one. What bothers me is how all these are "new" studies. We didn't know that homosapiens had a male/female division lf labour before, and that the message of advertising is unimportant? I'm also hesitant to pick 2 because with enough statistics you could prove pretty well anything. You could claim that waiting for the next season of Battlestar Galactica is correlated with declining cognitive function. Correlating cell use and dropping IQ sounds like it would be easy to do, although of course the argument wouldn't mean anything. Gonna have to think about it. |
I think the key issue with #1 is the concluding phrase about having a critical advantage because of the division, and that it was an innovation. I'm gonna say this one is fake because homosapiens are not unique at all in having a division of labor. Animals have this all the time.
But #2 seems unlikely, as well.. but as you said, anything can be proved with numbers. So I'll say #1.
Anyone else? |
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Qinella
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Location: the crib
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| Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 1:22 am Post subject: |
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| mindmetoo wrote: |
Q, interesting way to fulfill Dr. N's desire for every listener to get a buddy to listen 
Did you give the url?
http://www.theskepticsguide.org
Also the SciAm podcast "Science Talk" has a game similar. Of course, Science or Fiction comes from Wait Wait Don't Tell Me. |
Hehe right.. URL is a good idea. Hopefully people will start listening. It's a great show.
I've also been listening to one called Truth-Driven Thinking, but it's a little boring. The weekly science update from Guardian is cool. |
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newton kabiddles
Joined: 31 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 1:34 am Post subject: |
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| I agree..#1 |
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