The Cosmic Boondocks – Episode #5, June 21, 2011

[podcast]http://www.archive.org/download/TheCosmicBoondocks-Episode5June212011/5TheCosmicBoondocks-Episode5June212011..mp3[/podcast]

“Our time is burdened under the cumulative weight of successive debunkings of our conceits…. We live in The Cosmic Boondocks.”

~Carl Sagan

The Cosmic Boondocks is a podcast promoting science, freethought and humanistic values in India.

Episode #5, June 21, 2011 – Shownotes

Stories:

1. Follow up on Baba Ramdev’s antics.

http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/fasting-indian-yoga-guru-972877.html

http://gulfnews.com/news/world/india/baba-ramdev-stable-in-hospital-but-feeling-weak-doctors-say-1.820343

http://www.mid-day.com/news/2011/jun/110611-news-delhi-Baba-Ramdev-in-hospital-ICU.htm

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/story/baba-ramdev-fast-did-bjp-help-ramdev-end-fast/1/141650.html

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/dont-link-ramdev-episodeyoga-say-experts/438878/

2. Sun-spot activity decline, the Maunder Minimum and the Little Ice Age

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/14/ice_age/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2004535/The-new-Ice-Age-Climate-change-slow-sun-simmers-down.html

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/06/17/are-we-headed-for-a-new-ice-age/

3. Pseudoscientific claims about Vedic ritual, Athirathram, in Panjal, Kerala

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/25/AR2011012502071.html

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/kochi/athirathram-begins-state-936

http://zeenews.india.com/myearth/story.aspx?aid=680260

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/article2103881.ece

4. Rare form of nucleotide substitution reveals new information about the genetic code

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/331345/title/Loophole_found_in_genetic_traffic_laws

Fallacy Hunt

Last week’s discussion:

http://nirmukta.net/Thread-Fallacy-Hunting-Episode-4-Science-in-the-Quran

This week’s discussion:

http://nirmukta.net/Thread-Fermented-Food-Meat-Digestion-Fallacy-Hunt[podcast]http://www.archive.org/download/TheCosmicBoondocks-Episode5June212011/5TheCosmicBoondocks-Episode5June212011..mp3[/podcast]

Music

Rising Legends, but Epic Soul Factory,
Chase the Vagabonds, by Heifervescent
Désaccords, by Eracilon
Hunger for Life, by The Nuri
3vs1, by Stefano Targa

All music is distributed under Creative Commons non-commercial, attribution, sharealike license.