Nirmukta » Radio Podcast

The Cosmic Boondocks- Episode #6, Nov 1, 2011

Ajita Kamal — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:18:00 +0000

“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 the podcast from Nirmukta Radio, promoting science, freethought and humanistic values in India.

Starting with this episode the show will feature clips of conversations between Nirmukta members, from our SENHS (Saturday Evening Nirmukta Hangout Sessions) meets. In this week’s episode we discuss ’A Freethinker’s view on the Science and Ethics of the Environmentalism Movement’. The attendees at this meet were Bobby Krishna, Geetha T.G., Satish Chandra, Lalit Mohan Chawla and myself, Ajita Kamal.

Music for this episode

Rising Legends, by Epic Soul Factory

Linear System, by Grendjohn

Bust This Bust That, by Professor Klig

Earth, by David Schombert

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

Ajita Kamal — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:29:45 +0000

“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

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.

The Cosmic Boondocks – Episode #4, June 7, 2011

Ajita Kamal — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 09:19:14 +0000

“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 #4, June 7, 2011 – Shownotes

News Stories:

1. WHO study concludes that more study is required to establish or eliminate any link between cell phone use and cancer.

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/cancer/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100272731>1=31036

http://www.skepticnorth.com/2011/06/cell-phones-and-wifi-and-cancer-oh-my/

2. Measuring quantum level phenomena without influencing the observations.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110602153046.htm

3. Baba Ramdev’s Anti-corruption Hunger-strike – Caught between a fraud and a disgrace.

http://www.tehelka.com/story_main44.asp?filename=Ne010510politicians_should.asp

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_baba-ramdev-s-rs18-crore-fast-icus-100-cctvs-780-fans-1300-toilets_1550782

http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2011/06/03/nine-more-things-baba-ramdev-wants/

http://www.dnaindia.com/blogs/post.php?postid=2751

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/baba-ramdev-asked-to-leave-delhi-police-crackdown-at-ramlila-ground-110200

4. New faster Solid State Drives based on phase-change technology.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110602153046.htm

5. Live fish asthma “cure”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-13645211

6. High CO2 in the water causes Clown fish young to go deaf

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110531201221.htm

Fallacy Hunt:

Last week’s fallacies:

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

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

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

http://www.theskepticsguide.org/resources/logicalfallacies.aspx

http://www.fosterswift.com/news-publications-Hospice-hospice-care-palliative-care.html

This week’s clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmE6LrztFnw#t=00m24s

This week’s discussion thread on the forums:

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

Music:

Rising Legends, but Epic Soul Factory,

Murder, by Mujaji

Celt, by Nadiejda

Diablo Swing Orchestra, by Ballrog Boogie

Bling Bling, by Les Pieds Dans L’Herbe

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

The Cosmic Boondocks – Episode #3, May 29, 2011

Ajita Kamal — Tue, 31 May 2011 00:48:10 +0000

(Note: The server hosting the audio files is experiencing problems. If you cannot stream or directly download the podcast, you can get the file here. Click on the grey button that says “Download This File”)

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“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 #3 (29/5/2011) Shownotes

Stories:

1. 5-year long experiment confirms that dark energy is constant throughout the universe.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/galex/galex20110519.html

2. More Americans are praying for health.

http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/rel-3-2-67.pdf

3. More water on the moon than previously thought.

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-05-moon-interior-earth-upper-mantle.html

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110526141400.htm

4. Naadi Jyothidam.

Sun TV expose. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mrup498kbQ

Prof Nayak’s article: http://nirmukta.com/2008/10/30/the-exact-science-of-nadi-jothidam/

Cold reading: http://www.skepdic.com/coldread.html

5. Drug helps reduce stress associated with bad memories by affecting recall of negative memories.

http://psychcentral.com/news/2011/05/27/drug-metyrapone-to-erase-bad-memories/26532.html

Announcements:

1. Prof. Nayak’s talk on rationalism to 100 children at Belthangady near Mangalore.

2. Links to previous visits by professor Nayak, for training programs in rational thinking for faculty of Periyar Maniammai University, Vallam.
http://nirmukta.com/2011/03/06/rationalist-club-of-periyar-maniammai-university-trichy-tamil-nadu-india/

http://nirmukta.com/2011/04/03/second-rationalist-programme-at-periyar-maniammai-university-vallam-trichy-tamil-nadu/

Quiz:

Last week’s question: When was rice first cultivated in India?

Answer, ~ 4000 years ago.

http://www.pnas.org/content/108/20/8351.abstract

This week, fallacy hunting:

Deepak Chopra:

“We think that many times patients feel healed even though they may die from a disease, if they learn to go beyond their personal fear of death, and you can never do that unless you have a patient…have a spiritual experience.”

Discuss here: http://nirmukta.net/Thread-What-fallacy-ies-do-you-think-apply-to-this-sentence-by-Chopra

Music:

Rising legends, by Epic Soul Factory
Warrior of the light, by David Palmero
Cherubs, by Josh Woodward
Tout sera plus comme avant, by OST
Corri, by Talco
8 Noves Fora, by Camerata Brasileira
Jim & Ruth, by The Wind Whistles

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

The Cosmic Boondocks – Episode #2, May 22, 2011

Ajita Kamal — Sun, 22 May 2011 13:30:46 +0000

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“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 #2 (22/5/2011) Shownotes

News Stories:

1. The End of the World:

Harold Camping and his Family Radio organization, on Judgment Day: May 21, 2011.

2. Yoga can help fight breast cancer

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Yoga-helps-fight-breast-cancer-say-scientists/Article1-699620.aspx

3. Ramdev’s quackery; near-death by asphyxiation:

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/15/2011051620110516033811382ad49a8b/Baba-Ramdev%E2%80%99s-cure-for-hair-loss-blocks-woman%E2%80%99s-food-pipe.html

CDSCO: http://cdsco.nic.in/html/Drugs_ContAd.html

4. Indian government to link caste, religion to poverty survey:

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-05-19/india/29559870_1_caste-enumeration-bpl-census-obc

Science News:

1. Elective amputation for bionic limb.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13273348

2. Endeavor carrying microbes to space station to test theory that alien life may have spawned life on earth:

Pictures of the “Ring of Fire” from the Endeavor launch: http://www.stuckincustoms.com/2011/05/17/space-shuttle-launch/

3. Potentially the first habitable exoplanet identified:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110516080124.htm

Superstition of the week:

Clipping your nails at night can bring bad luck.

Quiz:

When was rice first cultivated in India?

Music:

Rising Legends, by Epic Soul Factory

I thought of you, by Maria Montilla

Built to last, by Fall Walk Run

Androzo, by Dudledrum

Gotas de nectar, by Thisan

What you want is lost, by Orphan Songs

People need people, by Kachkin

Strutin, by Tyrad

David and Goliath, by Wooden Legs

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

The Cosmic Boondocks- Episode #1, May 15, 2011

Ajita Kamal — Sun, 15 May 2011 12:28:42 +0000

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“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 #1 (15/5/2011) Shownotes

News Stories:

1. Sai Baba’s Death:

http://nirmukta.com/2011/04/16/the-bhagwan-of-puttaparthi/

http://www.gurusfeet.com/blog/controversy-about-sathya-sai-baba-039-s-death-date-etc

http://robertpriddy.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/sai-baba-prediction-of-his-death/

2. God’s banks In UP:

http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/05/06/idINIndia-56818720110506

3. USCIRF puts India on religious extremism watch list:

http://www.uscirf.gov/news-room/uscirf-in-the-news/3616-5022011-india-on-us-watch-list-cath-news-india.html

4. National Technology Day:

http://in.news.yahoo.com/former-president-kalam-presents-national-awards-technology-day-154823826.html

5. Lisa Burke Lakshmi

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-05-12/shows/29535356_1_swimwear-hindu-sentiments-collection

Science stories

1. Ozone hole is getting smaller faster than predicted.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/74280/title/Ozone_hole_on_the_mend

2. Einstein’s General Relativity holds for large scales such as galaxies and super clusters.

http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100310/full/news.2010.113.html

3. Harbor seals used whiskers to determine the size and shape of objects.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/17/science/17obseals.html

4. Tasmanian Tiger extinction news.

http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2011/04/29/rsbl.2011.0364

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/10/science/10obtasmania.html?ref=science

Superstition of the week

Fear of Friday the 13th.

Friggatriskaidekaphobia

Quiz question

When is National Science Day in India, and what is its significance?

Music:

Rising Legends, by Epic Soul Factory

Get back in line, by Julandrew

Painted Dream, by The Green Waltz

Tortuga, by Talco

Sitarial, by DJad

Grandmaster Turtle, by Anitek

Pueblo Duerme, by La Barca De Sua

Between Light and Shadow, by Triplexity

Je cherche Mon Chemin, by Et Pourtant

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

Nirmukta Radio Podcast Episode 5 – Hemant Mehta, Narendra Nayak, Rakshi Rath

Ajita Kamal — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 19:50:39 +0000

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Episode 5 of the Nirmukta Radio Podcast features two pre-recorded online conversations that I put together. The first one is between myself and a couple of activists in India- Prof. Narendra Nayak, the president of the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations and Rakshi Rath, a co-editor at Nirmukta. Professor Nayak talks about his tours and recent television appearances. We also discuss a couple of contentious topics that came up on the forums. The audio quality of this first conversation is pretty bad because of the technical limitations (on the India side of the conversation, me being in the US at present) that we were working with. We are terribly sorry about the quality of this first part of the podcast. The second conversation is between myself and Hemant Mehta, the author of I Sold My Soul On Ebay and creator and author of the Friendly Atheist blog. Hemant and I talk about his work with the Secular Student Alliance (he was the Chair of the Board of Directors at the time of the recording), an organization who’s mission, according to the website, is as follows :

The mission of the Secular Student Alliance is to organize, unite, educate, and serve students and student communities that promote the ideals of scientific and critical inquiry, democracy, secularism, and human-based ethics.

This episode of Nirmukta Radio will be the last of this series. I’ve had a blast recording my conversations with the leaders of the Freethought movement, putting them into the podcast format and bringing them to the Freethought community in India. But it is time for the podcast to grow and represent what Nirmukta has grown into. Starting next month, September 2010, we will be posting a new series of Nirmukta Radio Podcasts, featuring an entire team of panelists and a new and exciting podcast format. We will discuss news and opinion on the issues that relate to science, skepticism, atheism etc.

Thank you for listening to the Nirmukta Radio Podcast. Nirmukta Radio is a production of Nirmukta.com. Music is Te Laudant by Cryptocrat.

My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-437a218916e14ccc61b5874d27953487}

Nirmukta Radio Podcast Episode #4: Interview – Blair Scott, Affiliate Director for American Atheists

Ajita Kamal — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:03:22 +0000

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Blair Scott is the Affiliate Director for American Atheists, an organization founded in 1963 by Madalyn Murray O’Hair to fight for separation of Church and State and equal rights for Atheists in the US. He is also the Alabama State Director for American Atheists. Blair’s activism in the Freethought movement is not limited to his work with AA. He is also the Press Relations Director of the North Alabama Freethought Association, and has been a prominent figure in Alabama Freethought circles since he founded the organization in 2002. He uses the internet extremely effectively as a promotion tool, through social media such as facebook, twitter and myspace, as well as through his own website, alabamaatheist.org. Blair has been one of the most vocal Atheist activists in America and is widely recognized for his work in promoting Atheist and Freethought causes both online and off.

This interview covers everything from Blair’s early brush with religion and his experiences as an atheist in the US navy, to his current work in Atheist activism and his multi-dimensional approach towards promoting freethought. Blair Scott’s experience in Atheist PR makes him a valuable source of information for our quest to promote Freethought in India.

Nirmukta Radio is a production of Nirmukta.com. The host is Ajita Kamal and the music is Te Laudant by Cryptocrat

Interview: Dr. Prabhakar Kamath On His Consumer Rights Activism in India

Ajita Kamal — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 08:28:32 +0000

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Very few people are exceptionally well-read on any one subject, and fewer still are masters of more than one area of expertise. Only the most versatile of people extend themselves any farther than that. Dr. Prabhakar Kamath is one such man.

Dr. Kamath has been writing a series of articles here on Nirmukta, on the evolution of religious thought in ancient India. His training as a psychiatrist and his years of research on the history of India have given him much insight into the nature of the Indian mindset. Dr. Kamath is also well versed in the Bhagavad Gita. What is unique in the way Dr. Kamath reads the Gita, however, is that he reads it side by side with the known historical accounts of the subcontinent. This has given him a unique perspective, apparent in his articles here.

In this interview, we shine the light on another aspect of Dr. Kamath’s life’s work – his activism. After years of practicing psychiatry in the United States, Dr. Kamath moved back to India and through a series of events ended up founding and leading the modern consumer rights movement, the first of its kind in the country. This interview gives us a peek into the life of this great man, in the hope that some of his ideas and principles will influence us in our quest to promote freethought and rational thinking in India.

At the end of a lengthy recording session, Dr. Kamath still had much to say. We have decided that he will come on the show again to talk a bit more about his activism. Future interviews are also planned to discuss Dr. Kamath’s insights into Brahmanism and Indian history.

Science and Skepticism Interview: Dr. Steven Novella

Ajita Kamal — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:47:54 +0000

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Few people have done more for popularizing the modern skepticism movement than Dr. Steven Novella. Once a week as host of the very popular Skeptics Guide to the Universe podcast, this unassuming academic clinical neurologist at the Yale University School of Medicine has tens of thousands of enthusiastic skeptics, rationalists and science aficionados hanging on his every word. Dr. Novella, together with his team of ‘Rogues’, tackle recent events in the news and cut through the B.S. to present a science-based view of things. The podcast has been a great resource for me personally, guiding me through the muddle of the mainstream news coverage on important scientific questions and providing me with the tools to think logically and within the bounds of reason.

I had the chance to interview Dr. Novella at the North East Conference on Science and Skepticism, held in New York City on September the 12^th. He had just finished a live taping of the SGU podcast and was so kind as to allow me the pleasure of interviewing him despite my cutting into his schedule. He spoke about skepticism, science and medicine with characteristic clarity of approach.

Here are a few links to Dr. Steven Novella’s skeptical work.

The Skeptics Guide to the Universe Podcast : Find RSS feeds to the SGU podcast and the 5×5 podcast.

The podcast is produced by the New England Skeptical Society, of which Dr. Novella is the president. Dr. Novella also writes at the Science-based Medicine blog, Neurologica, The Rogues Gallery (along with co-hosts of the SGU podcast) and Skepticblog (along with other leaders of the skepticism movement).

Nirmukta Radio is produced by nirmukta.com. Technical production is by Salvatore Barra. The music is Te Laudant by Cryptocrat.