Skepticism
Skepchick Quickies, Weekend Edition – 11.8
- Paddy Power offers odds of 4-1 that God exists. (Thanks, Entirely Different Steve.)
- This is fun: measuring the speed of light with chocolate chips. (Thanks, Huw.)
- If chocolate chips aren’t your preferred experimental science substance, then you’ll enjoy the fact that scientists have discovered they can use tequila to make diamonds.
- Notes from Thames Valley University’s homeopathic degree program: “At the root of most holistic therapies lies the belief that all life is animated by a subtle force. We call this the Life Force. You either believe it or you do not. It cannot exactly be proved at the moment and the belief is not in accord with the yardsticks that we call ‘scientific.'”
- I know you all are probably up-to-date on Pharyngula, but I particularly liked PZ’s take on the tragedy of the recent Somali stoning victim.
In the time it took me to realize I get drunk long before I can make diamonds. I have mysteriously run out of chocolate chips. Will have to google speed of light any way. Wouldn’t Mr. Wizard be proud of this experiment.
I particularly liked the quotes surrounding the word scientific….like it’s something stodgy and old. I can just see the author making airquotes while saying the word.
I’ve tried the chocolate chip thing before (youtube video here) and came up about 14% off the correct value.
Oh, good, somebody finally found a use for tequila. God knows it’s no good for drinking.
The book “How to Fossilize your Hampster” was in the “currently reading” section a few months ago. I actually already owned the book, and tried some of the experiments in it.
The book had a version of the chocolate chip one, using a Hershey bar. Adrebellious and I did it, and it was pretty tasty.
The first link doesn’t work for me. Looks like the href has an extra quotation mark at the end.
Sorry about the first link. It’s good now.
“tradegy”? Typo?
Note to self – post later in the day, when fully conscious and caffeinated. I’m blaming Firefox spell check for the last one, which apparently accepts alternate spellings.
@Jen: That’s funny. :)
Speed of light from a microwave experiement works much better with a large piece of hard-ish Cheese (say, Jarlsburg) as you can take it out and measure the distance between melt-spots.
It was on the A-level Physics course way back when I was still at school!
@Joshua: tequila does make a good window glass cleaner. ;-)
It sounds like the Thames Valley University is training Jedi Knights or something. “…all life is animated by a subtle force. We call this the Life Force. You either believe it or you do not. ”
Damn, it almost sounds like Yoda. :-D Is someone over there channeling George Lucas?