Skepticality #115 - The Green Fairy - Guest: Cheryl Lins, owner Delaware Phoenix Distillery
11/10/09 • 79 min
Absinthe. The very name of this anise-flavored spirit has become synonymous with the forbidden. Associated with marijuana and other illicit drugs, it is said to cause hallucinatory and psychoactive secondary effects, delusions, criminal tendencies, convulsions, tuberculosis and death. At the start of the 20th century, these beliefs were reported by the media, widely promoted by the French wine industry, and spread via propaganda posters. This led to a ban on absinthe in Europe and the United States (lasting nearly 100 years). This week on Skepticality, Swoopy talks with Cheryl Lins, owner of Delaware Phoenix Distilleries in Walton, New York, about how this once-accepted and popular drink came to be outlawed and misunderstood — and how it was eventually resurrected at the hands of skeptics and scientists.
Absinthe. The very name of this anise-flavored spirit has become synonymous with the forbidden. Associated with marijuana and other illicit drugs, it is said to cause hallucinatory and psychoactive secondary effects, delusions, criminal tendencies, convulsions, tuberculosis and death. At the start of the 20th century, these beliefs were reported by the media, widely promoted by the French wine industry, and spread via propaganda posters. This led to a ban on absinthe in Europe and the United States (lasting nearly 100 years). This week on Skepticality, Swoopy talks with Cheryl Lins, owner of Delaware Phoenix Distilleries in Walton, New York, about how this once-accepted and popular drink came to be outlawed and misunderstood — and how it was eventually resurrected at the hands of skeptics and scientists.
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Skepticality #114 - Monster Talk! - Guests: Blake Smith, Ben Radford & Dr. Karen Stollznow
Cryptozoological creatures like Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster and the Chupacabra have fascinated and inspired monster hunters for generations, providing endless reports of sightings, unverified film footage and blurry photographs to feed the public imagination. Thankfully, this kind of speculation and storytelling has also given rise to a new generation of skeptical investigators who use the tools of science to dig into monster claims. This week on Skepticality, Derek & Swoopy talk with Benjamin Radford, Dr. Karen Stollznow, and Blake Smith — the team from the podcast MonsterTalk.
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Skepticality #116 - Evolution Rx - Guest: Dr. William Meller
Water bottles, hand sanitizer, anti-bacterial soap, vitamin supplements, broad spectrum antibiotics - ancient man had none of these things, and yet in harsh conditions he not only survived, but thrived. The study of evolutionary medicine illuminates how the past adaptation of early humans to their ancestral environment now affects contemporary humans with our vastly different diet, life expectancy, degree of physical exercise, and hygiene. This week on Skepticality, Swoopy talks with Dr. William Meller, MD about his book "Evolution RX" which delves into the latest research in genetics, biology, and early human history in order to better understand a wide array of human health conditions and the ways in which our bodies have evolved to combat them.
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