1

That CAN'T be true! / Does the weather affect your health, and can bad health be forecast?

« on: 25/03/2009 12:01:46 »

There is probably something in that but it still reminds me of a story from long ago.
In the days before ultrasound scans and such it was impossible to tell the sex of a baby before it was born. A doctor with more brains than honesty used to offer pregnant women a test- he would take a urine sample to his "laboratory" and examine it then tell the woman whether the child would be a boy or a girl.
He charged for this service but, each time he got it wrong he would give the woman her money back so that was all right.

Nice scam if you can get away with it.

Didn't he say it was a boy most the time, as well?  Due to the higher male birth rate (+infant mortality, or fatality if you've played too many arcade games) he was thus more likely to be right.

2

Chemistry / Organic Synthesis.. I bet you can't explain why?!!!!!!

« on: 24/03/2009 15:57:55 »

That is because I was the one who asked it on chemicalforums.com
You can also find the same question on yahoo answers

Sorry to give you false hope by bumping the thread, as I really have no idea whatsoever as to the answer; but I'd just like to say could you please post the responses of yahoo answers?  Not intending to be snobbish or such, but I generally find them quite entertaining.

3

That CAN'T be true! / Moon effecting human sexual side?

« on: 24/03/2009 14:56:45 »

I'm willing to bet it's a misconception as a result of men using a full moon, as something relatively sparsely occuring, as an attempt to get in a girl's knickers.

Much like flowers (to an extent), diamonds, gold, sunsets, etc. a full moon, as something that isn't there everyday and all the time, is something we set aside and consider an event to be appreciated and therefore it is pounced upon by overly active young men as an attempt, within a wider almost militaristic campaign of experimenting with any potential trigger, to get lucky with the object of their momentary desires.

Any evidence in support of the claim is most likely entirely coincidental due to the cyclic nature of activity within the lady-parts that might just, once in every few hundred people, fall in time with the orbit of the moon, and that's the person you hear the supporting evidence from.

For example:
A population of 10 000 ladies.
2 have the most sexually active point of their menstrual cycle coincide with the full moon.
You're looking for evidence on the matter - if you are doing so informally in uncontrolled conditions you're likely to find information only from those 2 (or maybe a few who set out to disprove it) - possibly caused by bias in the question, i.e. "Full moon, horny" and so instead of 0.02% of your population having their 'sexually intimidating towards Robert' peak at the full moon your result reads more like 100%.

Athankyouverymuch.

4

That CAN'T be true! / Second live on our planet

« on: 24/03/2009 14:33:35 »

At a push I think what he might mean is that:
Life is theorised, by many, to have began with some proteins and energy, such as from an electrical storm.  (Proteins, right?)

Now, it's also theorised by many that all life descends from an initial reaction of this nature and can be traced back to the first self replicating reaction.

So, could it be that bacteria didn't come from the same reaction as all other life, but from another one, in another gloop puddle somewhere else in the world?

5

That CAN'T be true! / Moses' Ark And Egyptian Sciences

« on: 24/03/2009 14:27:11 »

I give you:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baghdad_Battery
Sure, it's a wikipedia article, but hey, I'm lazy.

It's quite unlikely it was used to power any ancient Parthian scalextric set, but it's electrical none the less.

6

That CAN'T be true! / Is graphology really an -ology?

« on: 24/03/2009 14:03:41 »

It seems I've been effectively press-ganged into joining the forum; so I thought I'd go along with it and say thanks for the replies so far!

I was writing in reference to Graphology in specific as opposed to Questioned Document Examination; I'm pretty sure the latter has a lot going for it.

A next question would be does anyone have first hand or reliable experience of experiments whereby Graphology has been shown to have very little supporting evidence?  Just so you don't think I'm sponging off and doing none of the work myself I am checking out the studies referenced by wikipedia.

Next, in reference to Sophiecentaur, could we use an astrologist to predict the definition of a graphologist?  That needs more investigation, for sure.

7

That CAN'T be true! / Is graphology really an -ology?

« on: 22/03/2009 19:30:02 »

Robert Lee  asked the Naked Scientists:
   
Dear Naked Scientist,

First off, I found you through the [relatively non-commercial] site b3ta.com; and I must say it makes a change from the majority of news agencies' science sections, which mostly consist of "ZOMG, ASTEROID DEATH!" etc. whilst still being something light for listening to during off-hours.  However, aside from the thanks my question is as to Graphology.

I have in the past attended "The Language Show" at the London Olympia, and amongst the many talks on accents, etymology, tasting sessions for languages as well as attempts to garner as many freebies as is possible from the many different stalls (liberal nationalist Romanian music from the 1920s, hurrah!) there was one lecture on Graphology.  Due possibly to the limited time available for the talk there were many questions left unanswered by everyone who attended and the science behind Graphology seemed wobbly at best.

The question is is Graphology truly an ology?  How can one quantify the accuracy of its claims?  As it has only recently been developed and so is still in an early stage of calibration (or so was claimed) how can any of the conclusions be reliable, considering that definitions of certain handwriting characteristics are still open to interpretation (cynically read as:  Graphologists can change their mind about anything at any time)?  If the matter of the study of handwriting is of interest to you then I would look forward to hearing it discussed, however briefly, in the show.  If you wish to investigate Graphology then I am perfectly willing to be used as a guinea pig (i.e. Handwriting samples, psychologists' reports, etc.)


(Also, for the podcast dated 15.03.09 there is the point of a study of hair on the thigh.  A slightly related note is that I've found if I get a shiver then I feel it through my head, neck, forearms and lower legs, but not my thighs.  I am male.  This may be something one could investigate by slipping in to everyday conversation, say, on the bus.)

Yours in gratitude,
Robert Lee

What do you think?