Mark McCaffreyOur April 2012 SkepTalk at Cafe Valparaiso was presented by Mark McCaffrey, climate science specialist at the National Center for Science Education. Speaking on "Skeptical About Climate Skepticism", McCaffrey contended we need to respect the science of climate science so we can "have an adult conversation" about the issue of global warming and other climate change issues. A Youtube video is now available: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMV6MCv3JXY&feature=em-uploademail

Skeptics Toolbox LogoIf you have never attended a Skeptics Toolbox, or if you have, now is the time to register for the summer 2012 course. These courses, sponsored by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, are held in Eugene Oregon every summer, and include discussions and workshops led by expert skeptical investigators. Check out the website for further information. http://www.skepticstoolbox.org/ Being on the west coast has its advantages!

Photo by Marcio Jose Sanchez / APThe 90-year-old Alameda preacher who convinced hundreds of followers that the world was going to end last May now acknowledges he was wrong. "Events in the last year have proved that no man can be fully trusted," Harold Camping wrote... http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/03/09/BASF1NIFIL.DTL

Yau-Man ChanMost of us have seen ads for questionable pills, liquids, and powders that promise to give our bodies an extra advantage. Whether it be weight loss, immune system boost, fuller, thicker hair, or younger looking skin, there’s a quick fix being sold for it. In today’s economy, youthfulness and good health are joined at the top of our panic list with a new concern: better gas mileage. But don’t worry! There’s a quick fix for that, too! Or is there? This topic was addressed at the October 12th, 2011 SkepTalk by our own Yau-Man Chan, scientific instrument engineer, Skeptiblog author, and star of “Survivor Fiji” in a discussion of the bad economics (and even worse chemistry) of automotive snake oil. Yau-Man began his talk by introducing us to a product called EnviroTabs®, sold as “an organometallic metal conditioner that acts as a burn-rate modifier that catalyzes fuel.” In short, its makers claim that EnviroTabs® improves fuel economy, saving you money. Using it is simple; just drop a tablet into your tank on each fill-up, and you’ll

Chabot Space and Science Center director Alex Zwissler posted a good blog taking to task the San Francisco Chronicle for misapplication of "balance" in their coverage of the public controversy over the safety of smartmeters. Good reading: Alex ZwisslerSMARTMETERS ARTICLE

Yeti FingerPhysical evidence, scientifically analyzed, reveals reality far better than anecdotes, story-telling, and wishful thinking. Proponents of the "Yeti" (Himalayan "abominable snowman") touted a finger taken from a "Yeti" hand displayed at the Pangboche Temple's monastery in Nepal in 1958. If the Yeti is a real species, that wouldn't contradict Science, but it would add a fascinating complication to the complex story of humanity's heritage. The finger's DNA has now been analyzed. It's human. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16264752 The news report pointedly doesn't state *which* finger it is, but I have my suspicions.