The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe - The Skeptics Guide #651 – Dec 30 2017
Year end review; Science 2017; Best and Worst of 2017; In Memoriam; Science or Fiction
Cato Daily Podcast - Inside Private Prisons
What incentives govern private prisons? Are they fundamentally different from state-run facilities? Do private prison operators or the unions that represent prison workers hold undue sway over policymakers? Lauren-Brooke Eisen is author of Inside Private Prisons.
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Opening Arguments - OA134: Do Intergalactic Extraterrestrial Anchor Babies Use Cryptocurrency?
Today's episode is a deep dive into cryptocurrency. First, we're delighted to share some breaking news with you that follows up on our Episode 132 about a student and his crazy-person lawyer trying to introduce creationism at Thomas's old high school, Bret Harte High. As it turns out, friend of the show and FFRF attorney Andrew Seidel has written a masterful letter to the school and offered to co-counsel with them pro bono. In the extra-length main segment, we discuss some of the issues surrounding cryptocurrency and the law. Finally, we end with an all-new Thomas Takes the Bar Exam Question #56 about the fraudulent sale of a stove. Remember that you can play along with #TTTBE by retweeting our episode on Twitter or sharing it on Facebook along with your guess. We'll release the answer on next Tuesday's episode along with our favorite entry! Recent Appearances Andrew was recently a guest on Episode 14 of the How-To Heretic podcast! Give it a listen! Show Notes & Links
- We first discussed Bret Harte High in our Episode 132; you can also read an account of the school board hearing; visit crazy person Greg Glaser's website and read all about the evils of vaccinations, numerological theology, and (of course) his proposed Earth Constitution.
- Andrew Seidel's letter is republished (with his permission) here.
- The actual cases relevant to the dispute are Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District, 393 U.S. 503 (1969) and Kitzmiller v. Dover, 400 F.Supp.2d 707 (M.D. Pa. 2005).
- If you love Andrew Seidel, you might want to go back to his previous appearances on the show, Episode 82 (on Trinity Lutheran), Episode 85 (which was originally a Patreon-only exclusive),Episode 111, and Episode 131.
- And if that's still not enough Andrew for you, you can catch up on Andrew Seidel's most recent writings: his op-ed on Masterpiece Cakeshop, which you can read here; his blog post on right-wing legal organizations; and, of course, his FFRF press release celebrating the victory in keeping Mateer and Talley off the federal bench.
- You can view the IGM survey we discuss here.
- This is the bitcoin FAQ.
- The case I discuss is SEC v. Shavers, 2013 WL 4028182 (E.D. Texas Aug. 6, 2013, Case No. 4:13-cv-416).
The Gist - Your Brain Is Bad With Money
On The Gist, Mike says goodbye to Roy Moore yet again, after an Alabama judge rejected Moore’s lawsuit to contest his opponent’s Senate win.
In the interview, Dan Ariely tells us “how we misthink money and how to spend smarter.” That’s the subtitle of his book on the ways we value the wrong things and fail to think long term. Ariely is the co-author, with Jeff Kreisler, of Dollars and Sense.
In the Spiel, Mike looks back on the worst op-eds of 2017.
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Cato Daily Podcast - A Look at Financial Reform in 2018
Will elements of Dodd Frank and the Patriot Act that burden banks go away in 2018? Bert Ely discusses elements of financial regulation that might get changed.
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Omnibus - Newton’s Cradle (Entry 835.1C1311)
In which thousands of soulless corporate executives put little steel toys on their desks but still feel dead inside, and Ken finally learns how those little drinking birds work. Certificate #31932.
Serious Inquiries Only - SIO106: Thinking Rationally on Cenk Uygur’s Past Sexism
... and another great round of your voicemails! A website called thewrap.com unearthed some old blog posts by Cenk Uygur in which he wrote some alarmingly sexist things. He has since apologized and emphasized that he doesn't believe those things anymore. Here is their article and here's the biased Gateway Pundit Article. How ought we to evaluate something like this in the wake of the #metoo moment? I have a lot to say about that, and about the cynical, bad-faith attempts on the right to both claim #metoo is a witch hunt, but also to use it when it pleases them. Leave Thomas a voicemail! (916) 750-4746, remember short and to the point! Support the show at seriouspod.com/support! Follow us on Twitter: @seriouspod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seriouspod For comments, email thomas@seriouspod.com
The Gist - Hobby Lobby Is Just Getting Started
On The Gist, Mike runs through the major news of the past few days, while much of the news media is on vacation.
In the interview, Hobby Lobby scored a famous Supreme Court win for evangelicals in 2014, allowing certain corporations to deny covering their employees’ contraception costs. Professor of theology Candida Moss tells us about the family behind the company, and their crusade to promote fundamental Christianity. Moss is the co-author, with Joel Baden, of Bible Nation: The United States of Hobby Lobby.
In the Spiel, it’s almost as if the scales are tipped in favor of Vladimir Putin as he runs for re-election in March.
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Cato Daily Podcast - Judicial Nomination Fights Blaze on
You might hold higher hopes that the worst days are gone in the fight over judicial nominations. Ilya Shapiro says they may be poised to get more rancorous and bitter.
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Uncivil - The Portrait
A listener voicemail sends us deep down the rabbit hole into one of the most toxic myths of the Confederacy.
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