Episode 15: Links

Listen to the Absolute Science podcast: Do TV writers get the science right?

(00:30) Bird flu update:

• “The revived [1918] killer was lethal to mice initially infected with as few as 1,000 virus particles, whereas some H5N1 virus isolates have killed mice infected with just 10 to 15 particles.” —Christine Soares, "Killer Ressurected" Scientific American December 2005, p. 34.

• (02:50) Bird flu virus gaining resistance to Tamiflu

News from the Blogs:

• (01:34) HEALTH'Sass highlights the best tidbits from a new DIY bird flu care book by Dr. Gratton Woodson.
  
• Oral rehydration therapy
  
• (04:15) SilverJacket comments on funny examples of "unintelligent design."

(06:07) Interview with Dr. David Foster, staff writer for the TV show House.

(15:11) Thanks to Scott Parent from American Cliche who aired our rant on his podcast last week.

(15:26) Correcting an error from last week:

• In our discussion on evolution (Episode 14), Patrick noted that although Catholicism had recently come out with a major change -- saying that purgatory didn't exist -- he hadn't heard of a lot of Catholics renouncing their faith...making the point that accepting the concept of evolution shouldn't be a major faith-shaker for people either. But, oops! Mary from Minnesota wrote in to let us know it was limbo that was abolished, not purgatory. The underlying point remains the same, but we regret the error. Here's more info on limbo versus purgatory:
• Wikipedia entry: Limbo
• Wikipedia entry: Purgatory

(16:27) Email us at absolutescience[at]welltopia.com.

(16:41) Please take our Listener Survey. Really. We'd appreciate it so much! It will help us get advertisers, and then we can devote more time to the podcast.