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I was interviewed by friend, pro radio guy, and fellow skeptic Paul Harris for KIRO radio in Seattle on Thursday. We talked Jenny McCarthy, Oprah, Star Trek, Hubble, and the upcoming TAMs. Paul posted the audio online, or you can download the MP3 directly.
If you went to BadAstronomy.com and found yourself here, never fear: the BA Blog has moved to its new home at Discover Blogs. The original BA site (with the Moon Hoax debunking and all that) is still online, too.
Phil Plait, the creator of Bad Astronomy, is an astronomer, lecturer, and author. After ten years working on Hubble Space Telescope and six more working on astronomy education, he struck out on his own as a writer. He has written two books, dozens of magazine articles, and 12 bazillion blog articles. He is a skeptic, and fights misuses of science as well as praising the wonder of real science.
Contact me: The Bad Astronomer "at" gmail "dot" com
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"Reading this book is like getting punched in the face by Carl Sagan. Frightening, but oddly exhilarating."
-- Daniel H. Wilson, author of How to Survive a Robot Uprising
DISCOVERmagazine.com: Latest Articles on Space DISCOVER Blogs: The Loom
May 30th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
I’d like to recommend to you the following article. I explains an evolutionary pressure to believe. I found that interesting.
Bill White
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN MAGAZINE
Why People Believe Invisible Agents Control the World
A Skeptic’s take on souls, spirits, ghosts, gods, demons, angels, aliens and other invisible powers that be.
May 30th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
A Google search for “Phil” yields Dr.Phil.com (*retch*) followed by Phil Spector and Phil Collins. We have much work to do…
May 30th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
One of the great things about the Internet is the ability to listen to any on-line radio station in the world as though it is a local radio station. Previously, in the old days before broadband Internet, one had to rely on the short-wave radio with its annoying fade-outs; however, half the fun of listening to the short-wave was to pull some remote radio station from the ‘ether’ — especially if the short-wave radio was homemade from a kit!
BTW, nice listening to your interview with Paul Harris, Phil.
May 30th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
IVAN3MAN:
When I was a teenager, and then in College, I used to crawl into bed and search the dial on my AM clock radio from far away stations that I could only pick up at night. It was amazing to pull in stations from Florida, Utah, California, New York, all while living in Western Canada. Of course by 5AM, they would start to fade out and totally disappear. There was something ‘magical’ about those days. The world seemed a whole lot bigger. In some ways, I miss that.
May 30th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
I understand what you mean, Michael. I received a radio that could pick up short-wave (just a cheap store bought ghetto-blaster type box), but with the antennae out at night I could pull in stations from all over. That was over 30 years ago now, but I still remember those feelings. It was like a long Christmas gift opening session because you`d never know what the next tweak of the knob would pull in. It also gives you a perspective you normally wouldn`t get. When the jetliner was shot down I heard the U.S. version but at night I heard Radio Moscow version. I miss those days of huddling by the radio.
Phil, you`re right! I googled just Chris and he is first. You`ve got your work cut out for you now.
May 30th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Just so you know, Phil, your constant mention of her is the only reason I have any idea who Jenny McCarthy is. All publicity is good publicity…
May 30th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
lemming:
Jenny (or, rather her platform) is sufficiently dangerous that it’s a “know your enemy” situation.
May 31st, 2009 at 12:45 am
People will not listen to a station (on the Internet, or anywhere else) as if it is a local station, unless the local-time (and broadcast day) of the station is the same as their own! This whole idea of reaching a global audience via the Internet is nonsense.
May 31st, 2009 at 1:05 am
@LabLemming:
I assume you don’t read Playboy????
May 31st, 2009 at 1:29 am
@Michael L
Does anyone really “read” Playboy? You mean there are words in there?
May 31st, 2009 at 4:15 am
I get the feeling Phil wasn’t expecting that he would be asked about his thoughts on Star Trek.
May 31st, 2009 at 9:58 am
When I was in DC, Paul Harris was my favorite morning guy before he got moved off to sports talk.
May 31st, 2009 at 11:06 am
@eddie:
So I’ve been told, but I never read it…
May 31st, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Ah, AM radio. I worked at one of the few ‘daytime only’ AM stations left. (Most have multiple antennae that create a ‘directional’ signal after sunset). For more information on why AM does a nighttime ‘bounce’, Wiki Heaviside Layer.
J/P=?
correction: actually Kennelly-Heaviside layer.
June 1st, 2009 at 1:35 am
Phil, I recently “rediscovered” your blog (way back in the day I went to your original site for the Moon Landing stuff) and this is the first time I have heard you in an interview – on a local station of mine, no less.
You spoke clearly and bluntly, which is what is needed in this type of issue. kudos to you!