You're listening to the Skeptics Guide to the Universe.

Your escape to reality.

Hello and welcome to the Skeptics Guide to the Universe.

Today is Thursday, January 15, 2009, and this is your host, Stephen Novella, president

of the New England Skeptical Society.

Joining me this evening are Bob Novella, everybody, Evan Bernstein, hi everyone, and

Jane Novella.

Hey guys, Rebecca is a little under the weather this evening.

She says she lost her voice.

She's definitely a winter bug going around, but hopefully she'll be able to join us next

week.

We are recording a day late this week because we had an extended interview with Michio

Kaku last night, and we'll be playing some of that later in the show.

And it turned out to be a little bit fortuitous because there was a very interesting news

item today that we wouldn't have gotten to until next week if we hadn't delayed the show

by a day, but before that, Evan, you have to tell us what's special about today.

Well, we have a couple things that are special about today.

So we have a birth, we have a death, and we have an event.

So we're going to celebrate the birth of Benjamin Franklin on January 17th, 17th, and

the rest of the gentlemen.

Oh yeah.

Yes.

...