Are We Alone for 03/23/09 - Skeptical Sunday: Take a Number

Are We Alone - "Skeptical Sunday: Take a Number "
Pick a number, any number. Got it? Good. Is it a lucky or unlucky? Is it a code that gives you a clue to the future? A lot of people assign all sorts of magical significance to numbers. From Friday the 13th to lucky number 7 – we’ll find out whether the idea of digits of destiny adds up. Plus, 666 and 616: find out what famous figures these figures code for.

Learn the numbers that do have significance in math and nature: how a honey bee’s lineage is an example of the Fibonacci series.

Meanwhile, Brains on Vacation quashes satellite fireball rumors, and our Hollywood skeptic gives a “how to” for faking UFO photos.

It’s Skeptical Sunday.. but don’t take our word for it!

Guests:

• Phil Plait - Astronomer and author of badastronomy.com and Death from the Skies!
• Richard Wiseman - Psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire in England
• David Parker - Professor of New Testament Textual Criticism and Paleography at the University of Birmingham in England
• Pat McKeague - Teacher in San Luis Obispo in California
• Jim Underdown - Executive Director, Center for Inquiry in Los Angeles

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Are We A Blog?, the companion blog to the radio show.