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Today’s topics: Believe in butter, some stuff about science, and a really fast horse

Audio:

Ottawa’s Jazz Festival lineup was announced – Feist, Joss Stone (Doc’s fav), Downchild and Kenny Rogers!

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Jazz Festival lineup announced - Downchild, Joss Stone, and Kenny Rogers. But in what condition?

Originally Aired: March 23, 2017

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Science:

We played ‘Go Ahead And Stump Us’ today. One of the questions was “how far have radio waves traveled into space from the Earth?” We figured the first intentional broadcast of radio waves into space might have happened around 1940, so we guessed 77 light years away (radio waves in space travel at the speed of light – also it turns out the first broadcast into space was in 1974). However, the premise given was that Fessenden’s first broadcast of radio waves in 1900 must have made it into space somehow, so the correct answer is 117 light years. However, before you get excited about an alien 117 light years away hearing our signals, know that they will be basically nothing when they get there, thanks to the inverse square law. Read more here and learn stuff about science!

butter margarine

Video:

We found out (again) that butter is good for you (again). A new book called Butter: A Rich History extols the benefits – better for diabetes, cancer and obesity. Calcium, potassium, Omega-3 fatty acids, and loads of vitamins. Meanwhile margarine (preferred by 20% of the CHEZ nation at last count) is much, much worse. (And yes, it IS one molecule away from being plastic, but that is actually meaningless, scientifically speaking. Here is a more comprehensive breakdown.) And here is Homer wrapping a stick of butter in a waffle:

We’ve been laughing our butts off all morning at the sound of this guy holding on for dear life as the retired racehorse he bought goes FULL RACEHORSE despite his pleas!