Penn Teller Second Hand Smoke Correction

g12er's video from December 28, 2006

Penn and Teller correct a claim from their TV show Bullshit. Penn explains there is evidence that second hand smoke does cause cancer. This is from a Q and A session at the Amazing Meeting (January 2005). Southpark did an episode which incorrectly asserts there is no tie as well.

Public health risks are in the public interest.

More information:
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/fa...

• Category

  Science & Technology

[1ND1G0O]

I love Penn & Teller! When they're wrong about something they admit it!

They say,"We apologise, we were wrong!" And I can respect that! If only the politicians had the same courage to admit their mistakes then we would live in a much better country

[FallenSparrow]

@scragar You should check your facts on the South Park episode because Matt Stone and Trey Parker never say that there is no connection between smoking and health problems. If I may quote a song from the episode:

"And if it gives me cancer when I'm eighty I don't care

Who the hell wants to be ninety anyway?"

Like Penn and Teller, South Park raised the issue of totalitarianism. There is little point in having the freedom of a longer life if it means that other freedoms are rescinded.

[DeepPackChopra]

moral of the story- being old school and spamming celebrities with reams and reams of faxes actually can accomplish something.

Also, does anyone know which studies caused Penn and Teller to change their minds?

[blahblah3546592]

I whole-heartedly agree RoyalDog, but your language offends me. that kind of language Should be restricted by the government. CHILDREN can read this! It's fine if you want to speak like that in a private place, but please not around other people. Your misuse of the word "effect" also offends me, so you should be fined $500.

[tgit23]

The REAL ISSUE here is what does "danger" really mean. Anyone can prove that some person on the other side of the world throwing a baseball could be dangerous to our health if an international plane accidentally caught hold of the baseball, flew it across the world and dropped in on my head. For that reason in one SINGLE study, we'd like to ban all foreigners from throwing baseballs and excuse us for believing it wasn't dangerous. Psychopaths never rest till freedom is all but non-existent.

[scotty]

Why couldn't he just say in the beginning we were fucking wrong on that? Ego? He's Bullshitting and justifying and attempting to excuse this and it degrades him. He's supposed to oppose Bullshit. 

[scotty]

Penn and Teller stepped into some Bullshit of their own on this one. Governments benefit by having people smoke. They are reluctant to restrict it in any way and like safety belts for cars and environmental restrictions for wealthy corporations, which own and run the governments by the way, they resist. Not having people live long lives serves the government though and the tobacco industries own studies have shown governments benefits by having people smoke. The government wants it!

[darkjudgeofd00m]

second hand smoke denial is cute

[shashankaraokar]

No they do not apologize. They apologize only when they know they are about to lose people's faith. In every single episode, they have used non-scientific methods to prove things. We need skeptics alright, we just don't need Penn and Teller

[shashankaraokar]

Why are all idiots clapping? Penn and Teller brought shame to the skeptical and scientific community. These guys just exploit their proximity to James Randi.

[fruitytuttiluigi]

Its like you've never heard of a good/bad dichotomy before.

Lets just agree to say theyre bad scientists capiche?

[fruitytuttiluigi]

Theres actually a some studies that suggest that it might be a cure for some forms of alzheimers.

Then again it could just be another ruse. Only time will tell