The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #980 April 17th 2024 Segment #1. What’s the Word Anhedonia Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – New Scams https://wwhttps://www.npr.org/2023/03/22/1165448073/voice-clones-ai-scams-ftcw.npr.org/2023/03/22/1165448073/voice-clones-ai-scams-ftc News Item #2 – Reconductoring https://theness.com/neurologicablog/reconductoring-our-electrical-grid/ News Item #3 – ISS Space Junk Crashed Through Home https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/16/24131804/nasa-confirms-iss-space-station-junk-crashed-into-florida-home News Item #4 – Zombie Cicadas https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/cicadas-zombies-hyper-sexual-sexually-transmitted-fungus-expected-to-emerge-this-year-massospora-cicadina/ News Item #5 – Death by Wellness https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-17/ballarat-clunes-wellness-retreat-drink-death/103730712 Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Drug AI Development Correction Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Item 1: A new economic study finds that by 2050 the economic loss of climate change will be about 19% of the global economy, or 38 trillion dollars annually, even without further emissions. Item 2: Scientists have bioengineered a cultivar of corn that has orange stalks and leaves, to make weeding easier for robots. Item 3: Paleontologists have formally described the largest marine reptile, an ichthyosaur estimated at 25 meters, about the size of a blue whale. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Actual science is _the_ great accomplishment of mankind. The antidote to ignorance, superstition, religious zealotry, and nonsensical beliefs in general. An eclipse exemplifies, to even the lay-est of laypeople, just how advanced modern science is." John Gruber

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #979 April 7th 2024 Live from Dallas With special guest Dustin Bates from Starset https://starset.fandom.com/wiki/Dustin_Bates Segment #1. Science of Eclipses https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/nasa-research/ Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – AI Designed Drugs https://theness.com/neurologicablog/ai-designed-drugs/ News Item #2 – AI Music https://www.shootonline.com/spw/new-study-ai-music-production-pits-human-against-machine https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-ai-music-songwriting-tennessee-eb95c850f13fd78f9e65abce2ee45091 https://completemusicupdate.com/icmp-launches-rights-reservations-portal-setting-out-the-legal-and-moral-obligations-of-ai-companies/ News Item #3 – Music Getting Simpler https://theness.com/neurologicablog/is-music-getting-simpler/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/song-lyrics-really-are-getting-simpler-and-more-repetitive-study-finds/ News Item #4 – Aphantasia Spectrum Exploring Aphantasia: The Mind Without a Mental Picture - Neuroscience News News Item #5 – Nova and Comet Compete with Eclipse https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240322-visible-nova-explosion-is-coming https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2024/04/02/solar-exclipse-horned-devil-comet-april-8/73147667007/ Segment #3. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Texas Item 1: Texas has the road with the highest speed limit in the US, at 85 mph. Item 2: The largest single employer in Texas is Amazon. Item 3: Six Flags amusement park gets its name from the fact that Texas has been part of six nations throughout its history. Segment #4. Skeptical Quote of the Week "As the sun eclipses the stars by his brilliancy, so the man of knowledge will eclipse the fame of others in assemblies of the people if he proposes algebraic problems, and still more if he solves them." — Brahmagupta

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #978 April 2nd 2024 Segment #1. Quickie with Bob Silicon spikes https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240326103936.htm Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Havana Syndrome https://theness.com/neurologicablog/what-to-make-of-havana-syndrome/ News Item #2 – Robo Taxis in NY https://www.popsci.com/technology/nyc-robotaxis-driverless/ News Item #3 – Rebellions and Cultural Memory chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w29182/w29182.pdf News Item #4 – Gravitational Waves and Human Life https://phys.org/news/2024-03-gravitational-human-life.html Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Evolution of Gullibility Great show, but everyone says that. Nevertheless, it is. My question - what's the evolutionary benefit of gullibility? My premises - 1. There appears to be a long history of received wisdom about how the world works. E.g. 'it is what it is'. That goes back in written texts at least as far as Gilgamesh, and therefore probably further. 2. This trait, despite on the face of it inclining towards "not very useful, because, well, reality dude" has survived and flourishes. 3. Traits can survive without being useful if they're not harmful, but given the small percentage of skeptics, it suggests an advantage. 4. Given this, is there an evolutionary benefit to gullibility? And if so, what? Asking for a friend 😉 Keep it up guys, seriously. Lots of us out here admire what you do... Kind Regards Malcolm Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Eggs Item 1: By weight the egg white is >90% protein, while the egg yolk is >90% fat. Item 2: Easter egger chickens are a breed that can lay eggs which are yellow, blue, green, cream, or even pink. Item 3: In the US eggs must be refrigerated once harvested and cleaned, while in Europe eggs are stored at room temperature. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “As always in life, people want a simple answer . . . and it’s always wrong.” - Susan Greenfield, Neurochemist currently researching Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #977 March 27th 2024 Segment #1. Special Report Music AI - https://app.suno.ai/create/ Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Sweetened Drinks and Atrial Fibrillation https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/sweetened-drinks-and-risk-of-a-fib/ News Item #2 – One Degree https://phys.org/news/2024-03-difference-degree.html#google_vignette News Item #3 – Birth Control Misinformation https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/03/21/stopping-birth-control-misinformation/ News Item #4 – Iridology https://www.yahoo.com/news/iridology-using-alternative-medicine-unlock-133524717.html?guccounter=1 Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. From Tik Tok and E-mail Question #1: Mel’s Mystery Hole https://www.tiktok.com/@atlantis.official2/video/7342712009198259498 Question #2: Positive Thinking My husband was recently diagnosed with stage 3 cancer, and he’s now in wk 2 of 6 of chemo- and radiation therapy. Nearly everyone we talk to tells us “It’s so important to keep a positive attitude.” But the skeptic in me wonders “What’s the mode of efficacy?” Exactly how is that positive attitude helping, and has it been scientifically tested? To me it seems akin to the so-called power of prayer. You can’t pray cancer away, so why should I believe that a positive attitude will make a difference? In recent yrs I knew a woman who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. No one had a more positive outlook than this woman, and she took on the challenge with a strong “I can do this!” attitude. She died six months later. So, my question, again, is: What’s the mode of efficacy? Exactly how is that positive attitude helping, and has it been scientifically tested? —kai. Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Energy Item 1: Researchers have developed an implantable battery that is powered by oxygen in the body and capable of producing continuous electricity at 1.3 V. Item 2: Toyota reports its latest hydrogen fuel cell car will average 845 miles on a single tank of hydrogen. Item 3: Engineers have created flexible perovskite solar cells with a power conversion efficiency of 25%, and maintaining 90% of this efficiency after 10,000 bending cycles. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “The shameful thing is not ignorance -- on the contrary, that is the natural thing. The really shameful thing is not to want to know, to resist finding out when the occasion offers. It is never the ignorant who offer that resistance, but the ones who think they know. That is the shameful thing -- to think you know. He who thinks he knows something, but is in fact ignorant of it, closes the door of his mind through which authentic truth could enter.” - Jose Ortega y Gasset

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #976 March 20th 2024 Segment #1. Quickie with Steve https://www.bbc.com/news/health-68609297 Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Starship’s Third Launch https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-third-test-flight-faa-investigation News Item #2 – Extinct Flu Virus https://www.livescience.com/health/flu/a-branch-of-the-flu-family-tree-has-died-and-wont-be-included-in-future-us-vaccines News Item #3 – Keeping Voyager 1 Going https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/03/finally-engineers-have-a-clue-that-could-help-them-save-voyager-1/ News Item #4 – Death by Exorcism https://www.nbcnews.com/video/hearing-begins-in-alleged-california-exorcism-death-206991429705 News Item #5 – Energy Demand Increasing https://theness.com/neurologicablog/energy-demand-increasing/ Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Fighting Lions Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Item 1: Researchers have developed a universal exoskeleton control system that can work for any user without the need for extensive calibration or training. Item 2: Scientists created a new method for using classic computers to error-correct quantum computers, resulting in a 60 qubit quantum computer with an accuracy rate of 91%. Item 3: New material design allows for structural wood to create buildings as high as 18 stories. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “One takes comfort from the fact there is no Gresham’s laws in science. In the long run, good science drives out bad.” ― Martin Gardner

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #975 March 13th 2024 Segment #1. Fraud Alert Tax Scams Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Pentagon UFO Report https://theness.com/neurologicablog/pentagon-report-no-ufos/ News Item #2 – Microplastic Risks https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00650-3 News Item #3 – Parasite Cleanse https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/parasite-cleanse/ News Item #4 – Gut Microbe Communication https://today.ucsd.edu/story/molecular-rosetta-stone-reveals-how-our-microbiome-talks-to-us News Item #5 – Interstellar Meteorite https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/deep-space/a60141520/alien-is-a-truck/ Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mail Question #1: Thou I'm just wrapping up listening to episode 974 when you're discussing how English doesn't have a plural second person, and I have to share this because that same question of why it doesn't used to bug me: English DOES have a plural second person. It's "you." The singular second person in English is "thou." Much like in French with "tu" and "vous," "thou" was exclusively singular and informal while "you" could be plural or formal singular. Obviously we don't use "thou" today, and the leading theory is that because social classes became more complex over time, it was safer to politely address someone as "you" rather than make the social misstep of calling a peer or your better "thou." I would liken this to the modern rise of singular "they." I've only had the pleasure of listening to the SGU for about two years, but I'm looking forward to many more. I will be writing in again to ask some scientific questions that I've never been able to get an answer for that have bothered me for decades. Thanks for doing all you do, Helen Question #2: Mach Effect Drive Hi rogues! Long time listener. Love the work you do! Here's a question you may have covered in the past, but I saw a video about a Mach effect drive and immediately thought it was a scam! A space drive with no propellant??? "Umpossible" I thought!! https://youtu.be/0bp8fk5rosI?si=5ufWN4d63NLEml8g I then Googled it to get more info and came across the NASA website saying it was "credible"!! Wtf?? https://www.nasa.gov/general/mach-effects-for-in-space-propulsion-interstellar-mission/#:~:text=Mach%20Effect%20Thruster%20(MET)%20propulsion,accelerations%20and%20internal%20energy%20changes. Can you folks break this down for me? Scam or science? Waddaya think? Thanks for the amazing podcast, consistently my favourite since the beginning! Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Equinoxes Item 1: On the day of each equinox, day and night are of equal length. Item 2: During the equinoxes, solar declination is 0°. Item 3: So-called solar outages, or equinoctial disruptions, refer to the fact that communication satellites are often partially or totally blocked for a few days either before or after the equinoxes. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "If you want to do seismic analysis, it’s ideal if you check with a seismologist first." Benjamin Fernando, planetary seismologist at Johns Hopkins University

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #974 March 6th 2024 Segment #1. Quickie with Bob Finding new physics in debris from colliding neutron stars https://phys.org/news/2024-03-physics-debris-colliding-neutron-stars.html Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Sinking Cities https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/climate-change/32-us-cities-including-new-york-and-san-francisco-are-sinking-into-the-ocean-and-face-major-flood-risks-by-2050-new-study-reveals News Item #2 – Hypervaccination https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/hypervaccination/ News Item #3 – Conspiracy Theorists and Disease X https://www.sciencealert.com/conspiracy-theorists-are-profiting-off-a-disease-that-doesnt-exist-yet News Item #4 – Celebrities and Flat Earth https://fandomwire.com/a-planet-in-the-sky-gave-a-rats-a-about-anything-in-your-life-even-neil-degrasse-tyson-lost-it-after-amber-roses-dumb-pseudoscience-question/ and https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10111148-nfl-draft-prospect-tyler-owens-says-he-doesnt-believe-in-space-and-other-planets News Item #5 – Superconducting Magnets and Fusion https://news.mit.edu/2024/tests-show-high-temperature-superconducting-magnets-fusion-ready-0304 Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mail Question #1: Update on IVF Question #2: Moon and Sun I believe you said the moon's path some the sun is always concave. I think this implies a very particular condition - that the moon earth distance is approximately 1/13 the distance to the sun - which it clearly is not. The velocity of the moon in Earth's reference frame never comes close to velocity of the earth-moon system around the sun, so the path of the moon around the sun must be like a distorted sine wave - meaning there are concave and convex parts of the orbit with redirect to the sun. Maybe I misheard! But I'm busy and it's only in the middle of the night when I wake up that I remember these things from my commuting podcasts! Sincerely, Hugh Philipp Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: DST Item 1: A study of over 200 thousand malpractice claims finds that daylight saving time is associated with worse severity of incidents and higher average payments than standard time. Item 2: Credit for the first serious proposal of daylight saving time goes to entomologist, George Vernon Hudson, who presented the idea in 1895 because he wanted more time in the evening for bug collection. Item 3: Among its many detrimental effects, daylight saving time is associated with an increase in overall crime compared to standard time. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Most deadly errors arise from obsolete assumptions." Frank Herbert, From Children of Dune

Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – First Private Landing on the Moon https://theness.com/neurologicablog/odysseus-lands-on-the-moon/ News Item #2 – Sex Difference in the Brain https://news.yahoo.com/men-womens-brains-differently-scientists-204332939.html?guccounter=1 News Item #3 – Bee Venom for Breast Cancer https://www.cureus.com/articles/181839-bee-sting-venom-as-a-viable-therapy-for-breast-cancer-a-review-article#!/ News Item #4 – Learning Empathy https://neurosciencenews.com/empathy-learning-psychology-25657/ News Item #5 – Brightest Object https://phys.org/news/2024-02-mass-billion-suns-black-hole.amp Segment #2. Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. Quotation Game Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mail Some Corrections Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Item 1: A recent review finds that male psychopaths outnumber female psychopaths 10:1. Item 2: A new study finds that boiling tap water for 5 minutes removes up to 90% of nano and microplastics from the water. Item 3: Using AI scientists have developed a method for atomic force microscopy of material surfaces with resolutions below the width of the microscope probe tip. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Random Number Generation is too Important to be Left to Chance." Robert R. Coveyou (February 9, 1915 – February 19, 1996)

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #972 February 21st 2024 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Pesticides in Oats https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/pesticide-in-oat-products-should-you-worry/ News Item #2 – AI Video https://openai.com/sora News Item #3 – University Rankings Flawed https://phys.org/news/2024-02-university-unscientific-bad-experts-flaws.html News Item #4 – Mewing and Looksmaxxing https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/feb/15/from-bone-smashing-to-chin-extensions-how-looksmaxxing-is-reshaping-young-mens-faces News Item #5 – Titan Uninhabitable https://phys.org/news/2024-02-saturn-largest-moon-uninhabitable.amp Segment #2. Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. Interview with Chris Smith from The Naked Scientists https://www.thenakedscientists.com/meet-team Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Eclipses Item 1: All four gas giants in our solar system experience total solar eclipses, from the perspective of their gassy surfaces. Item 2: On average, any spot on Earth will see a total solar eclipse every 375 years. Item 3: The first recorded accurate prediction of a solar eclipse was in 2300 BC, by Chinese astronomer, Li Shu, for Emporer Zhong Kang. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week "The spirit of Plato dies hard. We have been unable to escape the philosophical tradition that what we can see and measure in the real world is merely the superficial and imperfect representation of an underlying reality." (The Mismeasure of Man, p. 269)

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #971 February 13th 2024 Segment #1. Quickie with Bob Metalenses https://phys.org/news/2024-02-optical-mirrors-image-power-human.html Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Flow Batteries https://theness.com/neurologicablog/flow-batteries-now-with-nanofluids/ News Item #2 – Green Roofs https://techxplore.com/news/2024-02-green-roofs-cool-cities-energy.html News Item #3 – LEGO MRI Scanner https://mymodernmet.com/lego-mri-scanner/ https://www.hearinglikeme.com/lego-minifigure-with-a-hearing-aid/ News Item #4 – The Circular Collider https://www.universetoday.com/165685/cern-wants-to-build-an-enormous-new-atom-smasher-the-future-circular-collider/ News Item #5 – Mayo Clinic and Reiki https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/mental-health/my-journey-from-energy-work-skeptic-to-reiki-practitioner/ Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Name That Logical Fallacy Hi SGU! I am a long time listener to the podcast and a long time OWNER of your first book, but (and I’m afraid to admit this) just getting around to reading it. I just finished the short section on the gamblers fallacy, The idea that if you flip heads five or 10 or 25 times in a row, tails is due, when, in reality, every individual flip has its own 50-50 chance of being either heads or tails, which is not influenced by past events. I have always had a little trouble with this idea, because, while an individual flip absolutely does have an Equal likelihood of landing heads or tails, if we consider an “event“ to be 25 flips, (maybe this isn’t allowed?) Then the likelihood of 25 heads in a row is vanishingly small, and the likelihood of 12 to 14 heads, much much higher, so if halfway through that “event”, you’ve got 12 heads, I would think that the likelihood Of flipping tails at least a few times throughout the second half, does, in fact go up significantly. I think of this as in line with The very well established statistical phenomenon of regression to the mean: While Outlier events and streaks are very much part of Randomness, over time those bumps and spikes tend to smooth out to show more or less the expected distribution. So I guess my question is, is there a conflict between the ideas of the gamblers fallacy and regression to the Mean? Is there not something valid in the idea that, if you’ve flipped heads 10 times in a row, the likelihood of continuing to flip heads on each successive flip, in a sense, does go down? Not because past events influence future ones, perhaps, but rather because we expand our idea of the present to include the very recent past, and the very near future? Aren’t there other probabilities at play than just the single, momentary 50-50 chance of the individual flip? Where am I just a hopeless gambler? Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Item 1: A recent study shows that older adults are more vulnerable to first impressions of trustworthiness even in the face of contradictory evidence. Item 2: A machine learning analysis correlating road features with accident frequency finds that the most predictive variable for high crash risk is the presence of distracting billboards and other advertisements. Item 3: Researchers find that short and simple corrective statements on social media help readers identify false information. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Starving brains can hallucinate, but even well-fed minds can convince themselves they can feel something which simply isn’t there." - Jonathan Jarry, science communicator, McGill University Office for Science and Society

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #970 February 7th 2024 Segment #1. What’s the Word Cardinal Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – New Class of Microbes Found https://www.sciencealert.com/obelisks-entirely-new-class-of-life-has-been-found-in-the-human-digestive-system News Item #2 – SLIM Lunar Tech https://www.space.com/slim-lunar-lander-technology-technology-future-missions News Item #3 – Misinformation and Wellness Influencers https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-menace-of-wellness-influencers/ News Item #4 – Super Earth in Habitable Zone https://abcnews.go.com/amp/US/story?id=106961506 News Item #5 – Climate Change and Storms https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/hurricanes/we-may-need-a-new-category-6-hurricane-level-for-winds-over-192-mph-study-suggests Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Name That Logical Fallacy I can't recall ever hearing this debate tactic talked about on the show before. It's quite possible it has been brought up, just that I don't remember a name being put to it. So if it has been discussed, without a name, maybe that's why I don't remember it. This youtube video is the first time I can remember having a name put to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK4RHzNHZXY&ab_channel=InnuendoStudios But I have seen people use this "Reverse Gish-Gallop" used all the time. I think a good example of this is when debating ANYTHING regarding common sense gun control, a 2nd amendment nut will point to the tiniest little mistake in your reference to any firearm, and then say something like "Since you don't know the difference between a swing arm lever and a coil spring lock on a 1964 1911 Smith and Wesson, then you are a moron and can't possibly comment on anything gun related!" Just thought if this has never been discussed before, it would be relevant segment on the show. Thanks, Mike Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Shark Week Item 1: The age of most sharks can be accurately estimated by counting growth rings on their vertebrae. Item 2: Sharks as a group have poor vision, relying instead on their sense of smell and special electroreceptor organs that can sense electromagnetic fields. Item 3: Most sharks have to swim to get oxygen, but benthic sharks are able to pump water through their spiracles (small holes behind their eyes) and over their gills so they can breathe without swimming. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “I don’t wish to be without my brains, tho’ they doubtless interfere with a blind faith which would be very comfortable.” — Ada Lovelace

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #968 January 31st 2024 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Neuralink Implants Chip in Human https://theness.com/neurologicablog/neuralink-implants-chip-in-human/ News Item #2 – Love on the Brain https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/01/240112114712.htm News Item #3 – Amelia Earhart Plane May Be Discovered https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/30/travel/amelia-earhart-missing-plane-pacific-ocean-scn/index.html News Item #4 – Hiding Sickness https://neurosciencenews.com/social-behavior-contagious-sickness-25540/ News Item #5 – Cicada Double Brood https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/26/us/cicadas-emergence-broods-xix-xiii-scn/index.html Segment #2. Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Moon Mission Question #2: Microgel Insulin https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142961220307043?via%3Dihub Segment #4. Interview with Dustin Bates https://www.instagram.com/starsetsingerguy/?hl=en Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Animal Emotions Item 1: Most rats will stop pulling a lever to deliver a preferred treat if that lever also gives a fellow rat a small electric shock. Item 2: A recent study shows that goats are able to tell the difference between happy sounding and angry sound human voices. Item 3: Capuchin monkeys are one of the few non-human animals to be shown to cry emotional tears. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "If you really want to rediscover wonder, you need to step outside of that tiny, terrified space of rightness and look around at each other and look out at the vastness and complexity and mystery of the universe and be able to say, "Wow, I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong." Kathryn Schulz, columnist The New Yorker - author of the book Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #967 January 25th 2024 Segment #1. Swindler’s List AI Fakes Joe Biden Robocall https://apnews.com/article/f3469ceb6dd613079092287994663db5 Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Oxygen Bottleneck https://www.iflscience.com/the-oxygen-bottleneck-astronomers-find-huge-new-problem-for-alien-civilizations-72460#lrlhrh2afpicspwlhwi News Item #2 – NASA Opens Osiris Rex Canister https://www.space.com/nasa-osiris-rex-asteroid-sample-canister-open News Item #3 – Learning and Longevity https://neurosciencenews.com/longevity-learning-25516/ News Item #4 – DNA Directed Assembly https://theness.com/neurologicablog/dna-directed-assembly-of-nanomaterials/ News Item #5 – Bleach Peddler Going to Prison https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/antivaxxer-roger-blake-jailed-for-selling-bleach-as-covid19-cure-in-new-zealand/news-story/32405deb14c35f03af336903abae19e1 Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: More On Nuclear Batteries Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Ice Age Item 1: During the last glacial maximum greater than 50% of the Earth’s surface was covered in ice. Item 2: Most of Canada has no native earthworms, because they were wiped out during the last glacial period. Item 3: At the end of the last glacial period, about 10,000 years ago, the Earth’s tilt (obliquity) was 24.5 degrees, and since then has decreased to its current 23.4 degrees. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “We swallow greedily any lie that flatters us, but we sip only little by little at a truth we find bitter.” - Denis Diderot

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #967 January 17th 2024 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Betavolt 50 Year Battery https://theness.com/neurologicablog/betavoltaic-batteries/ News Item #2 – Moon Landing Delayed https://apnews.com/article/nasa-moon-landings-artemis-delay-23e425d490c0c9e65ae774ec2e00f090 News Item #3 – Cloned Monkeys for Research https://www.science.org/content/article/these-monkey-twins-are-first-primate-clones-made-method-developed-dolly News Item #4 – Converting CO2 into Carbon Nanofibers https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/01/240111113214.htm News Item #5 – Feng Shui https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/4-feng-shui-plants-avoid-062900383.html https://www.realhomes.com/design/small-entryway-feng-shui-mistakes Segment #2. Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. From TikTok Jellyfish UFO https://www.tiktok.com/@ufoexplorer/video/7321965407835852074?is_from_webapp=1&web_id=7254738756992828971 Segment #4. Interview with Robert Sapolsky Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Chat GPT Item 1: A recently discovered species of deep-sea fish in the Antarctic ocean has been found to have transparent blood, due to a complete lack of hemoglobin. Item 2: Researchers have developed a type of biodegradable plastic that decomposes completely in just one week when exposed to sunlight and air. Item 3: Researchers have successfully trained a group of goldfish to drive a small, water-filled vehicle on land, demonstrating their ability to navigate in a terrestrial environment and challenging long-held views on fish spatial awareness. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Every great idea is a creative idea: The fact that you're using paint or you're using guitar strings or you're using equations, they're not really very different things. Getting that spirit into the education process ... being curious about the world, that is a gift we would love to share." Damian Kulash, OK GO

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #966 January 11th 2024 Segment #1. Dumbest Thing of the Week https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/dec/17/king-charles-has-appointed-homeopath-why-do-elite-put-faith-in-snake-oil Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Dual Sympathetic Reset https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/dual-sympathetic-reset-for-ptsd/ News Item #2 – Peregrine Moon Mission https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=PEREGRN-1 News Item #3 – Solar Eclipse https://www.sciencenews.org/article/total-solar-eclipse-sun-science-viewing-2024 News Item #4 – Boy Beats Tetris https://www.iflscience.com/13-year-old-boy-becomes-the-only-human-to-ever-complete-tetris-72267 Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Question and E-mails Question #1: Dimensional Weight Love your podcast. Long time listener. Have you guys/gal done any shows talking about the subject title here? I was caught off guard, as it would seem many others have been, on late additional shipping charges that come back as dimensional weight or volumetric weight charges by FedEx, UPS and USPS. Almost seems like a cash-grab but seems like it's standard practice. But third-party shippers do not disclose this upfront. Just wondering if you guys ever broached the subject? Thanks, and keep in the skeptic work! Ron Mochinski Fairfax, VA https://www.webretailer.com/shipping-fulfillment-returns/dimensional-weight/ Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Positive Trends #1) Cigarette smoking has decreased dramatically among US teens between 1991 and 2021, with daily use declining from 9.8% in 1991 to 0.6% in 2021, a greater than 16-fold decline. #2) The global literacy rate has almost tripled since 1990, from around 30% to 89%. #3) Extreme poverty is on the decline – there are over a billion fewer people living below the international poverty line today than in 1990. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "I’m not sure why I enjoy debunking. Part of it surely is amusement over the follies of true believers, and partly because attacking bogus science is a painless way to learn good science... Another reason for debunking is that bad science contributes to the steady dumbing down of our nation. Crude beliefs get transmitted to political leaders and the result is considerable damage to society.” —Martin Gardner

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #965 January 3rd 2024 Segment #1. Psychic Predictions 2023 Rogue Predictions for 2023 Rogue Predictions for 2024 Segment #2. Science in 2024 Segment #3. News Items News Item #1 – Dosing Gene Expression https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-023-01989-0 News Item #2 – Solar Tower https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/twin-tech-solar-tower-energy-round-the-clock News Item #3 – Alzheimer’s Virus https://www.sciencealert.com/a-study-of-500000-medical-records-links-viruses-to-alzheimers-again-and-again News Item #4 – Quark Matter https://interestingengineering.com/science/the-likelihood-of-quark-matter-cores-in-massive-neutron-stars News Item #5 – Scientology RICO https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/celebrity/criminal-enterprise-scientology-should-face-rico-charges-danny-masterson-accusers-say-church-seems-to-contradict-itself-in-leah-remini-suit/ar-AA1mnDhn Segment #4. Who’s That Noisy Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: The Worst #1) The US has the highest rate of automobile accidents, at 5,938 per million people in 2019. #2) El Salvador has the highest murder rate in the world at 52 per 100 thousand people per year, while the US ranks 76th. #3) The country with the greatest income inequality is Brazil, with a Gini index of 52.9. (Gini index – 0 is perfect equality, while 100 is maximal inequality.) Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Civility is hard to codify or legislate, but you know it when you see it. It’s possible to disagree without being disagreeable.” — Sandra Day O'Connor

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #964 December 20th 2023 SGU Year in Review 2023 Segment #1. Best Science News of 2023 Leqembi for Alzheimer’s disease Osiris Rex Sickle Cell treatment Weight loss drugs Artificial Intelligence India Moon Landing First successful transplant of cryopreserved rat kidney Global Warming – hottest year on record, Canada fires, Antarctic record low ice Segment #2. Favorite SGU Moments Segment #3. Favorite SGU Interviews Segment #4. Skeptical Hero of the Year Segment #5. Skeptical Jackass of the Year Segment #6. In Memorium Skeptics Bruce Press Harriet Hall Politicians Sandra Day O’Connor (93) Henry Kissinger Dianne Feinstein (90) Rosalynn Carter (96) Scientists Dr. Gao Yaojie (95) – Exposed an HIV epidemic in China Dr. William P. Murphy Jr. (100) – invented the vinyl blood bag Endel Tulving (96) – Influential memory researcher M.S. Swaminathan (98) – Indian crop scientist/geneticist Ian Wilmut (79) – Dolly the sheep Douglas Lenat (72) – AI researcher, Eurisko, AI with “common sense” Dr. Ferid Murad (86) – effects of nitric oxide on cardiovascular system John Warnock (82) – developed the PDF Sliman Bensmaia (49) – neuroscientists developing prosthetics with sensation W. Jason Morgan (87) – plate tectonics Virginia Norwood (96) – technology for mapping Earth from space William Wulf (83) – computer scientists, development of internet Paul Berg (96) – first recombinant DNA or rDNA John B. Goodenough (100) – Li Ion batteries Gordon E. Moore (94) – Moore’s Law David Etnier PHd (84) – discoverer of the Snail Darter Other Frank Borman (95) – Apollo 8 astronaut Walter Cunningham (90) – First crewed Apollo mission (7) Mark Goddard (87) – Lost in Space Michael Gambon (82) – Dumbledore Bob Barker (99) Paul Reubens (71) – Pee-wee Herman Tony Bennett (96) Raquel Welch (82) Al Jaffee (102) – Mad Magazine Segment #7. Science or Fiction 2023 stats: Cara – 30 wins / 13 losses – 69.7% Evan – 26 wins / 22 losses – 54.1% Bob – 20 wins / 29 losses – 40.8% Jay – 21 wins / 26 losses – 44.6% Every guest who played Science or Fiction lost – 10 total. Rogues swept Steve 6 times Steve swept Rogues 8 times Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: SGU Past #1) In 2008 we reported on a new theory that disease spread by insects might have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. Since then a 2016 study found that malaria dates back to the time of the dinosaurs and infected reptiles. #2) In 2009 we reported that Honda had developed a brain-machine interface that allows a driver to steer a car with mind control alone. They are still developing the technology, without any commercial applications so far. #3) In 2008 we reported on new bionic eyes, involving artificial retinas that allow previously blind patients to see shapes and lights. The company, Second Sight, has since gone bankrupt, abandoning patients with the implants. Segment #8. Skeptical Quote of the Week “For last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning.” ― T.S. Eliot

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #956 November 3rd 2023 Live from NotaCon With special guest, Eli Bosnick Segment #1. Quickie with Steve Micro-meteoric spherules contaminated with anthropogenic ash. Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Making Lunar Roads with Sunlight https://www.space.com/blasting-lunar-soil-with-sunlight-could-create-moon-roads News Item #2 – Misinformation vs Disinformation News Item #3 – Gravitational Waves As Fast As Light https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/light-gravitational-waves-arrive/ News Item #4 – Fluoride and IQ https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/fluoride-and-iq/ News Item #5 – Homeopathy Article Retracted News Item #6 – Dark GPT https://finance.yahoo.com/news/combatting-chatgpts-evil-spawn-fraud-190832145.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAAW24NzQePCG4HwHf1iz8KgVo3Ac8HDml9OV1ghzGvB0scHpMijbQwJME-UbEdLh72fchcBUKcZPuAqCsI3UWHcLjh9QF3KJHnqyzy0VbcQQasvwhNdqrUJB8r6VfDGZh0JZBROGBmtZZ0YDnnudHXrdpGZEmsDLim7wQS4ugeqW Segment #3. Skeptics and Paranormal Experiences Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Extinction #1) After the Permian extinction 252 million years ago, the land was dominated by large amphibians, until late in teh Triassic when dinosaurs rose to prominence. #2) The T-rex lifespan was only about 28 years, with the oldest specimen being 29 years old. #3) The Pyrenean Ibex was the only animal ever to be brought back from extinction. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week "It's all about being a part of something in the community, socializing with people who share interests and coming together to help improve the world we live in." - Zach Braff

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #962 December 13th 2023 Segment #1. Scams Zelle Scam Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Human Brain Supercomputer https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/human-brain-supercomputer-coming-in-2024 News Item #2 – Sodium Ion Batteries https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/05/11/1072865/how-sodium-could-change-the-game-for-batteries/ News Item #3 – Lab Grown Coffee https://phys.org/news/2023-12-scientists-recipe-lab-grown-coffee-creation.amp News Item #4 – Lunar Anthropocene https://www.independent.co.uk/space/moon-lunar-anthropocene-new-epoch-b2462403.html Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Questions and E-mails Question #1: Nazis and Synthetic Gasoline Segment #5. Who Said That Segment #6. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: 2023 #1) Vinyl record sales topped CD record sales for the first time since 1987. #2) Over 10,000 journal articles were retracted in 2023, more than twice as many as any previous year. #3) More than 10% of people in Japan, the oldest country in the world, are over 90 years old. Segment #7. Skeptical Quote of the Week “I’d rather live in a world where I get to love the moon than in one where I don’t, even if the moon won’t return the feeling.” — Alex London, American writer

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #961 December 6th 2023 Segment #1. Quickie with Bob Ceramic Storage https://www.techradar.com/pro/video-of-ceramic-storage-system-prototype-surfaces-online-10000tb-cartridges-bombarded-with-laser-rays-could-become-mainstream-by-2030-making-slow-hard-drives-and-tapes-obsolete Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Uniting Quantum Gravity https://theness.com/neurologicablog/new-theory-unites-gravity-and-quantum-mechanics/ News Item #2 – X-Prize for Health Span https://www.science.org/content/article/xprize-aging-will-award-101-million-therapies-restore-vigor-elderly News Item #3 – ECT Heals the Brain https://theconversation.com/how-electroconvulsive-therapy-heals-the-brain-new-insights-into-ect-a-stigmatized-yet-highly-effective-treatment-for-depression-217889 News Item #4 – Building New Materials with AI and Robots https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03745-5?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=nature&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1701275544-1 Segment #3. From Tik Tok Car Runs Without Charging https://www.tiktok.com/@justgeorgeous/video/7306927710733913346 Segment #4. Who’s That Noisy Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. #1) A new study finds that the average volume of speech, called “sonority” is highest in the tropics and lowest in the northwest coast of North America. #2) A new comparative study finds that human newborn brain size is relatively smaller at birth than our primate relatives, representing a relatively shorter gestation and delay in brain development. #3) Researchers find that the electric organ discharge of an electric eel is capable of transferring DNA into zebrafish larvae. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “People can be extremely intelligent, have taken a critical thinking course, and know logic inside and out. Yet they may just become clever debaters, not critical thinkers, because they are unwilling to look at their own biases.” - Carol Wade, cognitive psychologist

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #960 November 29th 2023 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Internet Use and Mental Health https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/internet-use-and-mental-well-being/ News Item #2 – Methane Capture https://www.sciencenews.org/article/methane-capture-air-global-warming-climate News Item #3 – Bitter Revenge https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/transcending-the-past/202311/revenge-is-rarely-sweet News Item #4 – Underground Microbes https://phys.org/news/2023-11-minimalist-maximalist-life-microbe-mile.html News Item #5 – PopSci Magazine Closes https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/27/23978042/popular-science-digital-magazine-discontinued Segment #2. Quickie with Steve LK-99 Debunked https://scitechdaily.com/shattered-dreams-scientists-debunk-lk-99-room-temperature-superconductivity-myth/ Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Questions and E-mails Question #1: Dr. GPT My friend suggested I submit this story """ I've been using GPT for a great deal of software and also family health work. I'm pretty much using it as a personal physician. I understand the risks but I'm pretty good at corroborating its responses with other research. Toddler banged his head yesterday, and I took a photo of it into GPT and asked it how it looked, it was pretty helpful. Baby was quite sick last week and it helped us make a decision on care at night. "" Cheers Ryan, Cayman Islands Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Mushrooms #1) Evidence shows that many mushroom species will increase their growth after a lightning strike, with shiitake crop yield doubling. #2) Three popular supermarket mushrooms, cremini, button, and portobello, are all the exact same species. #3) Although originally classified as plants, the kingdom of Fungi is genetically closest to the kingdom of Protista. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “Skepticism: the mark and even the pose of the educated mind.” ---John Dewey

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #959 November 22nd 2023 Segment #1. What’s the Word Rugae Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – 3D Printing Soft Robots https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/11/231115113428.htm News Item #2 – First CRISPR Treatment Approved https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/first-crispr-treatment-approval/ News Item #3 – Omicron Update https://undark.org/2023/11/14/texas-covid-vaccine/ https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/21/science/covid-omicron-variant.html News Item #4 – Lunar Library https://www.prweb.com/releases/arch-mission-foundation-prepares-lunar-library-ii-for-december-2023-launch-301983522.html Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Questions and E-mails Question #1: Trust in Science Listening to the segment about the poll about trust in science and scientists decreasing, I was thinking about some reasons about why I have reservations in saying that I trust scientist. We as a society have definitely been improved by science by technological breakthroughs (computers, internet, harnessing electricity for Christ's sake), medicine, ecology, and much more; but science is much more than the good things that help us. Scientists created the atom bomb that can destroy the world many times over. Scientists feed into the military industrial complex by creating and refining weapons meant to murder more and more people in one stroke. Gain of function research is still being done in China with US funding (I know it's not the plausible reason for Covid, but there's still great risk). Artificial intelligence has been created and is being used in more nefarious ways than originally thought possible. MK Ultra, Tuskegee experiments of last century to iCOMPARE and FIRST trials of this century. I think it's fair to look down upon those that do not wholeheartedly trust scientists with so many examples of harm in our history, even very recent examples. Not all scientists unethical and doing harm, it's a small population. But with world changing progress it also has the potential for world ending power. Brent Question #2: Fashion Hey! Just recently started listening to your podcast about a year ago and this past podcast has something that made me think. I’m 21 years old so my “childhood” was during the late 2000s and early 2010s. When everyone said that there wasn’t a defined clothing trend for this decade, it got me thinking. I believe that the generational difference is definitely there, because there was most certainly a trend for the 2010s! A few examples for women’s clothing are statement necklaces, chevron pattern, tall ugg boots, etc. I just think that it would be worth looking up what some of the style trends are to hopefully see that we do have a defined style for the 2010s! Olivia, Virginia Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. #1) Researchers have developed a hydrogel that will allow people with diabetes to inject their insulin once every several months, rather than every day. #2) Scientists find that the eyes communicate to the ears, causing the ears to make a sound which can be used to track eye movements. #3) A new study finds solar wind-derived molecular hydrogen trapped in Apollo lunar regolith samples. ¬¬ Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “Science has the answer to every question that can be asked. However, science reserves the right to change that answer should additional data become available.” — Mary Roach

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #958 November 15th 2023 Segment #1. Swindler’s List Romance Scam Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Whole Eye Transplant https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/first-whole-eye-transplant/ News Item #2 – Hottest Year on Record https://www.sciencenews.org/article/last-12-months-hottest-record-climate News Item #3 – Neutron Thickness https://phys.org/news/2023-11-heavy-ion-collisions-lhc-scientists-thickness.html News Item #4 – Hydrogen Deposit in France https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/09/white-hydrogen-deposit-france/ News Item #5 – Trust In Science Declining https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2023/11/14/americans-trust-in-scientists-positive-views-of-science-continue-to-decline/ Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Questions and E-mails Question #1: Oldest Photo I am a longtime fan of the show and never hesitate to recommend it to friends, family and anyone else who even expresses a vague interest in listening to podcasts. Thank you so much for your dedication to science communication and helping us all avoid the traps of unscientific thinking. That said, Science or Fiction this week contained some pretty egregious misinformation. You stated that Niécpe took his famed 1826 photo out of his window while visiting his brother Claude in London. I am not sure where you got this information, because the photo in question is litterally entitled "View from the Window at Le Gras" ("Point de vue du Gras" in French). Le Gras is an estate in the village of Saint-Loup-de Varennes, France where Niécpe had his laboratory. The photo is not a cityscape, but rather a few parts of some estate outbuildings and the surrounding rural countryside. The photo has never been in the Royal Photographic Collection, as stated in your piece. In fact, since 1963, it has primarily been on display at the Harry Ransom Center in Austin, Texas, Thanks again for all that you do. I look forward to every episode. Sincerely, Beth Kolb Jacob Saint-André-de-Boege, France Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. #1) Researchers have discovered the first “vampire” virus, a parasitic virus that attaches to the “neck” of another virus in order to enter a host cell and take over the reproductive machinery. #2) A new study finds that Google DeepMind’s machine learning weather prediction model can outperform existing models for 10 day weather prediction, 90% of the time in under one minute. #3) Scientists present a new fossil of a flying feathered dinosaur, avioptera, which dates to 185 million years ago, 20 million years older than the group (paraves) which is believed to have given rise to modern birds. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "True science teaches, above all, to doubt and to be ignorant." Miguel de Unamuno (loosely translated to english):

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #957 November 8th 2023 Segment #1. Dumbest Thing of the Week https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/angels-demons-spirits-souls-do-exist-exorcist-priest-warns-ouija-board-use Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – ESA Plans Space Capsule https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-67339057 News Item #2 – Oldest Evidence for Projectile Weapons https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-45554-w News Item #3 – Vaccine for Cocaine Addiction https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-unveil-world-first-experimental-cocaine-addiction-vaccine?utm_source=pocket_saves News Item #4 – Ancient Planet Buried in Earth’s Mantle https://www.newscientist.com/article/2400567-bits-of-an-ancient-planet-called-theia-may-be-buried-in-earths-mantle/ News Item #5 – Bankman-Fried Guilty https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/02/sam-bankman-fried-found-guilty-on-all-seven-criminal-fraud-counts.html Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Interview with James Burke https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connections_(British_TV_series) Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Technology #1) In 1826 the first photograph was created by French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, requiring an 8 hour exposure. #2) Terms and Conditions for iTunes includes the phrase: “You also agree that you will not use these products for the development, design, manufacture, or production of nuclear, missile, or chemical or biological weapons.” #3) Apollo astronauts were each insured for $1 million in case they did not survive their mission, with coverage ending at the end of the post-mission quarantine. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Hungry for innovation that will change our ailing world, we’re blind to hubris, misguided egos and wishful thinking." - Josie Cox

Dragoncon 2023 Private Show With special guest: Christian Hubicki Segment 1. DragonCon Panels 1 - Skepticism and Gaming 2 - Government Coverup of UAPs 3 - Generation Ships Segment 2. News Items News Item #1 – Augmented Reality Interactions https://neurosciencenews.com/ar-social-behavior-23847/ News Item #2 – Star May Become a Magnetar Bizarre star may one day become a magnetar | Astronomy.com News Item #3 – Recent Mission to the Moon https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/23/india-chandrayaan-3-moon-mission.html News Item #4 - Different Types of Mass https://www.sciencenews.org/article/mass-moon-orbit-gravity-space Segment #3. Special Segment What Policies Affect Climate Changev Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Conventions #1) The largest fan convention in the world is the Comiket held in Tokyo Japan and primarily dedicated to the sale of self-published manga, with a total of 750,000 attendees in 2019. #2) The first event considered to be a fan convention was held in 1862 in London, celebrating the works of Charles Dickens, including attendees dressing as their favorite Dickens character. #3) The longest running convention in the world is PhilCon, the Philadelphia Science Fiction Conference, held in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week “The dangers of not thinking clearly are much greater now than ever before. It's not that there's something new in our way of thinking - it's that credulous and confused thinking can be much more lethal in ways it was never before.” Carl Sagan

Segment #1. What’s the Word  benthic vs pelagic Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Age of the Moon https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/age-of-the-moon-revised/ News Item #2 – CVS and Homeopathy https://arstechnica.com/health/2023/10/cvs-ditches-useless-cold-meds-but-not-bogus-homeopathic-products/ News Item #3 – Black Holes Do Spin https://www.livescience.com/space/black-holes/scientists-just-proved-that-monster-black-hole-m87-is-spinning-confirming-einsteins-relativity-yet-again

News Item #4 – Paranormal Investigators and Police https://www.mysanantonio.com/lifestyle/article/texas-hill-country-paranormal-investigator-18434158.php

News Item #5 – Human Epoch https://phys.org/news/2023-10-analysis-demarcation-epoch-characterized-human.html Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Question and E-mails Question #1: More on Driverless Cars Question #2: Air Filters

Segment #6. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. #1) A new study finds that interactions on Zoom have essentially the same brain activity typical of social interaction and facial processing as face-to-face interactions.  #2) Researchers have developed and tested “acoustic touch” glasses that convert visual information to sonic information to assist people who are blind or have low vision.  #3) A new model finds that adding crushed rock to global agricultural soil would result in the removal of 215 billion tons of carbon dioxide over the next 75 years (the equivalent of almost 6 years of CO2 at current levels). Segment #7. Skeptical Quote of the Week "This is the age of health misinformation. It is everywhere. It is in our social media feeds, promoted by celebrities and influencers, and permeates the legacy news media. We are bombarded with advertisements pushing unsupported therapies and practices. Health misinformation has also worked its way into TV shows, movies, and books. And, increasingly, it is embraced and promoted by prominent politicians." Jonathan Stea and Stephen Hupp,  Investigating Clinical Psychology.

Segment #1. Swindler’s List The IT Scam Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Driverless Cars https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/update-on-self-driving-cars/ News Item #2 – Dead Whale Mystery https://www.sciencealert.com/unusual-mystery-of-dead-whales-washing-up-on-us-coast-may-be-solved News Item #3 – Filtering Wildfire Air https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/10/air-purifiers-arent-enough-to-clean-your-home-from-wildfire-smoke/ News Item #4 – New Law of Nature Proposed https://www.reuters.com/science/scientists-propose-sweeping-new-law-nature-expanding-evolution-2023-10-16/ News Item #5 – The Real Count Dracula https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/998653 Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Question and E-mails Question #1: Life After Big Bang Hey folks! I listen to the show every week and I recently came across this video / research speculating that life may have started almost immediately after the Big Bang so I want to send it along and ask for your thoughts. To me I find it absolutely fascinating and while I know it’s highly speculative I find the idea that we could be connected to life everywhere… almost comforting, in a way. Anyway, here’s the video and it has research linked from it. https://youtu.be/JOiGEI9pQBs Kris Siegel CA Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Infectious Disease #1) A new study finds that the risk of getting Guillain Barre Syndrome within 6 weeks after COVID increases by six times, and decreases by more than half after getting the BioNTech vaccine. #2) A new study finds that approximately 50,000 deaths per year in the Americas can be attributed to antimicrobial resistance. #3) Since 2010 the number of reported tick-borne infections in the US has increased 10 fold. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Our ignorance is profound, forgivable and temporary. There are only two true errors: One is believing that we have no errors left to make, and the other is believing that those errors are permanent and irreversible.” Adam Mastroianni, experimental psychologist, author of the science blog Experimental History

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #953 October 11th 2023 Segment #1. Quickie with Bob https://phys.org/news/2023-10-solar-panels-proxima-centauri.html Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Oldest Evidence of Humans in Americas https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/oldest-evidence-of-humans-in-americas/ News Item #2 – Addictive Foods https://www.zmescience.com/feature-post/health/food-and-nutrition/addictive-foods/ News Item #3 – Using CRISPR To Make Chickens Resistant https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-41476-3 News Item #4 – Superheavy Elements and Ultradense Asteroids https://phys.org/news/2023-10-periodic-table-superheavy-elements-ultradense.amp News Item #5 – Prehistoric Solar Storms https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsta.2022.0206 Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Question and E-mails Question #1: Nobel Peace Prize I was literally screaming at y'all on the podcast as I listened to it in my car yesterday during Science or Fiction, as you considered whether four Nobel laureates won their awards while they were imprisoned. Hello!! Like the one who literally just won, Narges Mohammadi, who sits at this moment in an Iranian prison. I realize now that I have the benefit of the podcast time delay, and that at the time you recorded episode #952, the 2023 Peace prize winner hadn't yet been announced. How ironic that events in just the few days between when you recorded the podcast and when it was released actually invalidated your "science" item and made it fiction. You should announce a correction (or maybe "acknowledgement" is more appropriate, in fairness to you) that there are now five Nobel laureates who won their award while imprisoned. All the best, Tom Segment #5. Interview with Dan Friesen and Jordan Holmes Knowledge Fight podcast Segment #6. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. #1) Astronomers have spotted the first exoplanet collision, which happened in a system 1,800 light years away. #2) Scientists have developed a new method of error correction in quantum computers that is 10 times as effective as previous methods, reaching fidelities of 0.999. #3) The NIH has announced a $150 million grant to develop a Digital Twin Brain – an open-source platform to virtually duplicate human brain function. Segment #7. Skeptical Quote of the Week “Sciences provide an understanding of a universal experience, Arts are a universal understanding of personal experience. The arts and sciences are avatars of human creativity” Mae Jemison, First African American woman astronaut in space.

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #952 October 4th 2023 Segment #1. What’s the Word Fulguration Segment #2. News Items Nobel Prizes 2023 News Item #1 – Nobel Prize in Chemistry https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/2023/press-release/ News Item #2 – Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2023/press-release/ News Item #3 – Nobel Prize in Physics https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2023/summary/ News Item #4 – Radio Telescope on the Moon https://www.sciencealert.com/mission-to-put-a-radio-telescope-on-the-moon-planned-to-launch-in-2025 News Item #5 – FEMA Alert Conspiracy https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/oct-4-fema-alert-test-5g-anti-vaxx-conspiracy-theory-1234838377/ Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Question and E-mails Question #1: Red Dye and ADHD I have a son with adhd, and my wife mentioned eliminating red dye from his diet due to some info she found. I did some research and found conflicting results I’d love to hear your thoughts Thank you and keep up the good work !! David, MA Segment #5. Interview with Lars Martin https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lars-Martin Segment #6. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Nobel Prize #1) Four Nobel laureates won their award while they were imprisoned. #2) The 1926 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to Johannes Fibiger was the only one ever to be rescinded – he discovered that round worms cause cancer in mice and rats, but a mere three years after the award was given his findings were completely refuted. #3) The Following people never won a Nobel Prize: Dmitri Mendeleev, James Joyce, Mark Twain, Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, Jules-Henri Poincaré, and Mahatma Gandhi. Segment #7. Skeptical Quote of the Week “Reality denied comes back to haunt.” ― Philip K. Dick, Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #951 September 27th 2023 Segment #1. Special Report Misinformation Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Zoom Backgrounds https://phys.org/news/2023-09-background.html News Item #2 – Manifesting Fails https://www.sciencealert.com/manifesting-more-money-is-linked-to-worse-financial-outcomes News Item #3 – Tong Test for AI https://techxplore.com/news/2023-09-tong-approach-artificial-general-intelligence.html News Item #4 – Looking for Service Worlds https://www.sciencealert.com/forget-alien-megastructures-new-study-says-we-need-to-look-for-service-worlds News Item #5 – NASA Recovers Asteroid Sample https://www.npr.org/2023/09/24/1201386042/watch-live-nasa-sends-an-asteroid-sample-back-to-earth Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Question and E-mails Question #1: Natural Gas vs Coal At the end of the climate change science or fiction Steve made an offhand comment that NG is 10% the climate impact of Coal. That's not accurate, so just wanted to get you all up to date with the latest here. Some great sources of info also at https://coalvsnaturalgas.org/ (which is a site of the Rocky Mountain Institute) Coal when burned to make electricity, is about 2x the CO2 emission of Natural Gas. It also has higher rates of fine particulates (that may be the source of the 10% number stuck in folks heads). However methane (the primary component of Natural Gas) is itself a greenhouse gas. It is 85x more potent than CO2 over a 20 year time horizon. Best estimates are that 40% of current global warming we are experiencing is because of methane (0.5C attributed to the methane that has been released). Methane is a small molecule, it leaks a lot in pipes. Current EPA estimates of leakage of methane make it worse than coal from a GHG perspective because of those rates of leaks. We should stop burning coal for sure. But Natural gas isn't better from a warming perspective (though it does release less fine particulates), when you look at it's system impact. So coal to gas transitions weren't the win people thought they were. Sean Dague NY Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. #1) A series of cognitive studies finds that people tend to make worse decisions when given more information. #2) In the first study of its kind, researchers find that antihydrogen atoms respond the same to gravity as normal matter, ruling out the existence of repulsive antigravity. #3) Engineers have published a method for making thin crystalline silicone solar cells that are one eighth the thickness of existing commercial solar cells with record-breaking efficiencies of 29%. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “Ignorance lies not in the things you don't know, but in the things you know that ain't so.” - Will Rodgers “I honestly believe it is better to know nothing than to know what ain’t so.” - Josh Billings

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #950 September 21st 2023 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – CAR-T Therapy https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/immune-cells-to-fight-cancer/ News Item #2 – Martian Life https://www.space.com/nasa-may-have-unknowingly-found-and-killed-alien-life-on-mars-50-years-ago-scientist-claims News Item #3 – Oldest Wooden Structures https://cosmosmagazine.com/history/archaeology/wooden-structure-that-predates-modern-humans-found/ News Item #4 – Mexican Alien Bodies https://www.vox.com/culture/23875671/aliens-mexican-congress-real-or-hoax-peru-nazca-mummies-jaime-maussan-fraud-scam News Item #5 – The Tong Test for Artificial General Intelligence https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S209580992300293X?via%3Dihub Segment #2. Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Climate Change #1) According to the most recent statistics, deaths due to extreme weather have almost tripled between 1970 and 2019. #2) 2022 saw both global coal consumption and CO2 emissions hit an all-time high. #3) The Earth is losing 1.2 trillion tons of ice each year, and this pace is accelerating. Segment #4. Skeptical Quote of the Week “What is at stake here is whether our country will follow science or superstitions and quackery.” Alejandro Frank, professor of mathematical physics at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #949 September 3rd 2023 Dragoncon 2023 Live Show Guest Christian Hubicki, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering Segment #1. DragonCon Highlights Segment #2. Robots of the Future Segment #3. News Items News Item #1 – Exploding Batteries to Deorbit Satellites Using Lithium-Ion Battery Explosions to Deorbit Satellites (ts2.space) News Item #2 – Dark Stars JWST Might Have Spotted the First Dark Matter Stars - Scientific American News Item #3 – AI Drone Racing Champion-level drone racing using deep reinforcement learning | Nature News Item #4 - How May People to Settle Mars https://www.livescience.com/space/mars/just-22-people-are-needed-to-colonize-mars-as-long-as-they-are-the-right-personality-type-study-claims News Item #5 – Stress Patch https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/meghan-markle-nucalm-stress-patch-224418801.html Segment #4: Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Robotics #1) According to the International Federation of Robotics, in 2023 there are 35 million industrial robots, and 43 million service robots worldwide. #2) The first robot-assisted surgery was in Vancouver in 1984, the Arthrobot, which assisted in arthroscopic procedures. #3) Arguably the oldest robots include water-powered clock-driven figurines dating from 3,000 BC and a steam-powered pidgeon that could actually fly dating from 400 BC. Segment #5: Skeptical Quote of the Week “Individual science fiction stories may seem as trivial as ever to the blinder critics and philosophers of today – but the core of science fiction, its essence has become crucial to our salvation if we are to be saved at all.” - Isaac Asimov

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #948 August 29th 2023 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – ChatGPT Performs at University Level https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/chatgpt-performs-at-university-level/ News Item #2 – Geothermal Energy https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/28/climate/geothermal-energy-projects.html News Item #3 – Failed Star https://www.space.com/failed-star-big-deal-astronomy-radiation-belts-exoplanet-hidden News Item #4 – Doctor and NDEs https://www.yahoo.com/news/ive-studied-more-5-000-133633458.html Segment #2. Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. Interview with Anna Blakney https://www.tiktok.com/@anna.blakney?lang=en Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Negative Results #1) A study of the use of augmented reality glasses in social interactions found no significant impact. #2) A recent Finnish study found that the type and amount of fungus (molds and yeast) found in the home of young children do not correlate with the risk of developing asthma. #3) A study following children from age 10 to 16 did not find any correlation between social media use and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week ‘Not bound by facts, the hoax is free to fabricate feelings & the genres associated with them- it is this artfulness & ambiguity that help explain [it’s] popularity.’ - From ‘Bunk’ by Kevin Young published 2017.

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #947 Recorded December 17th 2022 Live in Tucson Segment #1. Special Report Death of P22 Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Toughest Metal https://www.sciencealert.com/this-alloy-is-the-toughest-known-material-on-earth-and-it-gets-tougher-in-the-cold News Item #2 – Eyewear from Coffee Grounds https://invisionmag.com/ukrainian-eyewear-maker-continues-to-spin-coffee-grounds-into-frames/ News Item #3 – Water Worlds https://earthsky.org/space/ocean-worlds-exoplanet-liquid-water-red-dwarf-stars News Item #4 - Psychic Fraud https://www.vice.com/en/article/93kk3y/psychic-diamond-heist-john-lee-hamad-bin-jassim-bin-jaber-al-thani Segment #3. Discussion Topic Canceling Celebrities Segment #4. Expert Advice The rogues give some advice about their area of expertise Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Arizona Facts #1) Other than a few stray plants, Arizona is the only state in the US with the famous saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea). #2) With 3,928 peaks and summits, Arizona is considered the most mountainous state of the 48 contiguous states. #3) Arizona is the most venomous state in the US, with the only venomous lizard, the gila monster, 13 species of rattlesnake, scorpions, africanized bees, a venomous centipede, and the insect with the most painful bite, the tarantula hawk. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “Among all the geographic areas of the United States, the Southwest in general and Arizona, in particular, is blessed with a panoramic beauty that almost defies description. Only a limited number of poets, painters, and photographers have been able to do justice to her splendor.” – Marshall Trimble

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #946 August 24th 2023 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Releasing Fukushima Radioactive Water https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/should-japan-release-radioactive-water-into-the-pacific/ News Item #2 – Online Gaming and Mental Health https://theconversation.com/online-gaming-communities-could-provide-a-lifeline-for-isolated-young-men-new-research-211558 News Item #3 – Gradient Nanostructured Steel https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/gradient-nanostructured-steel/ News Item #4 – Supernova and Neutrinos https://www.space.com/nearby-supernova-reveal-secrets-neutrinos News Item #5 – Recent Lunar Missions https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/russias-moon-mission-falters-after-problem-entering-pre-landing-orbit-2023-08-20/ https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-66567437 Segment #2. Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. Your Question and E-mails Question #1: Regret and Gender Affirming Care Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Proteins #1) “Hero” proteins in humans are heat-resistant long-lived proteins that have no direct function themselves but help keep other proteins from clumping and causing cell aging. #2) The longest known protein in vertebrates is called titin, which can be 350,000 amino acids long. #3) The median half-life of human proteins is 8.7 hours. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week "America is the only country where a significant proportion of the population believes that professional wrestling is real but the moon landing was faked." David Letterman

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #945 August 16th 2023 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Deep Space Network https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2023/08/15/talking-with-webb-using-the-deep-space-network/ News Item #2 – Identifying Misinformation https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/young-people-tell-us-they-need-help-identifying-misinformation/ News Item #3 – Regret and Gender Affirming Care https://arstechnica.com/health/2023/08/no-regrets-gender-affirming-chest-surgery-in-adults-has-long-term-satisfaction/ News Item #4 – Localizing Hidden Consciousness https://academic.oup.com/brain/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/brain/awad197/7236061?redirectedFrom=fulltext News Item #5 – Ice Baths https://www.cnn.com/videos/health/2023/08/07/ice-baths-benefits-effects-orig-lbb-contd-vf-na.cnn Segment #2. Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. Your Question and E-mails Question #1: Metazoans I am a big fan of the SGU and pod! I noticed that on the Aug 12 science or fiction, the item about ctenophores was fiction as stated because it was missing a word. For the item to be science, it needed to be "ctenophores are the oldest extant *metazoan* branch of life" , and by metazoan I basically mean multicellular animal. There are some much older extant branches of non-metazoan life. For example, cyanobacteria and archaea that form stromatolites have been around for a few billion years and can still be found alive in the Bahamas. The source of the ctenophore statement is a recent paper in the journal Nature (Schultz et al. 2023) showing evidence that ctenophores were the first animals, challenging a decades long consensus that sponges were the first animals. Thank you all for this great podcast, community, and outlet for my pedantry! I started listening years ago as a broke grad student, and just became a patron. Lastly, huge congrats to Dr. Santa Maria! Cheers, Lauren Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Medieval Jesters #1) In medieval Europe women were forbidden from being jesters, as it was unacceptable for a woman to make fun of a man. #2) Jesters typically only worked part time as a jester, while most of the year they would engage in other mundane jobs around the castle. #3) So-called “jester’s privilege” meant that jesters could mock or insult any noble, even the king or queen, without fear of punishment. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week “The tantalizing discomfort of perplexity is what inspires otherwise ordinary men and women to extraordinary feats of ingenuity and creativity; nothing quite focuses the mind like dissonant details awaiting harmonious resolution.” — Brian Greene

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #944 August 10th 2023 Segment #1. Special Report 5-10 Years – Loch Ness Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Depression Does Not Cause Cancer https://neurosciencenews.com/depression-anxiety-cancer-23769/ News Item #2 – Hidden Undersea World https://www.livescience.com/animals/hidden-underworld-filled-with-never-before-seen-creatures-discovered-beneath-the-seafloor News Item #3 – AI vs Robo Calls https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/08/230809130405.htm News Item #4 – Cement Supercapacitor https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/using-cement-for-energy-storage/ Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Question and E-mails Question #1: More EV Feedback Question #2: RFK Jr on Tik Tok RFK is going to eliminate "chronic disease" by finding the cause(s) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag1EHzfJrIY Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Oldest #1) The oldest extant branch of life is the ctenophores, which go back 700 million years. #2) Polypodiophyta, a type of fern, is the oldest extant plant genus at 380 million years. #3) The record for the slowest evolving vertebrate goes to the elephant shark (Callorhinchus milii) which has changed little in 450 million years. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "It is hard to tell which is worse; the wide diffusion of things that are not true, or the suppression of things that are true." ~ Harriet Martineau

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #943 August 3rd 2023 Segment #1. What’s the Word Mereology Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Glass-Coated DNA https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/glass-coated-dna-stronger-but-lower-density-than-steel News Item #2 – Why Heat is Deadly https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-extreme-heat-is-so-deadly/ News Item #3 – Australian Psychics https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/psychic-cael-odonnell-melbourne/3685b599-e4e4-4aa7-9873-2b293a8953b8 News Item #4 – Speech Deepfakes https://phys.org/news/2023-08-speech-deepfakes-frequently-people.html Segment #3. Special Segment Electric Vehicles Segment #4. Quickie with Bob https://phys.org/news/2023-08-heaviest-animal-ancient-whale-peruvian.html Segment #5. Who’s That Noisy Segment #6. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Volcanoes #1) About 30% of the world’s population live under potential threat from volcanic activity. #2) The Pacific Ring of Fire contains 75% of the world’s volcanoes, and is the location of 90% of all earthquakes. #3) The largest recorded volcanic eruption was Mount Tambora in Indonesia, which killed about 100,000 people, and rated a 7/8 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index. Segment #7. Skeptical Quote of the Week "In so far as a scientific statement speaks about reality, it must be falsifiable; and in so far as it is not falsifiable, it does not speak about reality." - Karl Popper

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #942 July 27th 2023 Segment #1. Quickie with Steve https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/yet-another-alzheimers-drug/ Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Can AI Learn Like Humans https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230720124956.htm News Item #2 – Room Temperature Superconductor https://www.iflscience.com/first-room-temperature-ambient-pressure-superconductor-achieved-claim-scientists-70001 News Item #3 – A Galaxy Without Dark Matter https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/a-galaxy-without-dark-matter/ News Item #4 – Men Convicted For Mineral Solution https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article277475553.html Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Talent Hi, My friend and I have been having an ongoing discussion for a long time about the role of talent in people's abilities and I thought it would be interesting to hear all of your perspectives. The discussion is a lot to summarize and I think talent itself is difficult to define. For example, my friend has mentioned several times that things like natural abilities or genetics are what gives a person their talent. But to me, things like size, speed and others are all trainable to some degree and also depend a lot on development. Like if you grow up food insecure you probably aren't going to be as tall as you have the potential to be. My friend brings up the example of Michael Phelps and his out of the ordinary body in terms of wingspan and lung capacity. I argued back that his lungs probably wouldn't have developed in such a way if he wasn't the athlete that he is and while there are always going to be people far on the outside of the normal distribution of a certain characteristic, that alone isn't going to be the reason they are successful at something. At the end of the day, I think the biggest contribution to individual success is always going to be the amount of work that is put in. But how does that account for the edge cases at the very top? What is the difference between a chess player like Masnus Carlson and someone who ranks outside of the top 100? The amount of work they do is probably similar and my friend argues that the difference comes down to a natural talent level while I think it's more complicated than that. I have a problem attributing so much to the nebulous term of talent and I think it takes away from a lot of the effort that people put into being as good as they are. This particular friend, for example, has gotten to a 2k+ elo in chess through what he says are thousands of hours of practice. Anyway, I am curious to hear what you all think. Thanks, Mitch PS This whole discussion reminds me of something that Steve said about the Jimmy Neutron in an episode long ago. Basically Steve didn't like the show because it doesn't show the hard work at coming up with a scientific solution, or something along those lines. I think the whole conversation is similar to the one about IQ, especially when it comes to chess as my friend will bring up the IQ of players such as Carlson. But I would point out that we don't know if their high IQ makes them good at chess or if their IQ is high because they are good at chess. Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. #1) Scientists have been able to reanimate nematodes taken from Siberian permafrost that were frozen for 46 thousand years. #2) New research finds that, despite diverging evolutionarily 179 million years ago, the honeycomb design of honey bee and paper wasp nests derives from a common ancestor. #3) Researchers were able to transplant mitochrondria into damaged kidney cells improving energy production and reducing toxicity and physiological stress. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “Critical thinking is an active and ongoing process. It requires that we all think like Bayesians, updating our knowledge as new information comes in.” ― Daniel J. Levitin, A Field Guide to Lies: Critical Thinking in the Information Age

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #941 July 20th 2023 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Early Woodworking https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230719145940.htm News Item #2 – Genetic Engineering to Fight Malaria https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/using-genetic-engineering-to-fight-malaria/ News Item #3 – How We Determine What’s True https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/how-we-determine-what-to-believe-as-true/ News Item #4 – Killing Bacteria https://phys.org/news/2023-07-dual-wavelengths-shown-effective-antibiotic-resistant.amp https://phys.org/news/2023-07-scientists-supercomputer-cicada-wings-bacteria.amp News Item #5 – Nanopatch Pseudoscience https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/07/13/what-to-know-about-djokovics-nano-patch-and-why-some-experts-call-it-pseudoscience/?sh=63af145578ae Segment #2. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Fisher Cat or Red Fox Question #2: Thorium Reactors A friend of mine is kind of a thorium enthusiast and recently sent me this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27IntvWo4mo This company is working on thorium-based modular reactors and claims they will have commercial reactors ready by 2028. What's the state of thorium reactors? Supporters say that they're a better source of nuclear energy, that thorium is more abundant than uranium and produces more manageable nuclear waste. What do the skeptics have to say? Thanks and keep up the great work. Max Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Animal Tropes #1) The famous sound made by Flipper the dolphin is actually a recording of a kookaburra bird sped up. #2) The only species of frog that makes the “ribbit” noise is the Pacific tree frog, which is native to Hollywood, CA. #3) Horses make a variety of sounds, but they don’t whinny like in the movies, which is a sound recorded from a donkey. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Science is not about building a body of facts. It is a method for asking awkward questions and subjecting them to a reality-check, thus avoiding the human tendency to believe whatever makes them feel good." Terry Pratchett from his book "Science of Discworld"

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #940 July 12th 2023 Guest Rogues George Hrab and Andrea Jones Roy Segment #1. Dumbest Thing of the Week Alien Spheres https://theconversation.com/physicist-who-found-spherical-meteor-fragments-claims-they-may-come-from-an-alien-spaceship-heres-what-to-make-of-it-209101 Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Leqembi for Alzheimer’s https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/fda-approves-leqembi-for-alzheimers/ News Item #2 – Jeffrey Epstein Not Murdered https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/23-085.pdf News Item #3 – When Will Betelgeuse Supernova https://nationalpost.com/news/astronomer-predicts-that-a-red-supergiant-star-nearby-could-go-supernova-very-soon News Item #4 – Can AI Solve Math Problems https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/02/science/ai-mathematics-machine-learning.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage&section=Science Segment #3. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. #1) A new paper estimating the number of planets in the Milky Way with liquid water increases the estimate by 100 fold from prior estimates, up to one planet per system on average. #2) A new bionic arm for an above-the-elbow amputation allows the user to control individually each finger of the hand using only connections with the remaining muscles. #3) In an example of convergent evolution, new DNA analysis finds that the pygmy right whale is actually a porpoise. Segment #4. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Every time you perform a magic trick, you're engaging in experimental psychology. If the audience asks, 'How the hell did he do that?' then the experiment was successful." - Teller

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #939 July 5th 2023 Segment #1. Quickie with Bob The Planet that Shouldn’t Exist https://phys.org/news/2023-06-astronomers-planet-shouldnt.html Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Activity Good for Quality of Life https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230704110923.htm News Item #2 – Hominid Cannibals https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/01/science/archaeology-hominids-cannibalism.html News Item #3 – Aspartame and Cancer https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/aspartame-and-cancer/ News Item #4 – FAA Approves Flying Car https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/03/tech/flying-car-faa/index.html News Item #5 – Neutrino Image of Milky Way https://physicsworld.com/a/icecube-detects-high-energy-neutrinos-from-within-the-milky-way/ Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Homelessness Question #2: Titan Failure Question #3: Canada and Forest Management Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. #1) A recent review of data finds that maternal mortality rate more than doubled in the US between 1999 and 2019 in every racial and ethnic group. #2) Astronomers observing distant quasars find that time in the early universe flowed 5 times slower than it does today. #3) A study involving bacterial cells with a minimized genome, in which every gene is deemed essential, revealed a dramatically reduced rate of evolutionary adaptation to stressed environments. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "It is a bad plan that admits of no modification." Publilius Syrus

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #938 June 29th 2023 Segment #1. What’s the Word decussate Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Ripples in Spacetime https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/ripples-in-spacetime/ News Item #2 – Mars Simulation https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/nasa-mars-simulation-experiment-chapea-b2364217.html News Item #3 – Multimillion Dollar Psychic Scam https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/canadian-man-convicted-multimillion-dollar-psychic-mass-mailing-fraud-scheme News Item #4 – Who is Most Susceptible to Misinformation https://phys.org/news/2023-06-misinformation-susceptibility-online-gen-millennials.html News Item #5 – Malaria in Florida https://news.yahoo.com/malaria-alert-issued-florida-why-154500905.html Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Existential Dread Love the show. I'm an agnostic, somewhat of a nihilist. I also deal with genrealized anxiety disorder and OCD. I'm petrified that upon death, I will be greeted by a diety or some force that will condemn me to eternal suffering for not believing. I know the chances of this scenario is next to zero. But my OCD keep me obsessing over it. How do you and the rogues deal with this concept and enjoy life? Stay "grounded" so to speak? I'm not asking for medical advice. I'm asking how you cope. Thank you. Matt Long Island Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Computers #1) The FBI reported that financial losses due to cybercrime in 2022 exceeded $1 trillion. #2) A 2020 analysis found that 77% of American jobs involved medium to high levels of digital skill. #3) A recent study estimates that even skilled computer users lose 11-20% of their work time dealing with computer issues. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "I hold my theories on the tips of my fingers, so that the merest breath of fact will blow them away." - Attributed to Michael Faraday

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #937 June 22nd 2023 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Neuroforecasting https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/using-ai-for-neuroforecasting/ News Item #2 – Coastal Erosion https://phys.org/news/2023-06-coastal-erosion-dune.html News Item #3 – Milky Way’s Supermassive Black Hole https://www.universetoday.com/162040/the-milky-ways-supermassive-black-hole-had-a-burst-of-activity-200-years-ago-we-just-saw-the-echo/ News Item #4 – Aliens in Vegas https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-las-vegas/did-aliens-land-in-las-vegas-nasa-says-no-2796659/ News Item #5 – Alcohol Use Disorder https://neurosciencenews.com/aud-intoxication-cognition-23498/ Segment #2. Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Latitude and Daylight Question #2: Debating RFK Jr. Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Historical Events You May Never Have Heard Of #1) Often called the forgotten genocide, in the 1880s, the Ottoman Empire engaged in ethnic cleansing in the region of Astrakhan, killing over 1 million native Cossacks, and ultimately absorbing the territory. #2) In 1919, in Boston’s North End, a large tank ruptured, spilling 2 million gallons of molasses, which raged through the streets at 35 miles per hour, killing 21 people and injuring 150. #3) In 1862, some soldiers in the Battle of Shiloh noticed that their wounds glowed green-blue, and these wounds seemed to heal faster than non-glowing wounds. Recent investigations suggest the glow was due to bioluminescent bacteria seeded in the wounds by nematodes. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Science is the acceptance of what works and the rejection of what does not. That needs more courage than we might think.” — Jacob Bronowski

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #936 June 15th 2023

Segment #1. News Items

News Item #1 – Schizophrenia and Auto-Immune Disease
https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/woman-with-catatonia-for-years-wakes-after-treatment/

News Item #2 – 3D Printing Glass
https://bioengineer.org/nanomaterials-3d-printing-of-glass-without-sintering/

News Item #3 – Smoke Blocks Solar Energy
https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/12/23757983/wildfire-smoke-solar-energy-generation-power-grid

News Item #4 – Retooling Ribosome Translation
https://phys.org/news/2023-06-retooling-ribosomal-machine-chemical-repertoire.html

News Item #5 – Ivory Billed Woodpecker Again
https://earthsky.org/earth/ivory-billed-woodpecker-isnt-extinct/

Segment #2. Who’s That Noisy

Segment #3. Your Questions and E-mails

Question #1: My UFO Sighting

Been listening since 2006ish, love you guys. 

Had feet in hot tub with wife and we noticed a string of lights in the sky. Immediately joked it was a UFO but it was something I’ve never seen in 13 years in Ocean View Norfolk. To me it reminded me of the speed of a slow plane pulling a sign message. 

Not sure how how to get images but it would be awesome to share. If you debunk I’ll sign up to patreon! 

V/R, 

Andrew Albertson

 

Segment #4. Interview with David Kyle Johnson

Segment #5. Science or Fiction
Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along.

#1) A new study finds that human redistribution of fresh water has caused the Earth’s rotational pole to drift 78.48 cm between 1993 and 2010.  

#2) A recent analysis of the Geminids meteoroid stream indicates that it likely originated from the Moon. 

#3) Scientists have developed a wireless muometric navigation system that uses muons from cosmic rays as their reference and can work even deep underground.   

 

Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week

“All photographs are memento mori. To take a photograph is to participate in another person’s mortality, vulnerability, mutability. Precisely by slicing out this moment and freezing it, all photographs testify to time’s relentless melt.”
― Susan Sontag

 

 

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #935 June 8th 2023 Segment #1. Canadian Fires and Global Warming Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – The Coming of AR https://www.zdnet.com/google-amp/article/apple-vision-pro-first-take-3-reasons-this-changes-everything/ News Item #2 – The Causes of Cultural Differences https://theconversation.com/nearly-20-of-the-cultural-differences-between-societies-boil-down-to-ecological-factors-new-research-206981 News Item #3 – Space Travel and Brain Health https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-33331-8 News Item #4 – UFO Whistleblower https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/another-ufo-whistleblower/ Segment #3. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Which Attenborough? Question #2: Breaking Placebo Effects Hi and thanks for the show. Does being vocally sceptical potentially break the very real placebo effect for others? Am I possibly doing a disservice to my friends when I argue against the homeopathic 'treatment' that helps them? Jaysen Naidoo South Africa Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Weird Food #1) In Cambodia a popular delicacy is deep fried tarantula, a custom that arose out of necessity during the lean times under the Khmer Rouge. #2) Rhododendron honey is an expensive treat in Northern Australia, where the low levels of toxins are considered to add a unique and spicy flavor. #3) Corn smut is an invading gray fungus that is considered a scourge to corn growers, but eaten as a delicacy in Mexico. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week “Absolute certainty is a privilege of uneducated minds and fanatics. It is for scientific folk and unattainable ideal.” Caassius Jackson Keyser

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #934 June 1st 2023 Segment #1. Quickie with Bob Brain Stimulation to Improve Function https://www.sciencealert.com/biggest-study-yet-suggests-electric-stimulation-boosts-brain-function Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Harvesting Energy from Air https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/harvesting-energy-from-water-vapor/ News Item #2 – Breakups and Hindsight Bias https://phys.org/news/2023-05-break-ups-hindsight-bias-romantic-relationships.html News Item #3 – AI Seance https://futurism.com/ai-seance News Item #4 – Monster Stars https://www.sciencealert.com/signs-of-monster-stars-10000-times-our-suns-mass-found-at-the-dawn-of-time Segment #3. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Which Attenborough? Question #2: Trees and CO2 Hi, I’m a recent listener to your podcast and I have a question for your panel. In the 5/29 issue of the New Yorker Magazine, an article on trees questions the wisdom of mass tree plantings as away to combat global warming. Specifically, it says that although the world’s forests absorb around 16 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide every year, they also emit 8 billion tons. I know that some carbon dioxide is emitted due to respiration at night, but these numbers still seem way off. Can this be true? The online version of the story is dated 5/22. WHAT WE OWE OUR TREES Forests fed us, housed us, and made our way of life possible. But they can’t save us if we can’t save them. By Jill Lepore May 22, 2023 Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. #1) A newly published clinical study finds that a daily eyedrop can partially reverse myopia (nearsightedness) in children. #2) A study conducted during the pandemic shutdown finds that over the short term reducing pollution increases global warming. #3) Researchers report the production of an organic solar cell with a record-breaking efficiency >19%, which is close to commercial silicon solar cells. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week “The plural of anecdote is not data” Erika Engelhaupt

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #933 May 20th 2023 Segment #1. Quickie with Cara New York is Sinking https://www.sciencealert.com/new-york-city-could-be-sinking-under-the-weight-of-its-skyscrapers Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – What About Second Breakfast https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/03/14/sleep-cereal-sweet-dreams-nighttime-eating/ News Item #2 – Artemis Update https://gizmodo.com/nasa-artemis-crew-begin-training-upcoming-moon-mission-1850450534 News Item#3 – Making Fuel from Sunlight https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/making-fuel-from-sunshine/ News Item #4 – Most Dangerous Toy https://www.antiquetrader.com/collectibles/most-dangerous-toy-ever News Item #5 – The Science of Reading https://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/story/Love-It-or-Hate-It-the-Science-of-Reading-Curriculum-Gains-Traction-in-Schools News Item #6 – What’s Driving Evolution https://www.sciencealert.com/giant-study-identifies-dominant-force-driving-evolution-on-earth-today Segment #3. Jay’s AI Thing Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Scientific Disciplines #1) Bromhidrology – the study of body odors, their causes, medical and social effects. #2) Molinology – the study of mills and other similar devices that use energy for mechanical purposes. #3) Deltiology – the study and collection of postcards. #4) Agnoiology – the study of ignorance. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week “Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #932 May 16th 2023 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Microsoft Signs Up For Fusion https://newatlas.com/energy/helion-microsoft-fusion-2028/ News Item #2 – Robot Helpers https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/05/230515132043.htm News Item#3 – DNA Everywhere https://theconversation.com/you-shed-dna-everywhere-you-go-trace-samples-in-the-water-sand-and-air-are-enough-to-identify-who-you-are-raising-ethical-questions-about-privacy-205557 News Item #4 – The Evolution of Butterflies https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-023-02041-9 News Item #5 – CO2 and Lab Grown Meat https://interestingengineering.com/science/lab-grown-meat-25-times-co2 Segment #2. Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. Name That Logical Fallacy Love the show, I have been listening on and off for many years, and have introduced some of my friends to your excellent podcast. My question is about a discussion I was having with my brother in law which turned into a bit of a debate. Long story short, it was about a video where 2 cars were participating in a "tug of war" type of contest where a rope was attached between them and they had to try and pull the other car in the opposite direction. My brother in laws claim was that the victorious car had its victory because of the more advanced suspension system and the design of the 4 wheel drive system. Note that in this battle, the victorious car was lighter by 600 pounds, had less power and less torque. My claim was that there may have been other factors that the video maker should have eliminated to make the result more definitive and fair. For example, they should have done a few tests with the cars switching positions in case the road surface or direction someone advantaged one of the cars. Also they should have switched the actual drivers between cars to eliminate driver technique as a factor. Also things like the types of tyre, tyre air pressure etc may have all contributed. My brother in law claimed the above factors would have been negligible and didnt need to be factored into the testing. I then said that without factoring them into the testing, we dont know for sure. He them (sarcastically) said that by my logic we should have also taken into account the angle of the sun, position of the moon, and a whole bunch of other nonsense factors. When I told him those factors wouldnt be considered reasonable as having an effect, he asked why I am the one who gets to judge what is and what isn't a reasonable thing to test for? My reply was that we can't test for absolutely everything, so at least testing for the most reasonable and likely confounding factors is a good idea. He also used "Occams Razor" in his defense, claiming that his claim is the simplest, but my claim has a lot more factors and is therefore more complicated. I replied that his position has more assumption, since he is assuming that all the things I mentioned have only a negligible effect. His reply of course was that he is only making one assumption, that being that "all factors other than the design of the suspension and 4 wheel drive system don't have a significant effect". I hope this discussion/question is iteresting to you and I really look forward to hearing your thoughts on this. Adam H Zielinski Brisbane Australia Segment #4. Potent Quotables Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Butterflies #1) Butterflies breathe through spiracles located mainly on their wings. #2) Most of a butterfly’s taste receptors are on their feet. #3) There are over 100 species of butterfly that are considered arctic, including almost 20 species that are high arctic and extremely cold adapted, although there are no butterfly species in Antarctica. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep.” ― Saul Bellow

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #930 May 11th 2023 Segment #1. Quickie with Bob Scientists announce rough draft of human pangenome https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/scientists-announce-rough-draft-human-pangenome-rcna83120 Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Fake Studies https://www.science.org/content/article/fake-scientific-papers-are-alarmingly-common News Item #2 – Germany and Nuclear Power https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/germany-and-nuclear-power/ News Item#3 – Moon Landing Hoax Again https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/05/former-head-of-roscosmos-now-thinks-nasa-did-not-land-on-the-moon/ News Item #4 – Earth Viewed by Alien Civilization https://arxiv.org/abs/2304.13779 Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Dunning-Kruger Revisited Have you heard the "news" that the Dunning-Kruger effect has been debunked by random data? This short article outlines the argument and I'm curious to hear your thoughts. https://theconversation.com/debunking-the-dunning-kruger-effect-the-least-skilled-people-know-how-much-they-dont-know-but-everyone-thinks-they-are-better-than-average-195527 -Cedar Wyoming Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. #1) A recent study finds that older adults are more distractable than younger adults – they lose focus on a task when faced with irrelevant stimuli. #2) Researchers find that certain species of bacteria can incorporate radioactive elements in their enzyme structure, deriving some of their energy from the radioactive decay. #3) A UK study finds that more than half of gig workers earn less than minimum wage. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "We find ourselves awash in an ocean of information online. This information ocean is getting more turbulent every single day. The only tools we have to navigate through this maelstrom are the critical thinking skills that we are trying to develop in people as scientists." Anu Ojha - co-director, National Space Centre (Leicester, England)

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #930 May 4th 2023 Segment #1. What’s the Word Catacoustics Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – AI Mind Reading https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/reading-the-mind-with-fmri-and-ai/ News Item #2 – 10,000 Steps Per Day https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/you-dont-really-need-10-000-daily-steps-to-stay-healthy/ News Item#3 – 30 Years of the Web https://www.npr.org/2023/04/30/1172276538/world-wide-web-internet-anniversary News Item #4 – When Will Aliens Make Contact? https://tinyurl.com/4mvpnejw Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Carnivore Diet Just read the SGU book and am starting on SG Future, excellent books. Curious if you have ever looked at radical/fringe diets and the people who are their main proponents. Someone close to me has signed onto the Carnivore Diet and closely followed Tennessee MD Ken Berry and New Mexico MD Shawn Baker. All meat and eggs, veggies and fruit are toxic, cures and prevents just about everything. Seems like just another instance of medical quackery and pseudoscience to me, but I can't convince this person that eating nothing but red meat and eggs is not a good idea in the long run. Steve Williams Eugene OR Segment #5. Interview with Brian Brushwood https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/worlds-greatest-con/id1572307941 Segment #6. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: #1) Scientists find that wild chimpanzees are capable of combining calls into “compositional syntactic-like structure” with new meanings that derive from the meaning of the individual parts. #2) The latest dark energy survey finds that it comprises 76% of total energy density in the universe, and that it is uniform in space and constant in time. #3) A recent systematic review finds that telehealth can save on average 40% of the carbon footprint of outpatient patient care. Segment #7. Skeptical Quote of the Week “There is an ever-growing body of evidence that psychic abilities like telepathy, psychokinesis, astral projection, and channeling are not only real—they’re quite common,” “Those who ask questions find answers, Those who combat falsehoods find the truth, And those who see inside themselves will know the path ahead.” - Jedi Survivor

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #929 April 27th 2023 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Starship Launch News Item #2 – False Belief Systems https://neurosciencenews.com/false-belief-system-23098/ News Item#3 – Ashwagandha https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/ashwagandha-an-herbal-tiktok-sensation/ News Item #4 – The Evolution of Eukaryotes https://www.news-medical.net/amp/news/20230424/Exploring-metabolic-compatibility-as-a-possible-limiting-factor-to-prokayrotic-endosymbioses.aspx News Item #5 – Blue Holes https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/surprise-discovery-of-worlds-2nd-deepest-blue-hole-could-provide-window-into-earths-history Segment #2. Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: P-Values When you all where talking about the full moon and suicide study last week kara said that “p-values as we know are pretty mean goes as they tell us a little bit more about the analysis than the actual (pause). That’s why effect sizes matter”. Could you please elaborate on this and the sentence kara stop herself from finishing accidentally? How are p values better for understanding the analysis and what are then effect sizes better for? This seems like a really important statistical concept to grasp for us skeptics so I wanted to ask this. All the best -Antoni Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: AI #1) Chat GPT-4 was able to pass the Uniform Bar Exam, scoring in the 90th percentile. #2) The US Copyright Office has issued guidance that registrants must disclose any AI-generated material in their work and it will not issue copyrights for content created using artificial intelligence software. #3) An amateur Go player, without any computer assistance, beat the best Go-playing AI in 14 out of 15 matches. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week "It would be useful if the concept of the umwelt were embedded in the public lexicon. It neatly captures that idea of limited knowledge, of unobtainable information, of unimagined possibilities." David Eagleman, neuroscientist, Baylor College of Medicine

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #928 April 18th 2023 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Starship Almost Launch News Item #2 – Information in Ancient Meteorites https://www.sciencealert.com/humans-are-erasing-billions-of-years-of-data-from-ancient-meteorites News Item#3 – Lunar Cycle and Suicide https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/the-lunar-cycle-and-suicide/ News Item #4 – Sharper MRI Scans https://today.duke.edu/2023/04/brain-images-just-got-64-million-times-sharper News Item #5 – Mummies and Taxes https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/could-these-old-mummies-in-mexico-be-spreading-fungal-infection-due-to-an-old-tax-rule/ Segment #2. Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1 Hydrogen Energy Storage Hey there! Long time listener, first time submitting. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this fuel-cell-system (https://www.homepowersolutions.de/produkt/) where you take your excess solar-Power from your roof in summer and turn it into hydrogen. In Winter you reverse the process and generate electricity from the hydrogen. The system also includes a Batterie storage for short term and even feeds the heat generated by the fuel-cell into your heating unit. It’s not a prototype. This company already built and installed hundreds of these systems in old and new buildings. Making many of them non-reliant on the grid. I’m really curious about your thoughts! You’re doing an amazing job with your podcast and as an Anaesthesiologist I have to thank you especially for your work in the times of Covid! Best wishes and Keep up the good work. Stephan from Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler (Germany) Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Mushrooms #1) Fungi breath in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, just like animals. #2) Mushroom spores are made of the toughest biological substance known, sporopollenin. #3) Witches Butter (Tremella mesenterica) is one of the most poisonous mushrooms in the world, a single gram being sufficient to kill a large adult human, although it is easily mistaken for edible varieties. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week "The denial or distortion of history is an assault on truth and understanding. Comprehension and memory of the past are crucial to how we understand ourselves, our society, and our goals for the future. Intentionally denying or distorting the historical record threatens communal understanding of how to safeguard democracy and individual rights." Holocaust Memorial Museum (April 18 is recognized in Israel as Holocaust Remembrance Day)

Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Dopamine Detox https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/what-is-dopamine-detox/ News Item #2 – Overprotection May Cause Anxiety https://neurosciencenews.com/parental-overprotection-anxiety-22988/ News Item#3 – Shock Boson Bogus https://www.sciencealert.com/shock-boson-result-upending-physics-was-a-miscalculation-scientists-say News Item #4 – No Health Benefits from Moderate Drinking https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/04/05/world/science-health-world/alcohol-health-studies/ Segment #2. Name That Logical Fallacy My favorite segment on the show is 'Name that Logical Fallacy' - I almost never get it right but I those discussions super interesting and fun. I wish it was a standard part of every episode. Anyways, I listened to the recent AI debate and the fellow formally from Google. He stated that the Google AI was sentient because it seemed to deviate from the parameters that had been defined to control its behavior. That sounds to me like the classic 'false dichotomy'. You cannot explain something so my explanation MUST be true. Its very similar to the argument you get from religion. Where and how did life arise, science answers that we do not know (yet) and the religious debator immediately says 'you can't explain it' Therefore Jesus! QED. The conclusion is reached with no proof and no alternative is considered even though a vast array or equally (and often more) plausible mechanism could be responsible. Thanks for the great show, keep up the good work - and yes I am signing up as a patron right now. Bob Compere Segment #3. Interview with Jon Bornstein, Chief Operating Officer of Amprius Technologies. Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Plastic #1) Researchers have developed a new sprayable enzyme that can rapidly break down PET plastics at ambient temperatures, making them usable in natural environments, including sea water. #2) A new analysis finds that most of the plastic injested by vultures come directly from food producers, like restaurants, rather than landfills or other sources. #3) Scientists report the development of a new class of material that is rigid, stronger than hard plastics, moldable at low temperature, are endlessly recyclable, made from non-toxic plant material, are stable when coated, but break down in minutes when broken and exposed to water. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week "A large portion of overconfidence stems from a desire to feel certain. Certainty is simple. Certainty is comfortable. Certainty makes us feel smart and competent. Your strength as a scout is in your ability to resist that temptation." Julia Galef

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #926 April 6th 2023 Guest Rogue Dan Scheffer Segment #1. Quickie with Bob Using quantum fluctuations to generate random numbers faster https://phys.org/news/2023-04-quantum-fluctuations-generate-random-faster.html Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Treating Infections Without Antibiotics https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-find-antibiotic-free-way-to-treat-drug-resistant-infections News Item#2 – The science of Clogging https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzIv3IkK3_E News Item #3 – New Kind of Black Hole https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/new-type-of-black-hole-discovered/ News Item #4 – First Cell Phone https://gizmodo.com/first-cell-phone-call-50-years-motorola-martin-cooper-1850295539 Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1 Feedback on AI Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Old Technology #1) Magnetic tape as a means of storing information was first developed in 1868 by a German inventor. #2) The first video game was patented in 1947, called the “cathode-ray tube amusement device”, which involved shooting missiles at invading planes. #3) Hebron of Alexandria developed a steam powered automatic door opener around 50 AD. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "The Artemis II crew represents thousands of people working tirelessly to bring us to the stars. This is humanity's crew," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said on stage.

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #925 March 30th 2023 Segment #1. Quickie with Steve Batteries with Double Energy Density https://amprius.com/the-all-new-amprius-500-wh-kg-battery-platform-is-here/ Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Mammoth Meatball https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/28/meatball-mammoth-created-cultivated-meat-firm News Item #2 – Lunar Ice https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/27/world/water-moon-lunar-sample-chang-e-5-scn/index.html News Item #3 – First Blitzar Observed https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/03/fast-radio-burst-may-point-to-the-first-blitzar-weve-observed/amp/ News Item #4 – England Allows Gene-Edited Crops https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/england-allows-gene-edited-crops/ Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Interview with Blake Lemoine https://www.business-standard.com/article/international/google-fires-employee-who-said-its-conversation-ai-is-sentient-has-feeling-122072300483_1.html Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. #1) A large survey of life on Earth finds that total biomass remains fairly consistent (within one order of magnitude) across the entire range of body size for all living things. #2) Researchers find that plants under stress emit recordable sound, about as loud as a normal speaking voice. #3) Researchers created intracellular sensors that use nanodiamond quantum sensing. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “The best science communication invites you to consider the complexity of the world, and the worst invites you to ignore the complexity.” Michael Hobbes

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #924 March 23rd 2023 Segment #1. What’s The Word Pleonasm Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Rolls-Royce Nuclear Engine https://gizmodo.com/rolls-royce-nuclear-reactor-engine-space-travel-1850071767 News Item #2 – Tik Tok and Misinformation https://www.popsci.com/technology/tiktok-guideline-updates-ai-climate/ News Item #3 – 3D Printed Rocket https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/3d-printed-rocket-launches/ News Item #4 – Beethoven’s Hair https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2023/03/22/beethoven-genome-hair/ News Item #5 – Uranus Moons with Subsurface Oceans https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.space.com%2Furanus-moons-ariel-miranda-active-subsurface-oceans Segment #3. Quick Follow Up Oumuamua Comet Hypothesis https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05687-w Segment #4. Who’s That Noisy Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Random Facts #1) The shortest regular commercial flight lasts just 53 seconds. #2) Researchers discovered a 1,500 year old human coprolite (fossilized feces) that contained a whole rattlesnake. #3) The Morse code signal “SOS” does not stand for “save our ship”, but originally was meant to stand for “SalvO aSinus” which is latin for “save our ass”. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Whenever we propose a solution to a problem, we ought to try as hard as we can to overthrow our solution, rather than defend it." Karl Popper, Logic of Scientific Discovery, Preface to First English Edition (1959)

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #923 March 16th 2023 Segment #1. Update https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-cochrane-mask-fiasco-how-the-evidence-based-medicine-paradigm-can-produce-misleading-results/ Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – New Lunar Space Suits https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/moon-spacesuit-prototype-unveiled/ News Item #2 – End of Life Care https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/14/health/end-of-life-care-hospice.html News Item #3 – GPT-4 Is Here https://openai.com/research/gpt-4 News Item #4 – Terminator Zones https://news.uci.edu/2023/03/16/terminator-zones-on-distant-planets-could-harbor-life-uc-irvine-astronomers-say/ News Item #5 – Ohio Chemical Spill https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/03/06/east-palestine-residents-health-norfolk-southern-train-derailment/11415726002/ Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Interview with Veritasium – Derek Muller https://www.veritasium.com/ Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Technology Advances #1) Engineers have developed concrete made from lunar regolith and ordinary potato starch and requiring only low temperature heating that is almost three times as strong as regular concrete. #2) Aerospace engineers have made an airplane propeller blade design that significantly reduces noise while increasing thrust and efficiency by 20% over a traditional design. #3) Scientists report a new process for electrosynthesis of multicarbon products from CO2 that is twice as efficient as existing methods. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "The Scientific Revolution has not been a revolution of knowledge. It has been above all a revolution of ignorance. The great discovery that launched the Scientific Revolution was the discovery that humans do not know the answers to their most important questions." "Sapiens: a brief history of humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari.

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #922 March 9th 2023 Segment #1. Dumbest Thing of the Week https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/entertainment_life/feng-shui-improves-health-relationship-and-monetary-goals/article_779fde34-b847-11ed-ad92-73d84d6d2be4.html https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/homes/article-11810191/Im-feng-shui-expert-three-things-never-allow-bedroom.html Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Blood Test for Anxiety https://neurosciencenews.com/anxiety-blood-test-22731/ News Item #2 – Mars Sample Return https://www.space.com/mars-sample-return-whats-ahead News Item #3 – What Did Dinosaurs Look Like https://cosmosmagazine.com/history/jack-horner-dinosaur-video/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=jack-horner-dinosaur-video News Item #4 – Cosmic Rays and the Pyramids https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/03/scientists-have-mapped-a-secret-hidden-corridor-in-great-pyramid-of-giza/ Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Corrections Question #2: Better Help https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2023/03/ftc-says-online-counseling-service-betterhelp-pushed-people-handing-over-health-information-broke https://www.betterhelp.com/betterhelp-response-to-the-recent-ftc-settlement/ Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: pandemic #1) A new analysis finds that if California did not shut down during the pandemic, and kept business as usual, unemployment would still have risen, to 5.4% from 3.9% prepandemic instead of the 8.4% actual unemployment rate, but an additional 120,000 deaths from Covid would have occurred. #2) A systematic review of 137 studies worldwide finds that symptoms of anxiety and depression significantly rose during the pandemic, especially among women. #3) A new study finds that New York City rats are susceptible to and have been exposed to the Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “Science is magic that works.” ― Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #921 March 1st 2023 Guest Rogue: F Perry Wilson Segment #1. Quickie with Bob Ancient Steel https://phys.org/news/2023-02-steel-europe-years.amp Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Mining Hydrogen https://www.science.org/content/article/hidden-hydrogen-earth-may-hold-vast-stores-renewable-carbon-free-fuel News Item #2 – ChatGPT Update https://www.zdnet.com/article/what-is-microsofts-new-bing-with-chatgpt-heres-everything-we-know/ News Item #3 – Erythritol and Heart Disease https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/common-sweetener-erythritol-tied-to-higher-risk-of-stroke-and-heart-attack News Item #4 – Growing Brain Electrodes https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/02/230223181803.htm News Item #5 – Woodland Elves https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Fworld-news%2F2023%2F02%2F26%2Fmexican-president-claims-has-proof-mythical-woodland-elf%2F Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Ancient Bizarre Medical Treatments #1) In order to treat the black death, thought to be caused by deadly vapors, medieval physicians recommended sniffing farts that had been stored in a jar. #2) A medieval treatment for stuttering was a hemiglossectomy – to surgically remove half the tongue, without anesthesia. #3) Of the many ancient treatments for hemorrhoids, the most aggressive involved placing a live rat in the anus until it died. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week "I think knowing what you cannot do is more important than knowing what you can." Lucille Ball

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #920 February 22nd 2023 Segment #1. Quickie with Steve Serial Dependence Bias https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/serial-dependence-bias/ Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – The 4-Day Work Week https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-4-day-work-week-and-health/ News Item #2 – Infants vs AI https://neurosciencenews.com/infant-psychology-ai-22543/ News Item #3 – Black Holes and Dark Energy https://theconversation.com/black-holes-may-be-the-source-of-mysterious-dark-energy-that-makes-up-most-of-the-universe-199831 News Item #4 – Paranormal Gadgets https://gisuser.com/2023/02/ghost-hunting-5-devices-gadgets-you-can-use-to-track-paranormal-activity/ News Item #5 – Superalloys https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/3d-printing-superalloys/ Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Life #1) The Atlas Blue butterfly has the most chromosomes of any eukaryotic diploid creature, at 448-452. #2) About two-thirds of all people who have ever been over 65 years of age are alive today. #3) Despite claims of living fossils, there is no evidence for any extant species existing for more than about 3 million years. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Of the many other 'so-called' disciplines taught here, Divination is perhaps the most feeble. Especially in its nonsensical practice of Astrology. Do not confuse Astronomy and Astrology - one is concerned with mysteries stellar and lunar, the other is mere lunacy." - Professor Satyavati Shah, Hogwarts Legacy

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #919 February 15th 2023 Segment #1. Quickie with Jay Shooting Down UFOs https://www.jpost.com/omg/article-731667?utm_source=jpost.app.apple&utm_medium=share Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – On-Demand Male Contraceptive https://www.sciencealert.com/on-demand-male-contraceptive-pill-could-switch-your-sperm-off-for-a-day News Item #2 – Mask Update https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/masks-revisited/ News Item #3 – Rogue Blackhole https://www.universetoday.com/160072/astronomers-spot-a-rogue-supermassive-black-hole-hurtling-through-space-leaving-star-formation-in-its-wake/ Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Interview with Richard Wiseman Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Death #1) The six foot standard for grave depth dates to 1665 when the Lord Mayor of London ordered all graves to be dug “at least six feet deep” as an anti-plague measure. #2) The term “mortician” was invented by the funeral industry in 1895, to replace “undertaker”, based on a contest in Embalmer’s Monthly. #3) Lincoln was the first public figure in the US to be embalmed, and is responsible for the popularity of this process, which is now mandated (with exceptions) in 48 states. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "A reliable way to make people believe in falsehoods is frequent repetition, because familiarity is not easily distinguished from truth." - Daniel Kahneman

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #918 February 9th 2023 Segment #1. Quickie with Steve Dwarf Planetary Ring https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/dwarf-planet-ring-mystery/ Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Lucky Girl Syndrome https://www.livescience.com/lucky-girl-syndrome-trending-on-tiktok-is-just-old-school-magical-thinking-psychologists-say News Item #2 – More on Space Debris https://www.space.com/fallen-space-junk-help-fight-orbital-debris News Item #3 – Earthing Update https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/earthing-update/ News Item #4 – AI and Technosignatures https://www.space.com/machine-learning-seti-technosignatures News Item #5 – Paranormal Beliefs and Sleep https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsr.13810 Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Quotables Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Proposed Solutions #1) Scientists propose ejecting dust from the Moon to act as a shield between the Earth and Sun in order to mitigate global warming. #2) As mountain lion numbers increase, conservationists have proposed setting up traps that will dye their fur pink, or another bright color, to reduce their risk to humans and pets. #3) Neuroscientists propose using fMRI scanning to quantify subject reaction to a copycat trademark to see if it is too similar to an established trademark. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Not all lucid dreams are useful but they all have a sense of wonder about them. If you must sleep through a third of your life, why should you sleep through your dreams, too?" Stephen LaBerge, - American psychophysiologist specializing in the scientific study of lucid dreaming.

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #917 February 2nd 2023 Segment #1. Quickie with Bob https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/975504 Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Mummy Goo https://www.sciencealert.com/ancient-goo-spills-the-secrets-of-how-the-egyptians-mummified-their-dead News Item #2 – Water Crisis and Climate Change https://phys.org/news/2023-02-crises-due-climate-severe-previously.html News Item #3 – COVID Immunity https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/covid-and-hybrid-immunity/ News Item #4 – Bringing Back the Dodo https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/31/world/dodo-bring-back-from-extinction-colossal-scn/index.html News Item #5 – Fungal Pandemic https://www.businessinsider.com/how-real-is-the-last-of-us-science-behind-fungus-pandemic-2023-1 Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Less vs Fewer Question #2: North American Standard Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: #1) Scientists have developed an elastic material that is also impermeable to water and gas. #2) A systematic review of existing research finds that eyewitness photo lineups identify the wrong suspect >50% of the time. #3) New Research finds that placing bird decals on the inside surface of windows does not reduce bird strikes. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week But, as Deepak Chopra taught us, quantum physics means anything can happen at any time for no reason. - Prof. Hubert J. Farnsworth

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #916 January 26th 2023 Segment #1. What’s the Word Aposematism Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – NASA Experimental Technology https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-selects-experimental-space-technology-concepts-for-initial-study News Item #2 – Procrastination https://www.sciencenews.org/article/procrastination-harm-fix-resolution News Item #3 – Bacteria That Eat Plastic https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/bacteria-that-eat-plastic/ News Item #4 – Rubble Pile Asteroids https://astronomy.com/news/2023/01/rubble-pile-asteroids-found-to-be-particularly-hard-to-destroy News Item #5 – Traumatic Brain Injury https://neurosciencenews.com/tbi-mortality-22332/ Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Aptera Solar-Powered Car Legit or Not Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Energy Efficient Homes #1) Typical manual dishwashing of just two sets of dishes costs more energy and water than running a full load of dishes in a modern dishwasher. #2) Homes with incandescent bulbs use 15% of their electricity for lighting, which decreases to 1.5% with all LED bulbs. #3) Regardless of HVAC type, it is more energy efficient to keep your home’s thermostat at a constant seasonal temperature than to adjust it more frequently. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “I see science in general as a form of arrogance control, in the sense that it’s one of the most organized methods we have of forcing us to put our beliefs to the test, and forcing us to face dissonance if the test does not confirm what we believe.” Carol Tavris

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #915 January 19th 2023 Segment #1. Quickie with Jay Intermittent Fasting Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Tech Devices and Brain Development https://neurosciencenews.com/brain-development-tech-communication-22285/ News Item #3 – Latest Cancer Statistics https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/2023-cancer-statistics-report/ News Item #2 – Short Sleeper Syndrome https://www.livescience.com/does-short-sleeper-syndrome-really-exist News Item #4 – Hungriest Black Hole https://www.universetoday.com/146842/theres-a-black-hole-with-34-billion-times-the-mass-of-the-sun-eating-roughly-a-star-every-day/ News Item #5 – Webb’s First Exoplanet https://www.engadget.com/nasa-jwst-webb-telescope-exoplanet-confirmation-193422325.html Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Coffee Pods I read a BBC article today that suggests that the use of coffee pods might actually be less damaging to the environment that more traditional ways of making coffee. They mention filter coffee and french presses being 2 examples of methods that might be more damaging than using coffee pods. I've always hated coffee pods, assuming the waste to be a significant problem. The result of the study suggests that the tendency to use more coffee than required during brewing is a bigger problem than the pods themselves due to the high environmental cost of coffee production. Coffee pods tend to use no more coffee than required. My first thought was to reject this news because it went against what I had long held to be true. My second thought was that I shouldn't reject science just because I don't like it. Being very science positive I found it interesting to be on the other side of the fence. My third thought was that I could thank the Sceptics Guide for being able to take that step so quickly. Having had no serious formal science training, it's not something that came naturally to me before listening to the show. What are your thoughts on this and the coffee industry in general? I knew the industry to be huge, but had never seen it mentioned before that it might be so damaging. Apologies that I havn't got round to being a patron yet. My experience today has made me realise what an asset you have been in my life and I'm now committed to signing up. You guys deserve it. All the best! https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64293750 Giles Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Technological Advances #1) A Japanese company will market MRAM memory chips this year that use new technology to achieve terahertz switching speeds, 1000 times faster than existing RAM. #2) Researchers have created a hybrid cultivar of cotton that is naturally fire resistant, and under testing will self-extinguish if ignited. #3) A California company announced it will roll out the first mass produced solar-powered car this year. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "You cannot reason someone out of something he or she was not reasoned into." Johnathan Swift

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #914 January 12th 2023 Segment #1. Dumbest Thing of the Week https://nypost.com/2023/01/04/potatoes-in-socks-flu-remedy-shocks-tiktok-what-came-out-of-my-body/ Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Roman Concrete https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/01/230106144441.htm News Item #2 – Neuroimaging and Mental Health https://neurosciencenews.com/mental-health-neuroimaging-22228/ News Item #3 – Using Tumor Cells to Kill Tumors https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/using-tumor-cells-to-kill-tumors/ News Item #4 – Planet Spirals Into Its Sun https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/planet-spiralling-into-its-sun-may-offer-glimpse-into-earths-end-3620632/amp/1 Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Damascus Steel I have listened to every episode, huge fan! I have never heard you guys talk about the Damascus steel debate This comes up frequently when people on YouTube or in blacksmithing TV shows make steel cut and folded into ornate patterns, it is referred to as Damascus steel. Then the nerds come out of the woodwork: "Actually the technique to making true Damascus steel has been lost to time and modern attempts are nowhere near as strong" From a material science standpoint (bob) is there any truth to the claim that ancient Damascus is a better material for swordmaking than modern Damascus? It seems almost a given that with modern metallurgy, knowledge, equipment and techniques that we can make a better steel and still have the signature pattern visible after polishing. What do you guys think? Thanks for the great show P.s. I wheezed when I heard Avatar described as "Dances with Smurfs”. John F Mullan Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: #1) Recent research demonstrates that with as few as three genetic changes human hemoglobin can be made to function similarly to crocodilian hemoglobin, allowing for extended periods on a single breath of air. #2) Researchers have developed artificial biorealistic nerve cells capable of communicating using ions, and stimulating living nerves. #3) An international team of scientists have found that there are millions of abandoned mines worldwide that can be converted into grid storage units with as much as 70 TWh of storage (about one day of world energy use). Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week My prompt: "Generate a memorable and funny quote about the importance of skepticism in today's society. Please also give a very brief analyzing of your own quote and its meaning." ChatGPT's answer: "Without skepticism, we'd believe everything we hear, like unicorns being real and pineapple on pizza being a good idea. Best regards, Viggo Tellefsen Wivestad

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #913 January 4th 2023 Segment #1. Psychic Predictions How well did psychics predict 2022 Review of Rogue Predictions for 2022 Rogue Predictions for 2023 Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Water Myths https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/eight-glasses-of-water-myth/ News Item #2 – Bioplastics https://undark.org/2023/01/03/the-steep-cost-of-bio-based-plastics/ News Item #3 – GPS on the Moon https://gizmodo.com/nasa-moon-gps-navigation-1849009849 News Item #4 – Russia Fears Western Psychics https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/01/03/russia-western-psychic-attacks-mystics-astrology-putin-ukraine/ Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: New Species 2022 #1) Herpetologists have described a chocolate frog in the Peruvian Amazon that looks so much like chocolate, you would almost eat it. #2) Scientists describe a species of anemone that spends most of their life on the backs of one species of hermit crab in an example of obligate symbiosis. #3) Ornithologists have discovered a small species of snowy owl that live exclusively in Antarctic cliffs and eat mostly snails. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week “The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made.” ― Groucho Marx

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #912 December 31st 2022 2022 Year in Review with Guest Rogue Ian Callanan Segment #1. Best Science News of 2022 Fusion AI Global Warming Artemis and DART James Webb Imaging black hole at the center of the galaxy Segment #2. Best of the SGU in 2022 Segment #3. Skeptical Jackass of the Year Segment #4. Skeptical Hero of the Year Segment #5. In Memorium Kendrick Frazier Nichelle Nichols, 89 Dr. Paul Farmer, 62 Partners in Health Gaia Theorist James Lovelock Dies at 103 Paleontologist and “Lucy” Codiscoverer Yves Coppens Dies at 87 Nobel Laureate Sidney Altman Dies At 82 - discovered RNA’s enzymatic abilities Paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey Dies at Age 77 Frank Drake 92 Segment #6. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. 2022 Stats: Bob – 27/53 50.9% Evan – 26/49 53.1 Jay – 29/50 58% Cara -35/48 72.9% The Rogue/guest going first was correct: 46% The person going second was correct: 54% The person going third was correct: 61.2% The person going fourth was correct: 72.7% When there were 5, the person going fifth was correct: 100% The person going last regardless of how many people were competing was correct: 84% The person going first was: Bob - 20% Cara - 22% Evan - 26% Jay - 22% Guest - 10% The person going last was: Bob - 14% Cara - 30% Evan - 22% Jay - 28% Guest - 6% The first answer is the correct answer: 40% The second answer is correct: 32% The third answer is correct: 28% Theme: 1922 #1) In 1922, physicians Frederick Banting and Charles Best of Toronto Canada injected the first patient with insulin, a 14 year old boy with type I diabetes who would have died without the treatment. #2) In 1922 Walter Heerdt, Bruno Tesch, and others developed hydrogen cyanide as a pesticide, under the brand name Zyklon B. #3) In 1922 Walter Sutton and Theodor Boveri independently develop the Boveri–Sutton chromosome theory, identifying chromosomes as the carriers of genetic material. Segment #7. Skeptical Quote of the Week “I always knew I wanted to be a doctor. Fortunately, my parents believed that girls should do as well as boys, so off I set.” Audrey Evans, (6 March 1925 – 29 September 2022) pediatric oncologist who was known as the "Mother of Neuroblastoma" co-founder of Ronald McDonald House

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #911 December 15th 2022 Live in Phoenix Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Fusion Breakthrough https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/fusion-breakthrough-ignition/ News Item #2 – Closed Loop Pumped Hydro https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/closed-loop-pumped-hydro/ News Item #3 – Jibber Jabber https://proedit.com/ablaut-reduplication/ News Item #4 – Artemis I Mission Complete https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2022/12/icps-artemis-i-review/ News Item #5 – Bright Satellite https://www.vice.com/en/article/ake8m4/a-huge-satellite-is-officially-one-of-the-brightest-objects-in-the-sky-astronomers-warn News Item #6 - Cuttlefish Pass Marshmallow Test https://www.livescience.com/cuttlefish-pass-marshmallow-test.html Segment #2. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Arizona Law #1) Any misdemeanor committed while wearing a red mask is automatically considered to be a felony. #2) Donkeys are not permitted to sleep in bathtubs #3) It is illegal in the state of Arizona to refuse someone a drink of water if they ask and you have water to give. Segment #3. Skeptical Quote of the Week "The boy is Ignorance. The girl is Want. Beware of them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased." Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #910 September 24th 2022 Segment #1. What's the Word Science-Fiction Terms Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Zetawatt Laser https://news.engin.umich.edu/2022/09/first-light-soon-at-the-most-powerful-laser-in-the-us/ News Item #2 – The fastest propulsion we may ever create: Directed energy Laser Sails Segment #3. Interview with Mark Ho https://markkho.github.io/ Segment #4. Live Q&A Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Emerging Technologies #1) A new artificial leaf technology made from a carbon-based polymer is able to use sunlight to capture CO2 from the air at 7 times the capacity per volume as natural leaves. #2) Femtosecond Projection Two-Photon Lithography is a 3D printing technique that allows for printing1000 times faster than current methods without sacrificing resolution. #3) Smart fertilizers control the rate of release of fertilizer once spread to better match its uptake, and to reduce excess fertilizer from getting into the environment. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "You don't need to predict the future. Just choose a future -- a good future, a useful future -- and make the kind of prediction that will alter human emotions and reactions in such a way that the future you predicted will be brought about. Better to make a good future than predict a bad one." Isaac Asimov

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #909 December 8th 2022 Guest Rogue Brian Newell Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Square Kilometer Array https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/square-kilometer-array/ News Item #2 – Mantle Plume on Mars https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/mars-more-volcanically-active-than-we-thought/ News Item #3 – Swimming Dinosaurs https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/swimming-dinosaur-new-fossil-natovenator News Item #4 – Ancient Environmental DNA https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/ancient-environmental-dna/ News Item #5 – Cat Domestication https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/12/221205121616.htm Segment #2. Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. Potent Quotables Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Artemis So can't seem to find a good explanation. Feels like you might have a good answer. Was listening to this week's show. I am excited by Artemis and the mission but for a rocket launching over 50 years since Saturn it seems we are talking 15% more power. And the payload to moon is maybe 10% more. With CAD/CAM, computerized systems, materials science etc. feels like this is the least impressive "improvement" for any technology over the last 50 years I can think of. Even cars are far better and they added way more safety equipment. Is this really that impressive or just a nice since it is a commitment to science? Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Weird Diseases #1) Translucent fibrodysplasia is a genetic connective tissue disease in which the skin and connective tissue become progressively translucent over time. In advanced cases muscle can be seen through the skin. #2) Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (AIWS) includes an altered sense of body image, where one’s own body parts seem disproportionately large, and may also include a sense of time passing either very slowly or rapidly. #3) Auto-brewery syndrome results from bacteria or fungi in the GI system fermenting food into alcohol, causing persistent intoxication. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “Scientific results are always preliminary. No good scientist will believe that they have offered the last word on a given subject." Brian Cox

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #908 December 1st 2022 Segment #1. Quickie with Bob The tilt in our stars: The shape of the Milky Way's halo of stars is realized https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/11/221118144107.htm Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Plan to Colonize the Moon https://www.vox.com/recode/2022/11/22/23473483/white-house-joe-biden-moon-artemis-permanent-outpost-spacex News Item #2 – Cannabis for Pain https://theconversation.com/cannabis-is-no-better-than-a-placebo-for-treating-pain-new-research-195394 News Item #3 – Acupuncture for Backpain https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/acupuncture-for-backpain-in-pregnancy-more-terrible-reporting/ News Item #4 – New SI Units https://www.newscientist.com/article/2347426-ronnametres-and-quettagrams-have-joined-the-ranks-of-si-units/ News Item #5 – 911 Call Analysis https://www.propublica.org/article/911-call-analysis-jessica-logan-evidence Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Science or Fiction I really enjoy the podcast and Science or Fiction is a particular favourite of mine. I play along at home and while I haven't kept records am quietly confident I would be awarded the wooden spoon at the end of each year. During the segment I often ask myself "what does *that* mean, Steve?". You've yet to answer but surely The Skeptical Rogues have similar questions. For example, during episode #906 I would have liked to have known what the term "visual perceptual learning" meant? I think seeking clarification rather than making assumptions or blind guessing is an important part of critical thinking. So what are the rules around asking clarifying questions during Science or Fiction, and could The Rogues be asking more such questions? Thanks and best regards, Chris. Perth, Australia Segment #6. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Captain Obvious #1) Scientists discover that one of the secrets to waking up refreshed is sleeping longer. #2) In a recent study subjects rated faces with facial scars as being less attractive than similar faces without scars. #3) Researchers find that parents talk more to toddlers who talk back to them. Segment #7. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Whether you function as welders or inspectors, the laws of physics are implacable lie-detectors. You may fool men. You will never fool the metal." — Lois McMaster Bujold

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #906 November 15th 2022 Segment #1. What’s the Word geophony Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Artemis I Launch https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2022/11/16/world/artemis-1-launch-nasa-scn/index.html News Item #2 – Skin-Like Electronics https://techxplore.com/news/2022-11-skin-like-electronics-health.html News Item #3 – Homoploid Sympatric Speciation https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/new-method-of-speciation/ News Item #4 – Lab Grown Blood https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/8/23447076/lab-grown-blood-stem-cell-trial-sickle-cell News Item #5 – Water Meteorite https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-63631563 Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Turkeys #1) An adult wild turkey has between 5,000 and 6,000 feathers. #2) Only male turkeys gobble. Females can yelp, cluck, and purr, but they are unable to gobble. #3) The last common ancestor of chickens and turkeys lived 40 million years ago. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week “Science and art sometimes can touch one another, like two pieces of the jigsaw puzzle which is our human life, and that contact may be made across the borderline between the two respective domains.” -- M. C. Escher

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #906 November 15th 2022 Segment #1. Dumbest Thing of the Week Volcanoes and Climate Change https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/the-lies-of-climate-change-denial/ Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Developing New Antibiotics https://www.wired.com/story/the-6-billion-dollar-shot-at-making-new-antibiotics-before-the-old-ones-fail/ News Item #2 – China Completes Space Station https://www.wired.com/story/china-is-now-a-major-space-power-tiangong-space-station/amp News Item #3 – Now 8 Billion People https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/the-world-now-has-8-billion-people News Item #4 – New SARS-CoV-2 Variants https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/11/221115113926.htm News Item #5 – Psychogeneology https://www.marianne.net/societe/sante/la-psychogenealogie-sur-france-culture-une-pseudoscience-a-la-mode Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Clinically Proven Message: Came across something interesting in my search for mediocre studies to give to my students to critique for exams. One I found was so well done in terms of being designed to look legit, but obviously also designed to get a particular result that I was impressed by the fraud and looked up the author affiliation. And found this gem: https://www.franklinhealth.org/franklin-health-research?fbclid=IwAR24MV9UWbJZqq3fcoKrebRw0yuCVDTYMw83YFVr7_T0zsFi-QoQqDhZ-3k The language throughout the discussion of how they will design a study tailored to give people the results they want is really quite impressive (*negative connotation*). I spent like an hour reading it out to my partner so he could be amazed/horrified with me. Thought it might be of interest to you all for a slow news week sometime. Question #2: Billon Dollar Disasters Segment #6. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. #1) Researchers find that adults 18-35 years old have more rapid and efficient visual perceptual learning than children 8-11 years old. #2) A recent study finds that the Airpod Pro wireless earbuds performed as well as basic professional hearing aids, and even as well as high end professional hearing aids in most situations, at 1/40th the cost. #3) Scientists find that worldwide sperm counts have declined about 62% since 1950, and this decline is accelerating. Segment #7. Skeptical Quote of the Week We may fondly imagine that we are impartial seekers after truth, but with a few exceptions, to which I know that I do not belong, we are influenced—and sometimes strongly—by our personal bias; and we give our best thoughts to those ideas which we have to defend. — August Krogh

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #905 November 10th 2022 Segment #1. Dumbest Thing of the Week Career in Alternative Medicine https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63562191 Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Climate Change in the Classroom https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/subverting-climate-science-in-the-classroom/ News Item #2 – Climate Change in the US https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/11/07/cop27-climate-change-report-us/ News Item #3 – Closest Black Hole https://phys.org/news/2022-11-astronomers-closest-black-hole-earth.html News Item #4 – AWARE II Study of NDEs https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/aware-ii-near-death-experience-study/ Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Belief in Astrology I have an ongoing friendly dispute with someone. It boils down to what is the harm in following astrology. They loosely follow astrology for fun with a few friends (possibly as a running joke just to tease me) and take the stance that it is pretty harmless. While I agree it's probably pretty harmless for most, my worry is that it could act as a sort of "gateway drug" to other pseudoscientific beliefs. Believing in astrology seems to demonstrate a disinterest at best, or inability at worst, in evaluating its scientific plausibility and the empirical evidence as to if it's actually a real phenomenon. Or put more broadly, in the willingness or ability to exercise certain critical thinking skills. I worry that continual engagement with following astrology acts as a series of tiny brain votes against being able to evaluate what is real in this world. Even for those that may be otherwise informed and only loosely follow astrology for entertainment. And that as a result, people may be more likely to entertain other beliefs not supported by evidence, ultimately making decisions that may negatively affect themselves or others. That said, I haven't found studies to support (or refute) the hypothesis that following or believing in astrology negatively impacts the thinking or decisions of society at large. Only studies disproving the predictive power of astrology or anecdotes of some astrology believers making bad or illogical decisions. Maybe not surprising, as I imagine it's a hard thing to study. I would love your thoughts on this topic and if you know of any studies that have tackled it. Thanks! Dan, Seattle, WA Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Animal Myths #1) Daddy-Longlegs are not spiders, but arachnids in the Opiliones order. They do not have venom or fangs. #2) Sharks have a sense of smell about as good as other fish, equivalent to a drop of blood in an average-sized swimming pool. They can detect blood from hundreds of yards, but not miles, away. #3) The Alaskan wood frog does not actually freeze in the winter, but hibernates beneath the mud at the bottom of lakes and ponds. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “It is much easier to con people than to convince them that they have been conned” John Allen Paulos on Sean Carrol’s Mindscape podcast. Nov 2022 

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #904 November 3rd 2022 Segment #1. Quickie with Bob New model for matter in neutron star collisions https://phys.org/news/2022-11-dense-neutron-star-collisions.html Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Daylight Saving Time https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2022/11/02/clocks-set-back-this-weekend-and-no-daylight-saving-time-isnt-going-away-yet/?sh=7de11670576e News Item #2 – Humans Working with Robots https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/11/221101124250.htm News Item #3 – Lottery Miracle https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/no-lottery-miracle/ News Item #4 – Mechanical Neural Network https://theconversation.com/a-new-type-of-material-called-a-mechanical-neural-network-can-learn-and-change-its-physical-properties-to-create-adaptable-strong-structures-192800 Segment #3: Special Report History of Vibrators Segment #4. Who’s That Noisy Segment #5. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Intermittent Renewable Energy Segment #6. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Apples #1) Evolutionarily apples have been around for about 12 million years, but the oldest archaeological evidence of apples being used as food goes back to 3160 BCE. #2) John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed) promoted the process of hybridizing apple cultivars, and his basic process is still used today to produce most commercial apple trees from seeds. #3) Even though the US is the second most apple producing country in the world (after China), only crabapples are native to North America. Edible apples were imported from Europe in the late 16th century. Segment #7. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Many people seem to confuse cynicism with skepticism, and believe that critical thinking results in a negative attitude about life. However, this opinion rests on a number of mistaken assumptions about the nature of skepticism. Skeptics must correct these misconceptions if they hope for the wider application of critical thinking." Phil Molé, columnist, Skeptical Inquirer Magazine (2002)

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #903 October 27th 2022 Guest Rogue: Richard Saunders Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Trust in Scientists https://theconversation.com/most-americans-do-trust-scientists-and-science-based-policy-making-freaking-out-about-the-minority-who-dont-isnt-helpful-193085 News Item #2 – Reliability of World Energy https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/10/the-worlds-energy-situation-is-not-as-terrible-as-you-might-expect/ News Item #3 – Video Games and Cognition https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/video-games-may-improve-cognitive-function/ News Item #4 – New Aging Technique https://phys.org/news/2022-10-technique-age-era-planetary-science.html News Item #5 – NASA UAP Study https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-announces-unidentified-aerial-phenomena-study-team-members/ Segment #2. What’s the Word regression Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. But this week - two are fake and only one is true. Theme: US-Australia #1) Australia and the USA have had a long and close relationship with economic and military ties. An attack on the USA is considered to be an attack on Australia and viscera. We have adopted many parts of American culture including over the last couple of decades a very American version of Halloween. With such a strong relationship going back to soon after the declaration of independence, it is interesting to note that the first time a sitting US President visited Australia wasn’t until 1948 when Harry S. Trueman visited the northern city of Brisbane and then the Capital Canberra to thank Australian troops for their service, support and comradeship with US servicemen in the Pacific theatre fighting the Japanese during WWII. #2) Although you can get just about any kind of food in Australia, especially in the major cities, we are also known for some more usual tastes. While many Autrailians love Vegemite on their toast or Musk Sticks as a candy, the one dish mentioned under “Traditional Cuisine” on the CIA World Factbook website’s page on Australia is… a Meat Pie — a fist-sized baked pie filled with ground meat, gravy, and cheese and topped with ketchup; the gravy often contains onions and/or mushrooms. #3) The Melbourne Dogs was the name given to a short lived gang of criminal immigrants from Australia in Los Angeles, during the mid-19th century. Originally part of the 1849 gold rush, they moved to LA after not striking it rich in the gold fields. Because many of these criminals came from the well-known British penal colonies in Australia, and were known to commit arson, they were blamed for an 1853 fire as well as the rampant crime in the city at the time. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Collectively we make this future that we surprise ourselves with." Adam Buxton

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #902 October 20th 2022 Segment #1. Quickie with Jay https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/10/anti-vaccine-groups-avoid-facebook-bans-by-using-emojis/ Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Electric Universe https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/electric-universe-is-crank-pseudoscience/ News Item #2 – Neanderthal Clan https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-03339-7 News Item #3 – Gorillas and Chimps Friends https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/11/science/gorillas-chimps-friends.html News Item #4 – Most Powerful Gamma Ray Burst https://www.newscientist.com/article/2342779-astronomers-have-just-watched-the-most-powerful-explosion-ever-seen/ News Item #5 – Cheating Scandals https://www.zmescience.com/other/pieces/bizarre-cheating-scandals-are-rocking-the-worlds-of-chess-poker-fishing-and-tap-dancing/ Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: COVID Vaccines and Bell’s Palsy I have seen reports of an increased rate of Bell's Palsy in people who have gotten a COVID vaccine or booster. I've also heard that COVID the disease has a higher risk of causing Bell's Palsy and that it is only temporary if it occurs. Should I be concerned about this and if it were to happen what is the prognosis? Thanks, love the show! Corey Mier Holland, MI Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: 19th Century Pseudoscience #1) Nipple piercing was popular among Victorian upper class women, as it was believed to suppress sexual desire and prevent pregnancy if the former function failed. #2) There was widespread belief that the speed and constant rattling noise of passenger trains caused people to go insane, resulting in violent outbursts. #3) Tobacco smoke enemas, literally blowing smoke up someone’s ass, were popular mainstream treatments for multiple ailments from cholera to drowning. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "In a way, everyone in this story is seeing Jesus in the Toast. We all want to see what we want to see. We are projecting our own selves. That's what we do as humans, we look to make connections between different things. And sometimes, when those things align, we declare those connections "truth." Geoffrey Gray - author Skyjack: The Hunt for D.B Cooper

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #901 October 13th 2022 Segment #1. Quickie with Bob Supertanker Sails https://newatlas.com/marine/new-aden-supertanker-sails/ Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Neurons Play Pong https://neurosciencenews.com/organoid-pong-21625/ News Item #2 – Smelling in VR https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2022/10/olfactometer-brings-smells-to-vr-worlds-for-wine-sniffing-game/ News Item #3 – Technosignatures and Biosignatures https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/another-possible-technosignature-falls/ https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/nitrous-oxide-as-a-biosignature/ News Item #4 – TWA 800 Lawsuit https://lawstreetmedia.com/news/citing-new-evidence-surviving-family-members-sue-feds-raytheon-and-lockheed-martin-over-1996-twa-crash/ News Item #5 – DART Mission Success https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/darts-smashing-success-shows-humanity-can-divert-asteroids1/ Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. #1) A review of COVID-19 related preprints that were later published in peer-reviewed journals finds that 50% were substantially altered, including changes to effect sizes, the data used, and statistical significance. #2) Scientists have developed a simple, rapid and effective method for making tissue optically transparent, including entire organs. #3) In a comprehensive meta-analysis, researchers find that women have advantages over men in phonemic fluency, verbal memory, and verbal recognition, and that this advantage is stable over 50 years of research and over a participant’s lifetime. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week "We have learned in recent years that the techniques of misinformation and misdirection have become so refined that, even in an open society, a cleverly directed flood of misinformation can overwhelm the truth, even though the truth is out there, uncensored, quietly available to anyone who can find it." Daniel Dennett

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #900 October 6th 2022 Segment #1. What’s the Word Hominin vs hominid Segment #2. News Items Nobel Prizes News Item #1 – Chemistry https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/2022/summary/ News Item #2 – Physiology or Medicine https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2022/summary/ News Item #3 – Physics https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2022/summary/ News Item #4 – Homeopathy Lawsuit https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/robot-laugh/ News Item #5 – Silkworm Pangenome https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/pangenome-of-the-domestic-silkworm/ Segment #3. Quickies with Steve https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/3d-printing-implantable-computer-chips/ https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/fda-approves-controversial-als-drug-relyvrio/ Segment #4. Who’s That Noisy Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Climate Change Adaptation #1) Scientists at the University of the Philippines have proposed burying plastic waste beneath sinking islands to keep them above water. #2) China is at the forefront of building “sponge cities” – cities that incorporate features that absorb large amounts of water to help reduce storm water damage. #3) A glaciologist at Princeton University has proposed building massive miles-long seawalls at the bases of Antarctic and Greenland glaciers in order to delay their collapse, perhaps by hundreds of years. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "No one undertakes research in physics with the intention of winning a prize. It is the joy of discovering something no one knew before." Stephen Hawking

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #899 September 24th 2022 Segment #1. Forgotten Superhero of Science Raye Jean Montague 1935 – 2018 was a naval engineer and the first female program manager of ships in the U.S. Navy and in her own words "I'm known as the first person to design a ship using the computer," Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Are Fake Meats Sustainable? https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/09/how-sustainable-are-fake-meats/ News Item #2 – Why Go Back to the Moon https://phys.org/news/2022-09-moon.html Segment #3. Interview with the Everyday Astronaut https://everydayastronaut.com/ Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Failed Inventions #1) In 1983, in response to the Sony Walkman craze, Audio Technica released the Sound Burger, a portable record player, complete with earbuds. #2) In 1981 a Swedish company marketed an all-plastic bicycle, the Itera, which turned out to be expensive to produce but failed mostly because the weak frame made it too wobbly to ride. #3) In the 1930s architect Buckminster Fuller designed a pre-fab house designed to be inexpensive, quick to build, and ecofriendly, made mostly out of waste cow bones from the beef industry. #4) In 1964 Claus Scholz of Vienna invented a phone answering robot, however its ability was limited to picking up and hanging up the phone. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week “This job is a great scientific adventure. But it's also a great human adventure. Mankind has made giant steps forward. However, what we know is really very, very little compared to what we still have to know.“ Fabiola Gianotti, Higgs Boson physicist

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #898 September 20th 2022 with Guest Rogue: David Almeida Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – 2022 Ig Nobels https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/09/maya-ritual-enemas-and-constipated-scorpions-the-2022-ig-nobel-prize-winners/ News Item #2 – It’s OK to Ask for Help https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/15/well/family/asking-for-help.html News Item #3 – Bitcoin and Fedimints https://bitcoinmagazine.com/culture/will-fedimints-bring-bitcoin-to-the-world News Item #4 – Multivitamins for Memory https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/alz.12767 News Item #5 – Refreezing the Poles https://phys.org/news/2022-09-refreezing-earth-poles-feasible-cheap.html News Item #6 – Neuro Emotional Technique https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/medical-health-and-nutrition-pseudoscience/neuro-emotional-technique-bizarre-hybrid-chiropractic-acupuncture-and-applied-kinesiology Segment #2. Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Chess Cheating Follow Up Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Global Warming #1) A survey of 48 coastal cities finds that they are sinking at an average rate of 16.2 mm per year, with the fastest at 43 mm per year. (For reference, average global sea level rise is 3.7 mm per year.) #2) A recent study estimates the total social cost of releasing carbon into the atmosphere at $185 per tonne, which is triple the current US government estimate. (For reference, the world emits >34 billion tonnes of CO2 each year.) #3) The latest climate models indicate that even with rapid decarbonization it is too late to prevent eventual warming >1.5 C. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week "In the field of thinking, the whole history of science - from geocentrism to the Copernican revolution, from the false absolutes of Aristotle’s physics to the relativity of Galileo’s principle of inertia and to Einstein’s theory of relativity - shows that it has taken centuries to liberate us from the systematic errors, from the illusions caused by the immediate point of view as opposed to “decentered” systematic thinking." — Jean Piaget

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #897 September 14th 2022 Segment #1. Is It Real? Ear Snake https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvmTOpXcSnE Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – What Children Believe https://neurosciencenews.com/children-belief-21393/ News Item #2 – Health Effects of Gas Stoves https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/09/is-your-gas-stove-bad-for-your-health/ News Item #3 – Neanderthal Brains https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/neanderthal-brains/ News Item #4 – Synthetic Microbiome https://phys.org/news/2022-09-complex-synthetic-microbiome.html News Item #5 – UFO Videos Classified https://www.vice.com/en/article/4axn8p/navy-says-all-ufo-videos-classified-releasing-them-will-harm-national-security Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Climate Doom Hi long long time fan I have been listening since (2008/09) as an early podcast adopter. SGU was my first and longest running podcast. I own a hard copy and audio book copy of your first book, and have preorder for the second. I have purchased merch from your store (back when Rebecca was on the show) I believe in science and climate change. I am a DINK (dual income no children), with a comfortable household income. We will not be having children (I had a vasectomy to be sure). I fully appreciate the doom that will come to future generations as a result of climate change, and with the strong political divides and ineffective global politicking, I do not believe that people will ever address the climate issue. With weak government and strong business lobbying - I don't believe we will ever address climate change. In Australia we could have been the first to put into place a carbon emission trading scheme over 10 years ago, instead we elected subsequent governments that unwound all sensible climate policies. With all that said. Why should I care about climate change? Honestly. My household is well off enough to get through it without too much discomfort. We won't ever have children so we don't really have to be concerned with the welfare of future generations. And even if we tried to do pro-social activities to address our individual 'foorprint' would amount to next to nothing in addressing the issue. Without overall structural changes which won't ever occur anything we do as individuals would result in less than rounding errors. (I understand the fallacy of composition). Are all individual actions to reduce our own carbon footprints - nothing but self gratification? (i.e. smugness ala South Park). So, to sum up. Why should someone who knows that nothing they do would have any meaningful impact on addressing the climate issue bother with addressing their own carbon footprint? Since nothing I do matters at an individual level, why don't I enjoy my life and fuck up the planet with total abandonment? PS. I honestly believe that the best thing and individual can do to reduce their carbon footprint is to not procreate. Cutting off a lineage would reduce demand for carbon more than meaningless faff such as printing double sided or not using single use platsics etc. in my opinion. But that is neither here nor there. Big fan and apatheticly and nihilistically yours Siris Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Golden Goose Awards 2022 #1) The development of laser LASIK surgery was inspired by a case of accidental laser injury to the eye, producing precise perfectly circular damage. #2) Researchers developed a powerful microscope out of paper that folds like origami, with total material costs less than $1. #3) While examining the properties of cone snail venom, researchers accidentally discovered that it is a potent inhibitor of HIV replication. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “If I want to know how we learn and remember and represent the world, I will go to psychology and neuroscience. If I want to know where values come from, I will go to evolutionary biology and neuroscience and psychology, just as Aristotle and Hume would have, were they alive.” ~ Patricia Churchland - Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the University of California, San Diego and Adjunct Professor at the Salk Institute

Quickie with Bob: Frank Drake; News Items: MOXIE Follow Up, Talk More, EMDR Update, Did Giant Meteorites Create Continents, Death by Herbal Remedy; Who's That Noisy; Science or Fiction

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #895 August 31st 2022 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Hot Summer https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/this-hot-summer-is-one-of-the-coolest-of-the-rest-of-our-lives/ News Item #2 – Tear Down This Paywall https://www.theverge.com/2022/8/26/23322194/white-house-ostp-open-access-federal-research-policy-update News Item #3 – Volcano Catastrophe https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/08/220818164041.htm News Item #4 – Solar Energy Update https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/organic-solar-cells-and-other-solar-advances/ Segment #2. Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. Interview with Dr. Seema Yasmin https://seemayasmin.com/speaking/ Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Common Myths #1) The notion that humans have as many hair follicles as chimpanzees, on average, is false, with our closest cousins having 2-3 times as many as humans. #2) Bagpipes do not have their origin in Scotland, but are rather an ancient instrument. In fact, Nero was more likely to play the bagpipes than the fiddle while Rome burned (although that is also a myth). #3) Contrary to common lore, the QWERTY keyboard layout was not created to limit jamming but rather was designed for convenience. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week "If you have an effect that nobody can replicate, then your phenomenon fades away. So if you want to have a legacy, then you jolly well better have an effect that replicates" Susan Fiske, Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs - Department of Psychology, Princeton University

Segment #1. Special Segment Steve's Trip to Italy Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Space-Based Solar Power https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/08/european-space-chief-says-continent-will-lead-in-space-based-solar-power/ News Item #2 – Theory of Decision-Making https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/do-we-need-a-new-theory-of-decision-making/ News Item #3 – Urban Crops https://phys.org/news/2022-08-urban-crops-higher-yields-conventional.html News Item #4 – Protons Have Charm https://www.space.com/protons-charm-quark Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Dumbest Thing of the Week Nobody competent in chemistry believes the political BS about each element in the human DNA being a pollutant: # Nitrogen is over 75% of the at most fear, but turns into a pollutant once it hits the ground (only a DIRT worshiper would think so) # Carbon is the basic building block of all life on earth # Oxygen(the larger part of CO2) is not a pollutant, even when combined with...: # ...Hydrogen as H2O where it becomes the largest greenhouse gas in the at most fear So go ahead, humor your politically correct self & believe political hacks that the very elements that make up your DNA are the biggest problematic pollution on earth: .. This is very entertaining to Satan who's $nake & $taff your $troking for $$$. Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Florence #1) Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, was named after the city of her birth, Florence, Italy. #2) When the Nazis were fleeing Italy during WWII, Hitler ordered all the bridges of Florence to be destroyed to slow the Allied advance. However, the private tasked with setting the charges on the Ponte Vecchio deliberately failed to make a proper connection, sparing the bridge. #3) In 1527 anti-Medici rioters dropped a bench from a parapet, striking Michelangelo’s David and breaking off his left arm in three pieces. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “What we call rational grounds for our beliefs are often extremely irrational attempts to justify our instincts.” ― Thomas Henry Huxley

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #893 August 6th 2022 Live from NECSS 2022 With special guests Andrea Jonesrooy and Kelly Burke Segment #1. Perry DeAngelis and Friends of the SGU Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Earth Spinning Faster https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2022/07/28/earth-is-suddenly-spinning-faster-why-our-planet-just-recorded-its-shortest-day-since-records-began/amp/ News Item #2 – Scientific Rigor https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/nih-to-fund-scientific-rigor-initiative/ News Item #3 – More Space Debris https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/08/why-space-debris-keeps-falling-out-of-the-sky-and-will-continue-to-do-so/ News Item #4 – The Alex Jones Saga https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/jury-alex-jones-defamation-case-begin-deliberations-punitive-damages-2022-08-05/ Segment #3. Special Segments Item #1: Chorizo Hoax Item #2: Brainstorm vs Green Needle Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Disinformation #1) Reported trust in the media in 2021 was highest in China at 80%, and lowest in Russia at 29%, with the US in between at 39%. #2) Analysis of social media posts finds that bots are far more likely to spread false information and are responsible for as much as 90% of its spread on the most popular platforms. #3) Research shows that fake news spreads 6 times faster and 10 times farther on Twitter than true news, and that people are 70% more likely to share a false tweet than a truthful one. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week "An educated person is one who has learned that information almost always turns out to be at best incomplete and very often false, misleading, fictitious, mendacious - just dead wrong." Russell Baker (1925 - 2019 ), American Pulitzer Prize-Winning Writer, host of PBS' Masterpiece Theater

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #892 August 9th 2022 Segment #1. Special Report First Climate Change Legislation https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/a-good-start-on-climate-change/ Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – The Physics of meteors https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/maps.13892 News Item #2 – New Kind of Motion https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/08/220808161528.htm News Item #3 – Structured Water https://www.sciencealert.com/structured-water-is-not-what-people-claim-don-t-believe-the-hype-scientist-says News Item #4 – Cryonic Horror Stories https://bigthink.com/the-future/cryonics-horror-stories/ Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Photons and Momentum Hey all, this is Armando, your friendly pathologist recently featured on your livestream (I am one of the twins that was on). Just wanted to comment on something Jay said during Science or Fiction. He said "...it can't be that the photons are pushing anything because they're massless..." True, but light has momentum! And surprisingly you CAN move small objects and even whole cells. Look up optical tweezers on youtube, or look at this paper out of the lab in which I did my PhD "Manipulating CD4+ T cells by optical tweezers for the initiation of cell-cell transfer of HIV-1." We did experiments where we wanted to film HIV+ T cells directly infecting other T cells, but instead of waiting around for these cells to come into contact, we moved uninfected cells with optical tweezers to place them next to an HIV+ cell. Love the show Armando Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Robots #1) Robot assisted lobectomy for lung cancer had better outcomes than video-assisted lobectomy in a recent double-blinded clinical trial. #2) A University of New Hampshire team has developed a robot that can independently take care of a demented patient’s entire daily needs. #3) A robot armed with a new AI algorithm was able to map its own body without any outside help or input, and use that information to plan its own movements. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “Death might appear to destroy the meaning in our lives, but in fact it is the very source of our creativity. As Kafka said, “The meaning of life is that it ends.” Death is the engine that keeps us running, giving us the motivation to achieve, learn, love, and create.” ― Caitlin Doughty, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #891 August 2nd 2022 Segment #1. Quickie with Bob Understanding Friction https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/07/220725105541.htm Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – The Neuroscience of Politics https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/political-ideology-and-the-brain/ News Item #2 – Cozy Lava Tubes https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/lunar-pits-warm-and-comfy/ News Item #3 – Video Games and Well-being https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/27/23280462/video-game-mental-health-animal-crossing-well-being News Item #4 – Invisible Dark Matter https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202207/1271452.shtml Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Lord Kelvin Hallo I've just recently heard about your podcasts and have downloaded many of the back-numbers which explains why my feedback has to do with an old podcast. In podcast #891 chirality was a topic of discussion. This term was coined by Lord Kelvin aka William Thompson. One of the broadcasters used a posh English accent in connection with this probably assuming this would be the accent Lord Kelvin spoke in. Actually, having been born in Belfast and brought up from an early age in Glasgow he had a pronounced Scottish accent. Furthermore he was not a hereditary peer. I have seen something similar in one of the 'Around the World in 80 Days' where he was also given an upper-class English accent and manners. Imagine if Benjamin Franklin was similarly misrepresented in a film or documentary. Otherwise I thoroughly enjoy your podcasts. Keep up the good work! David Allan Stuttgart, Germany Question #2: Green Methane I recent found this article which claims that Musk's new rocket engines based on methane can be carbon neutral? Fact or fiction? Chris Florida Question #3: Universe Isotropy If we analyze the universe in all directions from our point (no matter if earth, solar system or Galaxy) do we see any direction where universe is older than others? Because maybe this way, we could position yourselves in a kind of universe map in case it is limited or until the visible universe; and actually check if universe is bounded or not. Pedro Pt Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Material Science #1) Chemists have developed a method for essentially printing complex designer molecules by using specific frequencies of light. #2) Scientists have produced a method for combining single-walled carbon nanotubes into highly ordered structures, such as a regular helix, with minimal errors by using DNA as a lattice. #3) Researchers have produced a biocompatible fiber optic sensor out of spider silk. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week If anyone can refute me - show me I'm making a mistake or looking at things from the wrong perspective - I'll gladly change. It's the truth I'm after, and the truth never harmed anyone. What harms us is to persist in self-deceit and ignorance. Marcus Aurelius Meditations Book 6 Number 21

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #890 July 26th 2022 Segment #1. What’s the Word Cladistics Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Detecting Exoplanets https://phys.org/news/2022-07-method-exoplanets.html News Item #2 – Too Hot https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-hot-is-too-hot-for-the-human-body1/ News Item #3 – Overconfidence and Denial https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/overconfidence-and-opposition-to-scientific-consensus/ News Item #4 – Monkeypox https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-02054-7 Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Self Advocacy and Screening Tests Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Edible plants #1) There are over 400,000 known plant species in the world, about 300,000 are edible to humans, but we regularly consume only 200, and 3 crops make up over half of plant calories consumed. #2) Cattails are almost entirely edible, and in fact produce more edible starch per acre than any other green plant. #3) Many species of cacti contain significant stores of water that can be used as an emergency source in the desert. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “The illiterates of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” – Alvin Toffler

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #889 July 21st 2022 Segment #1. Special Topic Cara's brush with cancer Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Global Warming Technologies https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/global-warming-we-have-the-technology/ News Item #2 – SLS Launch https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/07/nasa-sets-a-late-august-launch-date-for-sls-and-it-may-actually-happen/ News Item #3 – Periodic FRBs https://news.mit.edu/2022/astronomers-detect-radio-heartbeat-billions-light-years-earth-0713 News Item #4 – Habitable Super Earths https://www.space.com/habitability-super-earth-hydrogen-atmosphere Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Interview with Brian Dunning https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-ufo-movie-they-don-t-want-you-to-see#/ Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. #1) Scientists have been able to create a DNA based nanomotor that can convert electricity into kinetic motion, and in which they can control the direction and speed of the rotation. #2) A decade-long investigation finds that about 20% of moth species, representing thousands of species, produce ultrasound to deter bats by either jamming or confusing their echolocation or serving as warnings of toxicity. #3) A new simulation of Jovian planet ring formation indicates that Jupiter likely had a massive ring system throughout most of its existence. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “Scientific principles and laws do not lie on the surface of nature. They are hidden, and must be wrested from nature by an active and elaborate technique of inquiry. ” ― John Dewey, Reconstruction in Philosophy

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #888 July 13th 2022 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Green Steel https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/06/the-race-to-produce-green-steel/ News Item #2 – T-Rex Arms https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/t-rex-arms/ News Item #3 – Experimental research on getting out the vote https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21565503.2022.2092015 News Item #4 – James Webb Images https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/12/science/james-webb-telescope-images-nasa.html Segment #2. Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. Quote Quiz Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. #1) A new study finds that smart thermostats, designed to save energy through efficiency, can increase strain on the electricity grid and worsen peak demand. #2) Researchers find that intranasal oxytocin is effective in improving emotional sensitivity and relationship satisfaction in couples undergoing therapy. #3) A new analysis finds that the probability of one or more human casualties from rocket body reentry is about 10% over the next decade. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Anyone who attempts to generate random numbers by deterministic means is, of course, living in a state of sin." John von Neumann

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #887 July 6th 2022 With Special Guest George Hrab Segment #1. Special Topic Fireworks Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Universal Coronavirus Vaccine https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/possible-universal-coronavirus-vaccine/ News Item #2 – Preserving Ukraine’s Landmarks https://www.fastcompany.com/90740180/unesco-project-aims-to-digitally-preserve-ukraine-landmarks-facing-damage-by-war News Item #3 – Detecting Particles with Gravitational Waves https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/06/220607120927.htm News Item #4 – Who Owns the Moon https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/china-rejects-nasa-accusation-will-take-moon-rcna36656 Segment #3. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: What Is a Skeptic A sceptic is defined as someone who questions “factual” evidence and maintains a “doubting” attitude. This is contrary to what I believe your show is about in terms of convincing people that their belief in pseudo-science is invalid. My question is what is the best way to overcome the conventional attitude associated with the word sceptic when trying to make a valid argument with someone who questions the foundation upon which the argument is built? Questioning the questioner? Nicholas O'Meara Australia Segment #4. Interview with Dave Stanton https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01551-z https://www.popsci.com/science/dna-wolves-dogs-domestication-evolution/ @Nibbledtodeath Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Weird Science #1) Shortly after Alfred Wegner proposed his theory of continental drift in 1912, English geologist, Henry Peckingham, proposed that the primary mechanism was the prevailing wind and ocean currents pushing the continents, a theory that enjoyed substantial, although minority, support into the 1930s. #2) Dr. Henry Cotton became the famous superintendent of the Trenton Psychiatric Hospital from 1907 to 1933, during which time he and his assistants removed 11,000 teeth and performed 645 surgeries to remove organs in the belief this would cure mental illness. #3) In 1894 Hanns Hörbiger developed his World Ice Doctrine, the notion that ice is the fundamental building block of the universe, a theory that remained popular until 1945, and was even officially adopted by Hitler and his government. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week " ... don’t keep your minds so open that your brains fall out!" A speech by Walter Kotschnig, given on November 8, 1939

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #885 June 29th 2022 Segment #1. Quickie with Bob https://phys.org/news/2022-06-falling-stardust-jets-gamma-ray.html Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Mining the Sea https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/mining-the-sea/ News Item #2 – Science of Pregnancy and Abortion https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01775-z News Item #3 – More Galaxies https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/galaxies-in-universe/ Segment #3. Your Questions and E-mails Question #3: Clever Hans Effect Before I started listening to the show I heard about this woman who has taught her dog to speak in sentences. https://www.upworthy.com/speech-pathologist-teaches-her-dog-to-use-a-speech-pad-and-now-it-communicates-in-sentences It played into my environmentalist and vegetarian biases, and I was totally taken in. Reviewing it again though, I think it is possible that this is a combination of facilitated communication (she takes big liberties in her interpretation of the sentences), the clever Hans effect, and cherry picking (she probably only shares the really compelling examples, when there may be many more failures). Would love it if you could comment on the current status of communication with animals, and weather you think the clever Hans effect is at play here. Thanks for all you do, and this is just one example of how my thinking has started to improve thanks to your work. Sincerely, Bart T Cubrich Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Snakes #1) Brazil has the most number of identified snake species of any nation, currently totaling 412. #2) There were an estimated 1.2 million snake bite deaths in India between 2000 and 2020. #3) Cobras have extreme accuracy when spitting venom, able to hit there targets consistently at up to 30 feet. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week “Healthy scepticism is the basis of all accurate observation.” -- Arthur Conan Doyle

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #884 June 21st 2022 Segment #1. Special Segment Secret of Skinwalker Ranch Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Jupiter Ate Baby Planet https://www.livescience.com/jupiter-ate-baby-planets-while-growing News Item #2 – The Risk of Sitting https://www.sciencealert.com/around-the-world-people-are-dying-too-soon-because-they-sit-around-too-much News Item #3 – NASA Joins Study of UAPs https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/nasa-joins-study-of-uaps/ News Item #4 – Galapagos Giant Tortoise Not Extinct https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-022-03483-w Segment #3. What’s the Word Nostrum Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Testing AI Hi SGU, I love the podcast. In Episode 884 you had a really interesting discussion about LaMDA, the Google chatbot, and whether it was sentient. I agree with your conclusions but found two of your lines of reasoning problematic. Firstly, this idea that the emotions being displayed were "too human". If the chatbot is being trained on human emotions, it is unsurprising to me that a sentient AI would use those human words and terms to express themselves because that is the only language it has available. They are trying to create something to sound human, so we shouldn't be surprised that is how that chatbot talks, sentient or not. But more broadly, I struggled with the logic of "this is not how I imaging it would happen or look like, therefore it is not likely to be true". Our preconceptions could easily be wrong. I certainly believe this is a logical fallacy being deployed. And whilst informal logical fallacies are informal and therefore sometimes fine to use, in this case, the first potential AI, I think it is relevant. We have never seen a real true sentient AI. Therefore your own assumptions of what it should look like carries even less weight. All this to say, the engineer clearly fell platonically in love with a piece of software, like the chao pets in Sonic the Hedgehog from the Dreamcast era for many computer game players. He failed to actually properly interrogate the software. LaMDA is not sentient but is impressive. If you believe I have misunderstood your positions or believe my own logic/reasoning is faulty do let me know please. Best regards, David (Leeds, United Kingdom) Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Geology #1) Geologists estimate that the next major earthquake along the San Andreas fault would cause vastly more damage from the resulting tsunami than the quake itself. #2) The Pacific ocean is so large that it contains its own antipode. #3) Sapphires and Rubies are actually the same mineral, corundum. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "If we're never wrong then we're never surprised. If we grow too protective of our existing beliefs, then we stagnate and stop learning. If we've reached any degree of competence within our field, it's because we got things wrong along the way. So why stop now? It's interesting, I think, for each of us to consider the following: What am I currently wrong about? It's an impossible question to answer, but a curio though to contemplate nonetheless." - Hector Chadwick

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #883 June 15th 2022 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Is LaMDA AI Sentient https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/is-lamda-sentient/ News Item #2 – AI Influencers https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25433900-800-the-rise-of-computer-generated-artificially-intelligent-influencers/ News Item #3 – Kids Get Cancer Because They Are Unhappy https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-10897045/Shaman-Durek-book-dropped-publishers-Norway-pseudoscientific-claims.html News Item #4 – Free Floating Black Hole https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/06/220610120222.htm Segment #2. Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Gun Safety Feedback Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Science Myths #1) CO2 is not the greatest cause of recent global warming, but rather shorter-lived molecules such as methane. #2) Most of the energy generated by the sun is not caused by the fusion of hydrogen into helium. #3) The heating up of a spacecraft as it reenters and descends through the atmosphere is not mostly caused by friction, which is only responsible for a small amount of heat, <5%. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week “Science is a search for basic truths about the Universe, a search which develops statements that appear to describe how the Universe works, but which are subject to correction, revision, adjustment, or even outright rejection, upon the presentation of better or conflicting evidence.” -- James Randi

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #882 June 8th 2022 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Infantile Amnesia https://theconversation.com/why-cant-you-remember-being-born-learning-to-walk-or-saying-your-first-words-what-scientists-know-about-infantile-amnesia-182736 News Item #2 – The Age of Giants https://www.livescience.com/why-no-more-giant-animals News Item #3 – AI and Traffic Jams https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/ai-can-help-traffic-jams/ News Item #4 – Green Bank Radio Observatory Segment #2. Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Correction - UY Scuti Question #2: Gun Safety https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26905895/ Segment #4. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. #1) A new study in yeast finds that about 75% of synonymous (or silent) genetic mutations are actually significantly harmful. #2) In a large Danish study researchers found that having shingles increased the risk of being diagnosed with dementia over the next 21 years by 10%. #3) An analysis of air pollution in China finds a significant association with higher socio-economic status and higher exposures to ambient air pollution. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week "What I love about experts, the best of them anyway, is that they get to their humility early. They have to. It’s part of who they are; it’s necessary for what they’re doing. They set out to get to the bottom of something that has no bottom, and so they’re reminded constantly of what they don’t know. They move through the world focused not on what they know, but on what they might find out.” Michael Lewis (author of “Moneyball,” “The Big Short," "The Blind Side")

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #881 June 1st 2022 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Exascale Supercomputer https://gizmodo.com/supercomputer-exascale-top500-frontier-1848997652 News Item #2 – Dinosaurs Warm or Cold Blooded https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/were-dinosaurs-warm-or-cold-blooded/ News Item #3 – Preventing Violent Crime https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/23141405/violence-crime-cbt-therapy-cash-shootings News Item #4 – Revising Evolutionary Trees https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-022-03482-x News Item #5 – New Optical Illusion https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/954419 Segment #2. Quickie with Bob Gato AI https://www.zdnet.com/google-amp/article/deepminds-gato-is-mediocre-so-why-did-they-build-it/ Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails So in episode, #880, you all talked about how the “gullible acupuncture article” relied on a systematic review that showed significance due certain disorders with acupuncture treatment. You talked very briefly about how that systematic review is not valid as the significance would occur from randomness. Therefore, I’m now very much wondering, which systematic reviews can I and the public trust? What should we look for to see if a systematic review is rigorous or garbage? Especially because I’ve always thought that systematic reviews are one of the more rigorous and trustworthy of scientific papers in general. Thank you for your time Antoni Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. #1) A new analysis finds that the Cueva de Ardales in Spain, famous for it’s many cave paintings, was likely occupied by human ancestors for as long as 500,000 years. #2) In a prospective study, dogs were able to detect asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection with higher sensitivity than nasopharyngeal antigen testing, 97% vs 84%. #3) Scientists have developed a molecular drill that is activated by visible light and rotates at 2-3 million times per second, which can drill through bacterial membranes and can be used as a broad-spectrum rapid acting antibiotic for skin infections. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “When I was a kid, people wanted to be an astronaut. Today, kids want to be famous, and that’s totally the wrong approach. You have to have authenticity in what you’re doing. You have to really care about the core message of what you’re saying, and then everything else will fall into place.” David Copperfield

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #881 May 25th 2022 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Monkeypox https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/should-we-fear-the-monkeypox/ News Item #2 – NASA Mars Plans https://www.space.com/nasa-plans-astronauts-mars-mission-30-days News Item #3 – Linear Bias https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/the-linear-bias/ Segment #2. Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. Name That Logical Fallacy Hello Gang! I am a long time fan of the show and really appreciate your hard work. I was trying to figure out what logical fallacy this one is. Recently, someone mentioned the Amber Heard trial and someone else said that the world is heating up and there is all this gun violence so we shouldn't be paying attention to a celebrity trial. It feels like an 'either-or' but it doesn't feel quite right. Is there a specific logical fallacy for someone saying you don't have the bandwidth to pay attention to several things at once? Keep up the good work, I love my signed book and have purchased several as Christmas presents for friends and family! -Kris Segment #4. Interview with Dr. Naomi Rowe-Gurney Dr. Naomi Rowe-Gurney, Planetary Scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and Howard University https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/sed/bio/naomi.rowe-gurney Segment #5. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Theme: Which is older? #1) The first cities predate evidence for iron use by about 5,000 years. #2) The first dinosaur walked the Earth 40 million years before the emergence of the first true trees. #3) The first firearm was invented about 900 years after the first steam engine. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "With less critical thinking comes more vaccine hesitancy." - Nedra Rhone, columnist, Atlanta Journal-Constitution