Skeptics Guide #800

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #800 November 4th 2020 Segment #1. COVID-19 Update https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/superspreading-events/ Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Amulets and COVID-19 https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/magic-amulets-do-not-prevent-covid/ News Item #2 – Right to Try and COVID https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/beware-political-hype-over-the-right-to-try-covid-drugs/ News Item #3 – Earth-Sized Rogue Planet https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/earth-sized-rogue-planet-discovered/ News Item #4 – Forest Regrowth https://www.wired.com/story/is-it-better-to-plant-trees-or-let-forests-regrow-naturally/ News Item #5 – Lava Planet https://phys.org/news/2020-11-supersonic-rocky-lava-planet.html Segment #3: Who’s That Noisy Segment #4: Your Questions and E-mails Question #1 Bee Balls I was just listening to podcast #799 and your discussion on the murder hornet. Cara briefly mentioned the bee ball as a defensive measure honey bees can take. But that is incorrect. Only the Japanese honey bees can form the bee ball as a defensive measure to surround and cook the invading Asian giant hornet. The European honey bee does not and is therefore completely defenseless against the Asian giant hornet. That is why there is such a huge concern as all the commercial honey bees in the US are the European honey bees. Here are some references. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apis_cerana_japonica#Protective_behaviors https://io9.gizmodo.com/meet-the-hot-defensive-bee-ball-one-of-the-craziest-5892986 Love the podcast! Stay safe, wash your hands, and wear a mask. Albert from Seattle Segment #5: Dumbest Thing of the Week Magic Lamp https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/indian-doctor-duped-into-buying-aladdin-s-lamp-after-genie-show-1.5169884 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: Impact Craters #1) The largest impact crater on Earth, Vredefort Crater, South Africa, at 300km wide, is also the oldest, over 2 billion years. #2) The largest single diamond deposit in the world was formed by a meteorite impact, and contains a greater volume of diamonds than all other deposits combined. #3) There are over 2,000 known impact craters on Earth. Segment #7. Skeptical Quote of the Week “I have the nerve to walk my own way, however hard, in my search for reality, rather than climb upon the rattling wagon of wishful illusions." - Zora Neale Hurston