Skeptics Guide #955

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.