Skeptics Guide #959

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