Skeptics Guide #966

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