Skeptics Guide #981

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #981 April 24th 2024 Segment #1. Special Report John Oliver and UFOs https://theness.com/neurologicablog/ufos-and-sgu-on-john-oliver/ Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Voyager Fixed https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/after-months-of-sending-gibberish-to-nasa-voyager-1-is-finally-making-sense-again News Item #2 – NASAs New Solar Sail https://scitechdaily.com/liftoff-nasas-next-generation-solar-sail-boom-technology-launched/ News Item #3 – Bird Flu in Milk https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/23/health/bird-flu-milk.html?referringSource=articleShare&smid=nytcore-ios-share&utm_source=pocket_saves News Item #4 – Dark Energy Getting Weaker https://www.space.com/desi-cosmological-constant-dark-energy-history News Item #5 – After Death Communications https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hospice-patient-after-death-communications_n_66119c1ce4b0c063ffb957ee Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Follow up Havana Syndrome 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: Medical Risk Item 1: A recent study finds that living in Canada increases one’s risk of developing multiple sclerosis by up to 70%, with risk being proportional to the time lived in Canada. Item 2: Researchers find that use of anti-acid drugs, including proton pump inhibitors, H2 blockers, and antacids, are associated with an up to 70% higher risk of having Migraine headaches. Item 3: A recent review of studies finds that gum disease is associated with up to a 30% increased risk in developing Alzheimer’s disease. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Failure is a reality; we all fail at times, and it’s painful when we do. But it’s better to fail while striving for something wonderful, challenging, adventurous, and uncertain than to say, “I don’t want to try because I may not succeed completely.” — President Jimmy Carter