Skeptics Guide #998

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #998 August 21st 2024 Segment #1. Quickie with Steve https://phys.org/news/2024-08-mammoths-ice-age-people-pikes.html Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Water on Exoplanets https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1054813 News Item #2 – Mpox https://www.sciencenews.org/article/mpox-global-health-emergency-again News Item #3 – Darkling Beetles https://phys.org/news/2024-08-masters-shifting-darkling-beetles-conquered.html News Item #4 – Moon Gravity Assist https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2024/08/20/in-photos-first-ever-moon-earth-flyby-from-jupiter-bound-spacecraft/ News Item #5 – Luminescent Solar Concentrators https://theness.com/neurologicablog/luminescent-solar-concentrators-for-solar-power/ Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. From Tik Tok The Sage Wall https://www.tiktok.com/@mysterymaven_1/video/7402640457135607073?_r=1&_t=8p345eSJvSM 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. Item 1: A recent study finds using a mixture of 50% crushed glass in potting soil results in faster growth rates than using 100% potting soil. Item 2: Astronomers have identified a near-Earth asteroid rich in lithium, estimated to have enough lithium to meet current demand for over 200 years. Item 3: MIT engineers have developed the first comprehensive mathematical model of wind turbine aerodynamics. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “The real trouble begins when confirmation bias distorts your active pursuit of facts.” ― David McRaney, You Are Not So Smart: Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory Is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You're Deluding Yourself