Skeptics Guide #999

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #999 August 28th 2024 Segment #1. What’s the Word Bunk Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Starliner Update https://www.space.com/nasa-boeing-starliner-astronauts-will-return-on-spacex-dragon-2025 News Item #2 – Therapeutic Roleplaying https://theness.com/neurologicablog/roleplaying-games-may-help-autistic-people/ News Item #3 – The Search for Gravitons https://phys.org/news/2024-08-capture-physicists-particle-gravitons.html News Item #4 – Dinosaur Footprints https://www.sci.news/paleontology/gondwana-dinosaur-footprints-13201.html News Item #5 – Schools vs Cell Phones https://phys.org/news/2024-08-schools-cell.html#google_vignette Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Slippery Slope The "Slippery Slope" is technically an informal logical fallacy, but in American politics has it become more like a tactic? In the early 1990s, I considered myself in the center of the political spectrum. Without moving my own thinking much I am now leaning far out to the left. The point of that is that I have watched certain issues and it does seem that both sides (with the right being more successful) have used wedge issue laws and rulings to move the acceptable point of view, then pushed for stronger, more partisan laws. So is the Slippery Slope becoming an intentional tactic? 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 new study finds that substituting “team nursing”, substituting lower-wage staff for some RNs, can save hospitals significant operating costs without any adverse effect on outcomes. Item 2: Researchers find that pet dogs trained on soundboards are able to recognize and respond appropriately to spoken words, even if produced by a soundboard or someone who is not their owner, without any non-verbal cues. Item 3: NASA scientists have demonstrated for the first time the existence of a global electrostatic field. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Sometimes scientists change their minds. New developments cause a rethink. If this bothers you, consider how much damage is being done to the world by people for whom new developments do NOT cause a rethink." - Terry Pratchett