Skeptics Guide #1048

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1048 August 6th 2025 Segment #1. Quickie with Bob Drinking Water from Air https://news.mit.edu/2025/window-sized-device-taps-air-safe-drinking-water-0611 Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Depleted Uranium Batteries https://theness.com/neurologicablog/depleted-uranium-batteries/ News Item #2 – Russia Earthquake and Volcanoes https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/volcanos/a-parade-of-volcanoes-is-erupting-in-russia-following-an-8-8-earthquake News Item #3 – New Shroud of Turin Analysis https://www.sciencealert.com/image-on-the-shroud-of-turin-may-not-belong-to-a-real-human News Item #4 – Web of Space https://spectrum.ieee.org/amp/spatial-web-standard-2673650454 Segment #3. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Hydrogen in powder form I just read this and it seems too good to be true! Opinion. https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/australias-revolutionary-hydrogen-powder-is-easier-and-cheaper-to-use-for-clean-energy/ Graeme Nitz Question #2: Lab Leak Hey guys, I've been seeing/hearing lately from, in my experience, reputable scientific sources that the Corona virus lab leak hypothesis/conspiracy is now generally accepted by the scientific community as being the most likely way that human infection started. I'd love to hear your take on it and evaluation of the current state of the evidence. Regards Jeff Segment #4. From TikTok Rogan, Lyme lab leak https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPHsjU9vJPNbE-RoVKY/ 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: Stars Item 1: The fastest observed star in the universe is S4714, moving at 24,000 km/s or 8% the speed of light. Item 2: HV 2112 is the first confirmed Thorne-Zytkow object, which is a red giant star with a neutron star for a core. Item 3: EBLM J0555-57Ab is the smallest known star, about the size of Saturn, or 0.05% the volume of our sun. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “The reward of the young scientist is the emotional thrill of being the first person in the history of the world to see something or to understand something. Nothing can compare with that experience.” – Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin