Skeptics Guide #1058

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1058 October 16th 2025 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Why People Believe Misinformation https://theconversation.com/winning-with-misinformation-new-research-identifies-link-between-endorsing-easily-disproven-claims-and-prioritizing-symbolic-strength-265652 News Item #2 – Measles on the Rise https://www.npr.org/2025/10/12/nx-s1-5572507/us-measles-outbreaks-texas-south-carolina-utah-minnesota News Item #3 – Is Therapy Speech https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/is-conversion-therapy-speech/ News Item #4 – Solar Activity Increasing https://www.sciencealert.com/our-sun-is-becoming-more-active-and-nasa-doesnt-know-why News Item #5 – Possible Wormhole https://futurism.com/science-energy/scientists-detected-wormhole Segment #2 Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. Name That Logical Fallacy I'm engaged in a discussion on the internet about pornography. The argument is made that, quote, "If you think porn causes no harms then let's broadcast it in every public place." Apart from the straw argument that nobody has actually said that porn causes no harms, what is the fallacy here? Thanks, your friend, Arthwollipot Segment #4. From TikTok What if we place the Earth in a vacuum. https://www.tiktok.com/@_7club_/video/7540763380429098295 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: Insects Item 1: Flight evolved independently three times among insects and emerged first among insects, about 350 million years ago. Item 2: Termites are a type of cockroach, the one with the most complex social system. Item 3: The largest insect to ever live was Meganeuropsis permiana, a giant predatory dragonfly with a wingspan of 2.5 feet that likely hunted frogs and small mammals. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “It is strange to reflect how much energy is thrown away in attempting to know the unknowable.” — Joseph Barber Lightfoot