Skeptics Guide #1067

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1067 December 15th 2025 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Animals Adapting to Humans https://theness.com/neurologicablog/animals-adapting-to-humans/ News Item #2 – Pig Organ Transplants https://theconversation.com/putting-pig-organs-in-people-is-ok-in-the-us-but-growing-human-organs-in-pigs-is-not-why-is-that-270562 News Item #3 – Japan Plans to Beam Energy from Space https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/10/japan-to-beam-energy-down-to-earth-from-space-in-first-real-test-of-orbital-power-transmission/ News Item #4 – Ant Yogurt https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition-pseudoscience/antsy-about-getting-old-how-about-some-ant-yogurt News Item #5 – First Evidence of Fire Making https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/10/science/archaeology-humans-neanderthals-fire.html Segment #2. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Mercury in Fish I sent this article a couple of months back as a suggestion for a segment. I am resending it because of the science or fiction last week. It is about mecury in lakes in MN. They are bio engineering fish to get rid of it. https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/08/05/mercury-pollution-minnesota-lake-country Question #2: Compounding Pharmacies Long time listener, one time helper of Steve for his Sunrun solar panels. A strip mall right near my house has a “compounding pharmacy”. I’ve never heard of such a thing and haven’t heard it mentioned on the show. I knew it had to be BS, and apparently it’s an alternative medicine that is not regulated. I’m wondering if you’ve talked about this on the show, and if not, it might be worth a segment. Thanks for all you do! Guy Henry Segment #3. From TikTok Inventor of the Diesel Engine https://www.tiktok.com/@ak5528861/video/7577842291453234462?_r=1&_t=ZP-92668NlVOAx Segment #4. 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: Astronomy 2025 Item 1: Astronomers discovered a nearly perfect spherical bubble of gas and dust within the Milky Way, which they named Teleios, but do not yet have an explanation for its formation. Item 2: Scientists confirmed the existence of four Mars-sized planets orbiting Barnard’s star, the closest single-star system to Earth at just 6 light years. Item 3: NASA’s Curiosity rover discovered evidence of complex organic chemistry on Mars, including 12 carbon atoms and simple nucleic acids. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week “The time is coming when people won't listen to good teaching. Instead, they will look for teachers who will please them by telling them only what they are itching to hear. They will turn from the truth and eagerly listen to senseless stories.” Christian Bible. 2 Timothy Chapter 4, verses 3-4 (from the Contemporary English Version)