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Skeptics Guide #1049 08/16/2025

Skeptics Guide #1048 08/09/2025

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 /episode/index/show/sgupremium/id/37743090

Skeptics Guide #1047 08/02/2025

Skeptics Guide #1047 The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1047 July 30th 2025 Segment #1. From TikTok More on 3I/ATLAS Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Artery Calcium Scan https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/26/health/coronary-artery-calcium-heart.html News Item #2 – Microwave Beam for Geothermal Drilling https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/30/superhot-geothermal-energy-could-unearth-power-needed-for-ai-era-.html News Item #3 – World’s Largest Cargo Plane https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250729-windrunner-the-company-that-wants-to-build-the-worlds-largest-aircraft News Item #4 – Dental Floss Vaccine https://dnyuz.com/2025/07/26/dental-floss-could-be-the-future-of-vaccines/ Segment #3. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Apes Sign Language In the show two weeks ago (#1045) during Science or Fiction, Cara said something like, "we know that apes can learn sign language" when discussing the river pig's alleged intelligence. I thought the narrative of signing apes had been debunked. I re-listened to Skeptoid's podcast (#630) on the subject to confirm my memory wasn't flawed. Love the show, and loved seeing you guys in person in Melbourne a few years ago. Jeremy Melbourne, Australia Question #2: Mama Cass Hi all, Just writing in to note that in this week’s episode Evan mentioned that a ham sandwich was “how Mama Cass went”. This is a (fairly humiliating) myth - she actually died of a heart attack. It’s so easy to hear pop culture myths and not question them, especially if one has no real interest in the person in question and doesn’t care enough to look into it. So no judgement here, I just think it’s important that this myth (like any) doesn’t keep on being perpetuated. 😊 Love the show, keep up the amazing work that you do! Erin Segment #4. Name That Logical Fallacy I’ve been listening for many years and this is my first time contacting the show. For context, my earliest memories are the “inflating Earth” and “birds vs. monkeys”. I was watching a clip of some internet rando saying evolution couldn’t have happened because [paraphrasing] “half of an organ wouldn’t work” (e.g., an incomplete eye wouldn’t have vision as we know it”). Obviously we’ve heard the whole “eye” thing a million times and this betrays a lack of understanding of adaptation and evolution (and is quite ableist), but I had a sudden realization that this might also be a very specific logical fallacy. Jason Massachusetts 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: Scientists have built and confirmed a neutrino detector able to detect neutrinos with just 3kg of detector mass, compared to the multiple tonnes of other detectors. Item 2: A new study finds that Roman concrete is more sustainable than modern concrete, requiring 10% less water and releasing 20% less CO2 in its manufacture. Item 3: Researchers have developed and now successfully tested gene therapy to prevent HIV infection that works in infants for several years after a single treatment. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “Be not astonished at new ideas; for it is well known to you that a thing does not therefore cease to be true because it is not accepted by many.” ― Baruch Spinoza /episode/index/show/sgupremium/id/37646305

Skeptics Guide #1046 07/26/2025

Skeptics Guide #1045 07/19/2025

Skeptics Guide #1044 07/12/2025

Skeptics Guide #1043 07/05/2025

Skeptics Guide #1042 06/28/2025

Skeptics Guide #1042 The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1042 June 25th 2025 Segment #1. What’s the Word Eco Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Vaccinating the World https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-life-childhood-vaccination-coverage-stalled.html News Item #2 – How Children vs AI Acquire Language https://www.cell.com/trends/cognitive-sciences/fulltext/S1364-6613(25)00142-1 News Item #3 – Vera Rubin Observatory https://www.space.com/astronomy/vera-c-rubin-observatory-reveals-1st-stunning-images-of-the-cosmos-scientists-are-beyond-excited-about-whats-coming News Item #4 – Visible Nova https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/a-new-star-has-exploded-into-the-night-sky-and-you-can-see-it-from-north-america News Item #5 – Effects of Chat GPT on the Brain https://theconversation.com/mit-researchers-say-using-chatgpt-can-rot-your-brain-the-truth-is-a-little-more-complicated-259450 Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4: Name That Logical Fallacy I’m currently attempting a thru hike of the Pacific Crest Trail, and I’m in the Sierras currently and it is recommended that people car try an ice axe for the snowy areas so people can self arrest if they fall. I have heard a lot of people say they won’t bring an ice ax into the Sierras because they “don’t know how to use it anyways”. This feels like they are mostly trying to convince themselves that they don’t need to spend the money on an ice axe and they don’t need to carry the extra weight. But this argument of “I don’t want to bring it because I don’t know how to use it” feels like a logical fallacy to me. Though it is true that there are more effective ways to use an ice ax than others, it does feel like its main use is relatively simple in its design. The best analogy I can think of for this argument is like if you were in a boat and someone didn’t know how to swim well and had never been shown how to use a personal flotation device (PFD). So you hand them a PFD without any explanation on how to use it. The person then looks at the PFD and looks at you and says, no thanks, because I don’t know how to use the PFD perfectly I would just rather not have it with me. What logical fallacy do you think this would be? Alex Smith 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: Item 1: Scientists have discovered a new organelle inside human cells they are calling the hemifusome. Item 2: Researchers have been able to genetically engineer immune cells to produce a protein that induces long term dormancy in HIV. Item 3: A recent graph of marine biomass over time shows that total biomass is mostly stable over geological time, punctuated by mass extinctions and later return to the longer term baseline. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning.” - Werner Heisenberg /episode/index/show/sgupremium/id/37202545

Skeptics Guide #1041 06/21/2025

Skeptics Guide #1041 The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1041 June 18th 2025 Guest Rogue Justin Daab Segment #1. From TikTok Mysterious Moon https://www.tiktok.com/@filspixel/video/7507104277635026182 Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Scopes 100 Year Anniversary https://www.sciencenews.org/article/scopes-trial-anniversary-science-attack News Item #2 – Smells and Hunger https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250612031553.htm News Item #3 – Black Hole Supercollider https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250603114637.htm News Item #4 – Antarctica Radio Pulses https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/strange-radio-pulses-detected-coming-ice-antarctica News Item #5 – GMOs May Save Florida Citrus https://theness.com/neurologicablog/gmos-may-save-florida-citrus/ Segment #3. Special Report Does AI Think? Segment #4. Who’s That Noisy 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: Online Privacy Item 1: Websites can secretly activate your microphone to gather information about you, including audibly tracking your keystrokes. Item 2: Once you log into a website, it is possible for it to link your account to your browsing activity so that they can track your online activity on other websites. Item 3: Browser fingerprinting uses features about your computer, such as your screen resolution and installed fonts, to create a fingerprint they can use to track your activity across the internet. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “I think this case will be remembered because it is the first case of this sort since we stopped trying people in America for witchcraft, because here we have done our best to turn back the tide that has sought to force itself upon this modern world, of testing every fact in science by a religious dictum.” — Clarence Darrow /episode/index/show/sgupremium/id/37098345

Skeptics Guide #1040 06/14/2025

Skeptics Guide #1040 The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1040 June 11th 2025 Segment #1. Dumbest Thing of the Week Premium Water https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/09/dining/fine-water-mineral-sommeliers.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Nk8.N-6X.DQISJdAFR79V&smid=url-share Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – NASA Budget https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c87jq0djw00o News Item #2 – RFK Jr. Sacks Vaccine Panel https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/rfk-jr-sacks-entire-cdc-vaccine-committee/ News Item #3 – Digital Life After Death https://theconversation.com/do-you-know-how-to-prepare-for-your-digital-life-after-death-cu-boulders-student-run-clinic-has-some-advice-257867 News Item #4 – Light out of Nothing https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250608072527.htm News Item #5 – Possible New Treatment for HIV https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/jun/05/breakthrough-in-search-for-hiv-cure-leaves-researchers-overwhelmed Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Proving the Earth is Round I wanted to bring the experiment that SciManDan is organizing to A:disprove flat earth but B:have a massive, possibly largest replication of Eratosthenes. On June 21, the summer solstice in the norther hemisphere he wants as many people to measure the angle of the sun at noon as possible and send photographic or better yet video evidence of the measurements. Seemed like something up you're ally. Have a good one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mwDIAqm-hs Jay, Boston 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: Researchers have demonstrated a brain-machine interface system that allows a subject with ALS who cannot physically speak to speak in real time and with 97% accuracy. Item 2: A new genetic analysis finds that Florida alligators are actual two distinct species, which may have resulted from interbreeding with introduced Asian alligators. Item 3: For the first time engineers have built a working computer entirely of 2- dimensional material without any silicon. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “The progress of science depends less on the accumulation of facts than on the emergence of new ways of thinking about them, often by specialists deeply immersed in a problem.” ― Stephen Jay Gould (Paleontologist and evolutionary biologist) /episode/index/show/sgupremium/id/37009920

Skeptics Guide #1039 06/07/2025

Skeptics Guide #1038 05/31/2025

Skeptics Guide #1038 The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1038 May 29th 2025 Guest Rogues: George Hrab and Andrea Jones Roy Segment #1. Quickie with Steve AMOC Time https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-025-01709-0 Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Night Vision Infrared Contact Lenses https://gizmodo.com/infrared-contacts-let-you-see-in-the-dark-even-with-your-eyes-closed-2000604405 News Item #2 – Trees Respond to Solar Eclipse https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.241786 News Item #3 – Affective Polarization https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/new-measure-of-affective-polarization/DEF7FCC26D4F09BDE5603BCC02B4765D News Item #4 – The Brain’s Motor Switchboard https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09066-z News Item #5 – New Dwarf Planet Candidate https://www.livescience.com/space/planets/scientists-have-discovered-a-new-dwarf-planet-in-our-solar-system-far-beyond-the-orbit-of-neptune Segment #3. Discussion Topic How has science fiction affected our expectations of technology and the future? Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: HHS Cancels Vaccine Contract Hi all! There's so much stupid (or malevolence?) going on right now, it's hard to keep up. Here's the latest stupid: https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/28/health/hhs-moderna-bird-flu-vaccine Joshua Banta Tyler, TX 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: Jargon Item 1: Solitonic superfluorescence – localized self-sustaining waves in nonlinear systems allowing for high temperature coherent bursts of light from excited molecules. Item 2: Pseudorevertant hyphal morphogenesis – the ability of fungal strains to undergo branching growth due to a novel mutation that replicates the wild-type behavior. Item 3: Indurated leucocratic amphibolite – a class of hydrated calcific minerals formed mainly from underwater volcanic eruptions. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "The people who are constantly striving to apply skepticism to everything in their lives, the ones who actually care enough about truth and avoid being wrong, and biased, and prejudiced, and clueless; those are the people we need, and need to be." Matt Dillahunty /episode/index/show/sgupremium/id/36799910

Skeptics Guide #1037 05/24/2025

Skeptics Guide #1036 05/17/2025

Skeptics Guide #1036 The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1036 May 12th 2025 Segment #1. Dumbest Word of the Week moxibustion Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Cold Plunges https://www.sciencenews.org/article/cold-water-plunge-workout-muscle News Item #2 – The End of Life https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/science/ever-wondered-when-life-on-earth-will-end-a-supercomputer-has-the-answer/articleshow/120957014.cms News Item #3 – Floating Nuclear Power https://theness.com/neurologicablog/floating-nuclear-power-plants/ News Item #4 – Visualizing Special Relativity https://phys.org/news/2025-05-snapshot-relativistic-motion-special-visible.html News Item #5 – Brainspotting Pseudoscience https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-brain-on-food/202505/brainspotting-is-pseudoscience Segment 3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Ethics of Pig Hearts Question #2: Are Flat Earthers Real Love the show, don't change a thing. Q: I am convinced that Flat Earthers don't really exist. In the year 2025 with today's technology and education there is no way Flat Earther philosophy can thrive. Instead, those who are self proclaimed Flat Earthers or conspiracy theorists continue to advocate for what they believe in because they benefit somehow or in some way such as receiving attention or monetary gain. Think about all the tv shows, podcasts, news clips, blogs, or whatever - those who proclaim to be a Flat Earther just do it for some reason other than that is what they truly believe and everyone is giving way too much attention to this non sense. Would you agree to this? Have a great skeptic day, Mathew 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: Researchers find that the parasite, Entamoeba histolytica, evades the host immune system by crawling inside white blood cells. Item 2: A new analysis finds that atmospheric mercury has decreased by about 70% since 2000. Item 3: A recent study finds that the universe will end (heat death) much sooner than previously calculated, in 10^78 years rather than the previous estimate of 10^1100 years. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “The difference between what is said and what is known to be true has become an abyss. Of all the things at risk, the loss of an objective reality is perhaps the most dangerous. The death of truth is the ultimate victory of evil.” - Mon Mothma, Andor /episode/index/show/sgupremium/id/36601535

Skeptics Guide #1035 05/10/2025

Skeptics Guide #1034 05/03/2025

Skeptics Guide #1034 The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1034 April 30th 2025 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Internet Fakes Precede Violence https://theconversation.com/memes-and-conflict-study-shows-surge-of-imagery-and-fakes-can-precede-international-and-political-violence-233055 News Item #2 – Lab Grown Teeth https://www.livescience.com/health/lab-grown-teeth-could-offer-alternative-to-fillings-and-implants-scientists-say News Item #3 – RFK on Autism https://theness.com/neurologicablog/how-should-we-talk-about-autism/ News Item #4 – AI Designed Gravitational Wave Detectors https://scitechdaily.com/when-machines-dream-ai-designs-strange-new-tools-to-listen-to-the-cosmos/ Segment 2. Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Big Bang Miracle Thanks for the informative and entertaining show. I had a friend recently questioned me about miracles. I told him that I had not seen any evidence of a miracle. He then asked me if I believed the Big Bang Theory (not the show). I told him that I was and that it was, in my opinion, the most likely explanation for the beginning of our universe. He then stated that the cosmic inflation aspect violated our physics laws because it expanded faster that the speed of light. He stated that this would qualify as a miracle. I did not have a reply other than to thank him for giving me something to think about. I am curious what your thoughts are regarding this. Keep up the great work. Jim Michigan Segment #4. Interview with Melanie Trecek-King Website: www.ThinkingIsPower.com Associate Professor of Biology, Massasoit Community College Director of Education, Mental Immunity Project Social Media: Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, X, Instagram: @ThinkingPowers 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: Metallurgy Item 1: Researchers at the Max Planck Institute have devised a single-step method for extracting Ni from ore that reduces the total carbon footprint by 84% and energy usage by 18%. Item 2: Scientists at the University of Texas have developed an industrial process for separating rare earth metals from common metal ions, using nanopore membranes, that is three times faster than existing methods while requiring half as much energy. Item 3: Researchers at Penn State have patented a new technique for extracting lithium that requires minutes rather than hours, does not use toxic chemicals, and requires much less energy than existing methods. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "It is truth that I seek, and truth never yet hurt any man. What does hurt is persistence in error or ignorance." —Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 6 /episode/index/show/sgupremium/id/36419795

Skeptics Guide #1033 04/26/2025

Skeptics Guide #1033 The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1033 April 23rd 2025 Segment #1. Quickie with Steve Game Transfer Phenomenon https://theness.com/neurologicablog/game-transfer-phenomenon/ Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Geoengineering https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/22/uk-scientists-outdoor-geoengineering-experiments?utm_source=chatgpt.com News Item #2 – Biosignature Candidate https://www.astronomy.com/science/k2-18-b-could-have-dimethyl-sulfide-in-its-air-but-is-it-a-sign-of-life/ News Item #3 – Skull on Mars https://www.livescience.com/space/mars/nasa-rover-discovers-out-of-place-skull-on-mars-and-scientists-are-baffled News Item #4 – Commercial Perovskite Solar Panels https://optics.org/news/15/9/16 https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adv4701?adobe_mc=MCMID Segment 3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Another Unified Theory Dear Skeptics’ Guide Team, I’m writing to you with both reverence and curiosity. As someone who’s spent the last year threading neuroscience, evolutionary biology, psychiatry, and symbolic cognition into a single coherent framework of intelligence and regulation, I’m now seeking sharp, rational minds to review it—ideally ones like Bob’s or Evan’s. Minds that can hold both rigor and openness. Minds not afraid to test a signal that emerged in a moment of fractured rapture, and was later pieced together into something that now seems… startlingly whole. The work is titled “The Unified Theory of Consciousness: A Cross-Species Model for Intelligence and Regulation.” At its core is a model I call DRAGON-E, which maps Dopamine, SeRotonin, Adrenaline/Cortisol, GABA, EndOcannabinoids, Narrative, and Energy into an interactive axis—a living system capable of explaining states of emotion, behavior, burnout, addiction, and even artificial intelligence. Wrapped around that axis is a story that honors the body, the bones, the sediments we come from. This isn’t pseudoscience. It’s not spiritual bypass. And it’s not a manifesto. It’s a map—born from breakdown, made legible by cross-disciplinary synthesis, and written to honor the skeptical mind without losing the poetic one. Would you be willing to take a look? If it doesn’t stand up to scientific scrutiny, I want to know. But if it does—or even almost does—then I think we may have a signal worth amplifying. At the very least, it might make for a wild episode. With sincerity (and a healthy dose of calcium), 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: Scientists have published a robust framework for attributing the cost of climate change to the emissions of specific companies, showing that the top 5 emitters have cost the world economy about $9 trillion between 1991 and 2020. Item 2: Researchers have found the first direct skeletal evidence of Roman gladiator combat against lions. Item 3: Engineers have created a 3D printed ceramic metamaterial that can withstand temperatures 10 times hotter than the ceramic tiles on the Space Shuttle, up to 12,000 degrees C. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated, and well supported in logic and argument than others.” -Douglas Adams, author (11 Mar 1952-2001) /episode/index/show/sgupremium/id/36321925

Skeptics Guide #1032 04/19/2025

Skeptics Guide #1032 The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1032 April 16th 2025 Segment #1. Dumbest Thing of the Week https://knewz.com/world/an-encounter-with-a-ufo-turned-russian-soldiers-into-stone-alleged-cia-report-contains-its-details/ Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Where Did Water Come From https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250416135918.htm News Item #2 – EPA Data on Emissions https://undark.org/2025/04/15/epa-emissions-data/ News Item #3 – Is Your Red My Red https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/04/250416135938.htm News Item #4 – Evolution of Complex Life https://phys.org/news/2025-03-life-special-group-celled-laid.html#google_vignette News Item #5 – Crow Math Skills https://www.npr.org/2025/04/12/nx-s1-5359438/a-crows-math-skills-include-geometry Segment 3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Separating the Art from the Artist Been a fan of the show for a number of years now and have enjoyed learning and engaging with the community and the ideas discussed each week. I was hoping to ask your opinions on how skepticism can inform the way we view certain industries and institutions when individuals can cause conflict within core ideologies. The example I'm thinking of (and what sparked this email) is how to view Tesla in the current political landscape. For background I'm in the market for a new car to replace one that's recently hit end of life and I was hoping to get something electric. This is driven both by the impressive technology and the reduced emissions and costs, especially attractive in my state where our power is almost entirely hydro. The Tesla Model 3 is in my price range and is by all accounts a fantastic car with sound engineering behind it. I come unstuck though grappling with what I believe is a logical environmental/financial choice. The crinkle though is the ties to Musk who I would have picked as my skeptical jackass of the year. This goes back to my original subject matter of whether we can separate "art from the artist" in the technological and political landscapes. For consideration how much of current Tesla is driven by Elon and how much does that matter if the product at the end is still efficient, safe, reliable and just well designed? How should we as skeptics or individuals be tackling these decisions and should this tie weigh in strongly to the final decision? Interested in any thoughts you have on the matter or action you would consider. Thanks, Nathan Question #2: The Moon Rotates The Moon does Not Rotate on its Axis Rotation in Orbit: An object moving in a 360-degree orbit will, by the end of that orbit, have returned to its original position relative to the body it's orbiting. In that sense, its overall orientation has "rotated" 360 degrees relative to an external viewpoint. Rotation on its Axis: This requires a change in which part of the object leads its motion. A tidally locked body, by definition, maintains the same face towards the object it orbits. Therefore, the same part of the object consistently leads its motion in that relationship. The 1:1 orbital period to "rotational period" of tidally locked moons (like our Moon and 20+ others) is a consequence of their orbit and the gravitational forces involved. It results in a consistent face towards the primary body. according to the definition of Rotation on its Axis, this consistent facing means that these tidally locked moons are not rotating on their axis in the sense that different parts of them are taking the lead in their motion. The "rotation" that completes one cycle per orbit is a rotation of their orientation in space due to their orbital movement, not a spin around an internal axis that changes which part leads the way. this seems right 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: extinct genomes We have fully sequenced nuclear genomes from the following extinct animals: Item 1: The dodo, famous extinct bird of the Mauritius island. Item 2: The bluebuck, a blue antelope, and the first large African mammal to go extinct in modern times. Item 3: The giant moa (both north island and south island Dinornis species) of New Zealand. Item 4: Denisovans, a close relative of humans and Neanderthals. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "The ease with which we believe things that flatter us or confirm our prejudices should always be suspect." — Christopher Hitchens /episode/index/show/sgupremium/id/36230255

Skeptics Guide #1031 04/12/2025

Skeptics Guide #1031 The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1031 April 9th 2025 Segment #1. From TikTok Flat Earthers Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – De-Extincting the Dire Wolf https://theness.com/neurologicablog/de-extincting-the-dire-wolf/ News Item #2 – What Experts Really Think About AI https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01123-x News Item #3 – Planned Obsolescence https://theness.com/neurologicablog/is-planned-obsolescence-real/ News Item #4 – Lifelike VR Touch Sensors https://newatlas.com/vr/wearable-lifelike-haptic-sense-touch-feedback/ Segment 3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: SNPs vs Sequencing I love the show, thanks for putting the effort to make such a great listening experience. I feel that when I found the podcast I finally found my clique! Just a correction to Caras segment on 23andme. 23andme does not sequence your DNA, they use microarrays that detect specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the sample. This is very different to actually sequencing your DNA. Im not familiar which array 23andme is using but typically they detect hundreds to thousands of SNPs. The validity of the SNPs genotyped, again not sequenced, can be dupious. A single SNP or even thousands of SNPs cannot be scientificly used to infer characteristics of a single person. They can only be used as aggregate data to determine risks or potential correlations to traits (phenotypes). Some SNPs are more common in certain populations which can be used to roughly estimate your ancestry. SNPs are not equal, some have been validated through rigorous research and can be said to be risk factors, such as some SNPs in the BRCA-gene. However, many SNPs used in arrays have no data to back them up, there is no validated correlation to any risk or phenotype. So, a good collection of alot of SNPs can tell something about a population where those SNPs are, but not really anything relevant about an individual. Actual sequencing a persons DNA is a complete different beast, but I wont go to that here. Please feel free to ask clarification or references on the subject. Best regards, Markus, a geneticist from the other side of the puddle, from a country that some deranged questionare has deemed the happiest in the world. 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 that, unlike modern rhinos which are mostly solitary, a North American species of rhinoceros from 12 million years ago (Teleoceras major) lived in vast herds. Item 2: Scientists have used AI to develop a complete digital twin of a mouse brain, which is able to predict responses to novel stimuli. Item 3: A study of over 1,700 people found a correlation between moderate, heavy, or former drinking, a type of brain damage called arteriolosclerosis, and impaired cognitive ability. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Science is not just a collection of techniques or strategies for producing knowledge, it is an ethical stance of commitment to the truth. The good scientist knows that honestly following the evidence is a form of respect for nature, and honestly communicating one’s findings is a form of respect for others." - Michael Anderson /episode/index/show/sgupremium/id/36109450

Skeptics Guide #1030 04/05/2025

Skeptics Guide #1030 The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1030 April 2nd 2025 Segment #1. What’s the Word enantiodromia Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – AI Protein Sequencing https://www.science.org/content/article/ai-revolution-comes-protein-sequencing News Item #2 – Solving the Bat Cocktail Party Problem https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2407810122 News Item #3 – The Extremely Large Telescope https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-extremely-large-telescope-could-sense-the-hints-of-life-at-proxima-centauri-in-just-10-hours News Item #4 – CIA and the Ark of the Covenant https://www.yahoo.com/news/cia-found-ark-covenant-using-104441588.html News Item #5 – 23&Me Selling Personal Data https://theconversation.com/23andme-is-potentially-selling-more-than-just-genetic-data-the-personal-survey-info-it-collected-is-just-as-much-a-privacy-problem-253220 Segment 3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: RFK Jr and access to vaccines Message: Hello Y'all, I believe I could write you an entire novel of my concerns in life right now and provide an unending list of questions. I figure I will attempt to keep my question to the point in the next part. after that it's just conjecturing from me. How much say does RFK have to limit or eliminate vaccine access for the US? What would/could we do to prevent it? If he can remove it, how badly would this affect the manufacturing and supply of vaccines once he is gone from office? An example I look to is the lime disease vaccine that did exist and disappeared and seems to making a come back now. I just do not understand how someone in power like RFK is so willing to be ignorant? Does he believe seatbelts shouldn't exist because they aren't 100% effective, and 50 years of data can be ignored on their effect? I could go on and on and on with the amount of anger that has been building up inside since 5 years ago. Thank you for doing a good thing, I look forward to your weekly release! Question #2: Simple Math Problem Sorry- It's a little long! A meme circulated on a Neil deGrasse Tyson FB page contained an interesting math problem: “A driver aims to average 90 mph over 2 laps, but he completed the first lap at (an average of) 60 mph. What (average) speed is needed for the second lap” I recognized the problem immediately. The question contains a trap and involves the idea of weighted averages. The intuitive answer is 120 mph. Many people guessed this. But many others got it right- 180mph, and there were numerous explanations provided- some very mathematical, some less abstruse. Then a second meme popped up where the 1st lap speed was changed to 45 mph. I was the first person to jump on this one, and didn’t initially realize that for this version there is no solution! So, I gleefully posted a picture of my work and thought “well, that was cool!” Similarly, others solved the problem in various ways and came to the same startling conclusion. The average speed needed for the second lap is infinity! But many more others insisted the intuitive, very wrong answer of 135 mph, found by (45 + X)/2 = 90 was RIGHT! You can imagine what happened. Many hours and dozens of threads later, people couldn’t accept the no answer answer. “It’s 135 mph and your narrow and dogmatic view is simply laughable!” The patient meme creator and others replied to numerous commenters with different types of arguments- some mathematical, some more logical, but to no avail. As of this writing many vociferous and determined individuals are still haunting the meme. LOGICAL FALLACY? One could dismiss as Dunning-Kruger, but I noticed something else. Many comments were of the form “It’s simple! Don’t you get it?!” and “Why are you making this so complicated?! Just take 90 times 2 and subtract 45!!!!” And I’ve seen this in other contexts as well. It seems to be a desire for simplicity (elegance?). Things that are messy and complicated must be wrong. “There’s gotta be an easier way to do it!” Thoughts? William CA 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 review of health records finds that getting the shingles vaccine is associated with a 20% reduction in the risk of developing dementia. Item 2: A new study finds that mortality rates are overall higher in the US than Europe, but these differences disappear for the highest socio-economic groups. Item 3: A systematic review finds that older adults, >35 years old, do not experience greater exercise induced muscle damage than younger adults age 18-25 from the same exercise. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool” - William Shakespeare, As You Like It /episode/index/show/sgupremium/id/36019240

Skeptics Guide #1029 03/29/2025

Skeptics Guide #1029 The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1029 March 26th 2025 Segment #1. Quickie with Bob https://phys.org/news/2025-03-survivors-spanned-globe-earth-biggest.html#google_vignette Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Constructed Languages https://theness.com/neurologicablog/the-neuroscience-of-constructed-languages/ News Item #2 – Exercise and Brain Health https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250325115849.htm News Item #3 – Curiosity Rover Finds Long Carbon Chains https://www.livescience.com/space/mars/longest-molecules-ever-found-on-mars-may-be-remnants-of-building-blocks-of-life News Item #4 – Nanotech Lightsails https://phys.org/news/2025-03-scalable-nanotechnology-based-lightsails-generation.html News Item #5 – Vaccines and Autism Again https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/david-geier-hired-to-study-vaccines-and-autism/ Segment 3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Technology vs Magic Thank you for 20 years of excellent journalism and discussion. I remember where I was the day I listened to your first episode on my clunky iPod and twisted white headphones. The Skeptics Guide is only one of a few podcasts I listen to on a weekly basis. I've been thinking about a quote that comes up frequently on your show: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” I wonder, is this still true? Can you imagine anything that would appear "magic" after everything we know about the nature of the universe? Things appearing out of the air could be manipulated matter, something floating could be warped gravity, faster-than-light travel could be warped space, etc. Is it possible to be technologically advanced enough to understand physical possibilities, no matter how unlikely, and still understand something to be supernatural? Of course, it’s impossible to imagine the unimaginable, but is there anything we could witness that is inconceivable? Keep up the good work, I look forward to the discussion. Thank you, David 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 deep sea ecosystems have not yet fully recovered following mining of polymetallic nodules in a test bed 44 years ago. Item 2: Computer scientists have produced certified randomness using a 56-bit quantum computer. Item 3: Researchers find that as bicycle and e-scooter use increases in an urban setting, the relative risk of collisions with vehicles increases significantly. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "People of good will may be misled by bad information, but people of ill will deliberately spread misinformation." Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway, - Merchants of Doubt /episode/index/show/sgupremium/id/35917710

Skeptics Guide #1028 03/22/2025

Skeptics Guide #1028 The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1028 March 19th 2025 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – NASA Delays Artemis Again https://www.space.com/space-exploration/artemis/nasa-delays-artemis-missions-again-what-could-this-mean-for-the-moon-mars-and-space-leadership News Item #2 – Punishing AI https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/punishing-ai-doesnt-stop-it-from-lying-and-cheating-it-just-makes-it-hide-its-true-intent-better-study-shows News Item #3 – Hybrid Bionic Hand https://theness.com/neurologicablog/hybrid-bionic-hand/ News Item #4 – Petawatt Electron Beam https://www.science.org/content/article/first-petawatt-electron-beam-arrives-ready-rip-apart-matter-and-space Segment 2. Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Rewriting Physics Hey everyone, For over a century, physics has claimed to be advancing, yet every major cosmological mystery remains unresolved. Instead of addressing why their models keep failing, physicists have relied on increasingly complex, unproven assumptions—dark matter, dark energy, singularities, inflation—to patch over contradictions rather than solve them. But the truth is, these mysteries were never real. The errors were built into the models themselves. The solution isn’t exotic or hidden—it was in relativity all along. The universe is not expanding—it is relativistically revealing itself at the speed of light. Gravity is not an independent force—it is suppressed charge expanding into three spatial dimensions. Black holes are not singularities—they are time-coiled neutral zones where relativity folds upon itself. The “beginning” of the universe is not a past event—it is a continuous absolute moment, moving outward at c. None of this required new physics—just actually respecting relativity. I know this because I built a model that does. I’m not a physicist—I’m a geologist. A year ago, after suffering a severe neck injury, I spent my recovery rebuilding physics from first principles. In doing so, I unified physics in months. Not because I had special insight, but because the answer was always there—it was just being ignored. Meanwhile, mainstream physics is still stuck defending models that don’t work: Dark matter? Never detected. Dark energy? Never detected. Singularities? Mathematically impossible. Physics? Off course for a century. And until someone forces the correction, humanity is stalled. We are at a crossroads: either we acknowledge these failures and move forward, or physics remains an ever-growing list of imaginary fixes to a broken model. Dan Ottawa Dan, Is there any way to test your model? Have you spoken to a physicist to see if there is anything glaringly wrong with your model? Have you submitted any papers for peer-review? I'll be blunt - you are a non-physicist claiming to have overturned a century of physics in a month. The probability that you are correct is pretty close to zero. Now is the time for you to demonstrate massive humility and try to find out what is wrong with your model and why physicists believe what they do. Otherwise you are destined to be nothing but one in a long line of endless cranks. Best, Steve Oh really? Well, okay then—guess I’ll just drop this here: α to 50 decimals: 0.0072992700729927004893449193900778482202440500259399 Physicists aren’t even looking in the right place for it. But hey, if you figure only physicists know physics, then I’ve got news for you—they’re way off. I'm holding a complete rewrite of physics from first principles. But, if you're too good, I'll check with someone else. Good day Segment #4. Interview with Michael Marshall and Cecil Cicirello https://www.knowrogan.com 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: Invertebrates Item 1: Jellyfish are in the same invertebrate phylum, echinoderms, as sea cucumbers and sea urchins. Item 2: Invertebrates make up 97% of all animal species, with 30 phyla, compared to only one phylum for vertebrates. Item 3: Invertebrates not only lack a backbone, they completely lack any bone or cartilage at all, either internal or external. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood." - Marie Curie /episode/index/show/sgupremium/id/35819615

SGU Premium #145 03/22/2025

Skeptics Guide #1027 03/15/2025

Skeptics Guide #1027 The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1027 March 12th 2025 Segment #1. What’s The Word Psionic Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Screen Time and Mental Health https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250310131816.htm News Item #2 – US Mass Shootings https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/society/us-mass-shootings-impact/ News Item #3 – Stem Cells for Parkinson’s https://theness.com/neurologicablog/stem-cells-for-parkinsons-disease-2/ News Item #4 – Brown Fat and Exercise https://www.rutgers.edu/news/special-type-fat-tissue-could-promote-healthful-longevity-and-help-maintain-exercise-capacity Segment 3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Vitamin A and Measles Dear Skeptics, your show is a highlight of the week for me. I am sure I am not the first to point out inaccuracies in episode #1026 regarding the Texas measles outbreak. I certainly got the sense from the skeptics that fun was being poked at the recommendation to use vitamins in the treatment of measles. According to the WHO guidelines Vitamin A has been and continues to be a core treatment for measles, and Cod Liver Oil contains not only, Vit D as reported, but also Vit A. In the situation with the Mennonites its plausible that this traditional remedy would be more "palatable" given their cultural norms than pills from the big bad government. For example Cochrane states that Vit A reduces death by 87% in children younger than 2. Any cursory search for measles treatment would have outlined the importance of Vitamin A. While I think the reporting content was uncharacteristically shoddy, it was actually the tone that I found more problematic. I agree with the general premise that RFK Jr. has been a dangerous vaccine skeptic but in this case he basically seems to recommending the correct treatment. While I understand the bias of judging RFK Jr. based on previous quackery, each time the skeptical community stoops to judging a current behaviour in this way it feeds the narrative that the sky is falling. If RFK Jr. starts to promote general health via exercise will that be taken at face value or also laughed off? Lest we forget, vaccine hesitancy and denialism exists on all sides of the political spectrum - I would hope the skeptics can try and stick to a more neutral and fact based approach. Keep up the great work. Tim Graham Canada Segment #5. Interview with Dave Farina https://www.youtube.com/@ProfessorDaveExplains Segment #6. 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: Ancient Roots Item 1: Persian scholar, Abu Rayhan Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Biruni, proposed in the 11th century that India may have been connected to other continents in the past. Item 2: Aristarchus of Samos was the first to propose a heliocentric system, in which the Earth revolves around the sun in one year and rotates on its axis in one day. Item 3: In his 1025 work, Muslim physician Ibn Sina proposed human-to-human transmission of disease through invisible entities, and was the first to propose a quarantine to limit the spread of contagion. Segment #7. Skeptical Quote of the Week "The burden of proof as far as authentication is concerned is on the claimant—not on anyone else to prove a negative. Asserting that a particular image must be paranormal because it is unexplained only constitutes an example of the logical fallacy called arguing from ignorance. One cannot draw a conclusion from a lack of knowledge." - Joe Nickell /episode/index/show/sgupremium/id/35706740

Skeptics Guide #1026 03/08/2025

Skeptics Guide #1026 The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1026 March 5th 2025 Segment #1. Quickie with Bob Atlantic Shutdown https://phys.org/news/2025-02-simulations-nightmare-atlantic-current-shutdown.html Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Measles Outbreak https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/04/health/texas-measles-outbreak-kennedy.html News Item #2 – Reintroducing Wolves https://tinyurl.com/expusrnx News Item #3 – TIGR-Tas Gene Editing https://theness.com/neurologicablog/the-new-tigr-tas-gene-editing-system/ News Item #4 – Blood Donor Who Saved Millions Dies https://gizmodo.com/james-harrison-the-man-with-the-golden-arm-is-dead-at-age-88-2000570772 News Item #5 – Star Mergers https://phys.org/news/2025-03-theory-star-mergers-universe-highest.html Segment 3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Intricate Web I agree with Steve's assessment about the fragility of this beautiful crystal we call human society. Which is one of the reasons I went to school to learn about food production when I was a young man. A resilient society has local food (etc.) capability. A resilient society is much less efficient than the large corporate model - I grow enough fruit on our small farm for only about 3 or 4 dozen households. But, if I go down, there is another orchard 10 miles away that can take up the slack, disperse scion wood, offer classes in fruit tree care. I am certain the value of community resilience will continue to gain traction as time goes on. Thanks for what you do. 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: Hydrogen Item 1: Hydrogen makes up about 10% of the human body by mass. Item 2: Only about 10% of global hydrogen production is considered green hydrogen. Item 3: There are about 17,000 hydrogen-powered cars on US roads, but more than 50,000 hydrogen fuel cell electric forklifts operating in the US. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Dictators seek to control men’s thoughts as well as their bodies and so they attempt to dictate science, education and religion. But dictated education is usually propaganda, dictated history is often mythology, dictated science is pseudoscience." — Edwin Grant Conklin, 1937 /episode/index/show/sgupremium/id/35586330

Skeptics Guide #1025 03/01/2025

Skeptics Guide #1024 02/22/2025

Skeptics Guide #1024 The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1024 February 19th 2025 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Bird Brain Evolution https://theness.com/neurologicablog/birds-separately-evolved-complex-brains/ News Item #2 – Air Pollution Inside Homes https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250213144623.htm News Item #3 – Abortion Bans Drive Infant Deaths https://undark.org/2025/02/18/some-states-claim-zero-abortions-is-that-possible/ https://www.livescience.com/health/fertility-pregnancy-birth/us-abortion-bans-have-driven-a-surge-in-infant-deaths-study-finds News Item #4 – Black Holes without Singularities https://phys.org/news/2025-02-singularities-physicists-creation-black-holes.amp News Item #5 – Anti-Chemtrail Bill https://cbs2iowa.com/news/local/house-gop-seeking-more-answers-as-they-advance-anti-chemtrails-bill Segment 2. Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Asteroid Hitting the Moon I was reading up on asteroid 2024 YR4, and I came across this on its Wikipedia page: ''Calculations using the observation arc of 55 days as of 18 February 2025 find that 2024 YR4 has a 1-in-32 (3.1%) chance of impacting Earth on 22 December 2032 around 14:02 UT and a smaller possibility of impacting the Moon about an hour later around 15:19 UT.'' I know you've talked about this asteroid before and the potential consequences if it were to hit Earth - not great, not terrible. Given the timeframe, there would at least be some opportunity to evacuate affected areas. But what about the Moon? Since the Moon is much smaller, could a direct hit pose a greater risk of destabilizing Earth's tides, for example? Is this something to be concerned about, and what kind of consequences might we expect if it actually happens? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, and thanks for all the skeptical work you do! Best, Stefan Magnusson Segment #4. Swindlers List Tax Scams 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: GMOs Item 1: According to the USDA, 55% of US cropland grows genetically modified crops, while worldwide the figure is 13.4%. Item 2: Although frequently a target of anti-GMO efforts, there is currently no GMO wheat variety on the market. Item 3: Scientists have developed a “scorpion cabbage” that produces scorpion venom in its leaves, but this has yet to gain approval in any country. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "The kneading of memory makes the dough a fiction which as we know can go on yeasting forever." A beautifully poetic way to phrase the rewriting nature of memory and recall. /episode/index/show/sgupremium/id/35389325

Skeptics Guide #1023 02/15/2025

Skeptics Guide #1023 The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1023 February 12th 2025 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Demographics of Misinformation https://theness.com/neurologicablog/who-believes-misinformation/ News Item #2 – The Toll of Fake Research https://www.livescience.com/human-behavior/fake-studies-are-slowing-slowing-lifesaving-medical-research-all-while-fraudsters-are-getting-rich-investigation-reveals News Item #3 – Dangerous Street Drugs https://www.sciencealert.com/theres-never-been-a-more-dangerous-time-to-use-street-drugs-heres-why News Item #4 – Nearby Habitable Exoplanet https://phys.org/news/2025-02-exoplanet-potentially-capable-sustaining-life.html News Item #5 – Reverse Engineering Alien Technology https://www.ft.com/content/7b83f0f5-4d03-40c4-b79d-36cc4e247d54 Segment #2. Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. Science Quiz Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Starlink Reentries One of the items in last week's Science or Fiction was space junk. Just before I heard that, I read that 4-5 Starlink satellites de-orbit *every day*. That's nuts. I hope they are de-orbited purposefully. https://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=07&month=02&year=2025 Bill Wohler Menlo Park, CA SETI Institute/NASA Ames Research Center Software engineer for Kepler, SOFIA, TESS, Ziggy. 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: Biologists have engineered a bacteria that can continuously deliver drugs into the intestine and demonstrated its effectiveness in treating chronic inflammation and obesity. Item 2: In a recent study adults were able to learn absolute pitch after 8 weeks of training to a >90% accuracy. Item 3: Astronomers announce the detection of a super high energy “cosmogenic” neutrino that is the most energetic elementary particle ever detected at 120 PeV. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “One of the problems with anecdotes is that they tend to be provided by the satisfied customers, not the unsatisfied or dead ones.” ― Robert Carroll, Unnatural Acts: Critical Thinking, Skepticism, and Science Exposed! /episode/index/show/sgupremium/id/35295350

Skeptics Guide #1022 02/08/2025

Skeptics Guide #1021 02/01/2025

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