SGU Episode 778

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SGU Episode 778
June 6th 2020
(brief caption for the episode icon)
SGU 777                      SGU 779
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
Quote of the Week
-- When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new. -- Everything in writing begins with language. Language begins with listening.
Dalai Lama Jeanette Winterson
Links
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Show Notes
Forum Discussion

Introduction

Voiceover: You're listening to the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe, your escape to reality.

News Items

S:

B:

C:

J:

E:

(laughs) (laughter) (applause) [inaudible]

More Accurate Time of Death ()

• Phys.org: New method for more accurate determination of time of death at crime scenes

SpaceX and the ISS ()

• The Verge: What the future of the space station looks like after SpaceX’s historic launch

Police Brutality Breeds Distrust ()

• Springer link: Police Brutality and Mistrust in Medical Institutions

Journalists and UFOs ()

• Neurologica: Journalism Without Skepticism

Will Your Dog Rescue You? ()

• Study Finds: True Best Friend - Dogs Really Will Rescue Their Owners...Or At Least They’ll Try

Who's That Noisy? ()

• Answer to last week’s Noisy: CRAM Gun

New Noisy ()

[brief, vague description of Noisy]

Questions/Emails/Corrections/Follow-ups ()

Question #1: Talking and Breathing ()

I hope you will make mention on your show of the killing of George Floyd. (And perhaps you already have, if you've already recorded this week's episode.) I think you could not just mention it as a topic that I think everyone basically needs to say something about in the current climate, but you could also discuss the pseudo-scientific myth that if you can talk, you must be able to breathe. Thanks. - Freeman Ng, Oakland, CA

Science or Fiction ()

Answer	Item
Fiction	Maize no big deal
Science	Artificial cells
Science	Flat universe

Host	Result
'

Rogue	Guess

Voiceover: It's time for Science or Fiction.

Item #1: For the first time scientists have developed functional artificial red blood cells that not only can carry oxygen, but also deliver drugs.
Item #2: An unparalleled find of human remains at a site in South America spanning 9,000 years indicate that maize was only a minor contributor to overall diet until less than 1,000 years ago, when it eventually displaced other staples.
Item #3: Astronomers have made the most accurate measurements of dark energy to date, showing the universe is incredibly flat.

Skeptical Quote of the Week ()

When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.
– Dalai Lama

Everything in writing begins with language. Language begins with listening.
– Jeanette Winterson, English writer

Signoff/Announcements ()

S: —and until next week, this is your Skeptics' Guide to the Universe.

S: Skeptics' Guide to the Universe is produced by SGU Productions, dedicated to promoting science and critical thinking. For more information, visit us at theskepticsguide.org. Send your questions to info@theskepticsguide.org. And, if you would like to support the show and all the work that we do, go to patreon.com/SkepticsGuide and consider becoming a patron and becoming part of the SGU community. Our listeners and supporters are what make SGU possible.

Today I Learned

• Fact/Description, possibly with an article reference
• Fact/Description
• Fact/Description

References

Vocabulary