SGU Episode 799

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SGU Episode 799
October 31st 2020
(brief caption for the episode icon)
SGU 798                      SGU 800
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
B: Bob Novella
C: Cara Santa Maria
J: Jay Novella
E: Evan Bernstein
Quote of the Week
Science is not perfect. It can be misused. It is only a tool. But it is by far the best tool we have, self-correcting, ongoing, applicable to everything. It has two rules. First: there are no sacred truths. All assumptions must be critically examined; arguments from authority are worthless. Second: whatever is inconsistent with the facts must be discarded or revised. ... The obvious is sometimes false; the unexpected is sometimes true.
Carl Sagan, American luminary
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Show Notes
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Introduction

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

COVID-19 Update ()

• YouTube: Yale University School of Medicine’s Steven Novella says we’re not out of the woods yet with COVID-19

News Items

S:

B:

C:

J:

E:

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

Holiday Gatherings ()

• What Should You Do About Holiday Gatherings and Covid-19?

Water on the Moon ()

• Water on the Moon

Murder Hornets Murdered ()

• Murder Hornets Found and Destroyed

High Value Plastic ()

• Most plastic recycling produces low-value materials – but we’ve found a way to turn a common plastic into high-value molecules

Exoplanet View of Earth ()

• Smile, wave: Some exoplanets may be able to see us, too

Who's That Noisy? ()

• Answer to last week’s Noisy: Preemie

New Noisy ()

[_short_vague_description_of_Noisy]

Questions/Emails/Corrections/Follow-ups ()

Question #1: Beef and Climate Change ()

You have talked about the destruction of habitats and how biodiversity is going down because of this. Isn't one of the biggest contributors the demand for meat, and especially beef, because many acres of rain forest get burned down to plant soy and corn to feed livestock? Wouldn't phasing out meat consumption be the "low-hanging fruit" regarding biodiversity and climate change? I think grass-fed cattle is carbon neutral, but what percentage of all the beef consumed is that? We can talk a lot about the missing political will to change things or about greedy corporations, but in my opinion it has to start with the consumer.

– Andreas Kleim, Germany

Correction #1: Superconductors and Computers ()

• Follow up on discussion about the impact of superconductors on computers

Science or Fiction ()

Answer	Item
Fiction	Dark matter fields
Science	Remotely canceling fields
Science	Magnetic switch 100x faster

Host	Result
Steve	win

Rogue	Guess
Cara	Dark matter fields
Jay	Dark matter fields
Evan	Remotely canceling fields
Bob	Dark matter fields

Voiceover: It's time for Science or Fiction.

Theme: Magnetism
Item #1: Scientists have defied a 178 year old theory by developing a technology for remotely canceling magnetic fields.
Item #2: Astronomers observing distant galaxies have found evidence that the source of mysterious large-scale magnetic fields is likely dark matter.
Item #3: Researchers have demonstrated a magnetic switch that uses 6 picosecond (ps) electric pulses, about 100 times faster than current devices.

Skeptical Quote of the Week ()

Science is not perfect. It can be misused. It is only a tool. But it is by far the best tool we have, self-correcting, ongoing, applicable to everything. It has two rules. First: there are no sacred truths. All assumptions must be critically examined; arguments from authority are worthless. Second: whatever is inconsistent with the facts must be discarded or revised. ... The obvious is sometimes false; the unexpected is sometimes true.
– Carl Sagan (1934-1996), American luminary

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.

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Today I Learned

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

References

Vocabulary