SGU Episode 897

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SGU Episode 897
September 17th 2022
By comparison, Neanderthals needed more brain to control their larger bodies.
SGU 896                      SGU 898
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
B: Bob Novella
C: Cara Santa Maria
J: Jay Novella
E: Evan Bernstein
Quote of the Week
If I want to know how we learn and remember and represent the world, I will go to psychology and neuroscience. If I want to know where values come from, I will go to evolutionary biology and neuroscience and psychology, as Hume and Aristotle would have, were they alive.
Patricia Churchland, Canadian-American analytic philosopher
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Download Podcast
Show Notes
Forum Discussion

Introduction, Black Mirror reflections

Voice-over: You're listening to the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe, your escape to reality.

[00:12.600 --> 00:17.480] Today is Wednesday, September 14th, 2022, and this is your host, Stephen Novella.

[00:17.480 --> 00:19.280] Joining me this week are Bob Novella.

[00:19.280 --> 00:20.280] Hey, everybody.

[00:20.280 --> 00:21.280] Kara Santamaria.

[00:21.280 --> 00:22.280] Howdy.

[00:22.280 --> 00:23.280] Jay Novella.

[00:23.280 --> 00:24.280] Hey, guys.

[00:24.280 --> 00:25.280] And Evan Bernstein.

[00:25.280 --> 00:26.280] Good evening, everyone.

[00:26.280 --> 00:30.800] You know what, guys, I'm rewatching The Black Mirror because I haven't seen most of those

[00:30.800 --> 00:32.600] episodes since they originally aired.

[00:32.600 --> 00:33.600] Really?

[00:33.600 --> 00:36.080] You mean you started at season one, episode one all over again?

[00:36.080 --> 00:37.080] Yeah.

[00:37.080 --> 00:38.160] I'm just going through in order.

[00:38.160 --> 00:43.840] And I forgot most of the details of the episodes, you know?

[00:43.840 --> 00:48.640] I sort of remember what the episode was about, but don't remember the details.

[00:48.640 --> 00:50.920] So it's almost like watching it again.

[00:50.920 --> 00:51.920] So good.

[00:51.920 --> 00:54.120] It is a brilliant TV series.

[00:54.120 --> 00:55.720] So you just watched the first season?

[00:55.720 --> 00:56.720] No.

[00:56.720 --> 00:57.720] I think I'm in the third season now.

[00:57.720 --> 01:00.800] I mean, there's not that many episodes, like four episodes a season, so I'm burning my

[01:00.800 --> 01:01.800] way through.

[01:01.800 --> 01:02.800] Yeah.

[01:02.800 --> 01:03.800] There's some good stuff in there, man.

[01:03.800 --> 01:04.800] Yeah.

[01:04.800 --> 01:05.800] Sure.

[01:05.800 --> 01:06.800] Very, very good.

[01:06.800 --> 01:07.800] Very good futurism, actually.

[01:07.800 --> 01:08.800] Quite good.

[01:08.800 --> 01:09.800] Even though they're mostly like cautionary tales.

[01:09.800 --> 01:10.800] Oh.

Cheating at Tournament Chess (1:09)

• Huge chess world upset of grandmaster sparks wild claims of cheating — with vibrating sex toy

Is It Real: Ear Snake (16:08)

• Does Video Show Snake’s Head in Woman’s Ear?

News Items

S:

B:

C:

J:

E:

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

What Children Believe (21:18)

• Children Don't Believe Everything They Are Told

Health Effects of Gas Stoves (35:18)

• Is your gas stove bad for your health?

Neanderthal Brains (46:55)

• Neanderthal Brains

Synthetic Microbiome (58:43)

• Researchers construct most complex, complete synthetic microbiome

... encephalized

UFO Videos Classified (1:10:03)

• Navy Says All UFO Videos Classified, Releasing Them ‘Will Harm National Security’

Who's That Noisy? (1:23:35)

Answer to previous Noisy:

Jaw harp, specifically an Indian morchang (morsing)

New Noisy (1:28:51)

[whooshing and deep woodwind-like tones and vibrations]

... some of you are going to get this,

Questions/Emails/Corrections/Follow-ups (1:33:06)

Email #1: Climate Change Nihilism

_consider_using_block_quotes_for_emails_read_aloud_in_this_segment_
with_reduced_spacing_for_long_chunks –

Science or Fiction (1:44:11)

Theme: 2022 Golden Goose Awards Item #1: The development of laser LASIK surgery was inspired by a case of accidental laser injury to the eye, producing precise perfectly circular damage. Item #2: Researchers developed a powerful microscope out of paper that folds like origami, with total material costs less than $1. Item #3: While examining the properties of cone snail venom, researchers accidentally discovered that it is a potent inhibitor of HIV replication.

Answer	Item
Fiction	Snail venom inhibits hiv
Science	Powerful origami microscope
Science	Lasik from laser eye injury

Host	Result
Steve	win

Rogue	Guess
Evan	Lasik from laser eye injury
Cara	Lasik from laser eye injury
Bob	Lasik from laser eye injury
Jay	Snail venom inhibits hiv

Voice-over: It's time for Science or Fiction.

Skeptical Quote of the Week (1:57:48)

If I want to know how we learn and remember and represent the world, I will go to psychology and neuroscience. If I want to know where values come from, I will go to evolutionary biology and neuroscience and psychology, just as Aristotle and Hume would have, were they alive.

–Canadian-American analytic philosopher Patricia Churchland, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the University of California, San Diego, and Adjunct Professor at the Salk Institute

Signoff

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

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References

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