SGU Episode 788

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SGU Episode 788
August 15th 2020
(brief caption for the episode icon)
SGU 787                      SGU 789
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
B: Bob Novella
C: Cara Santa Maria
E: Evan Bernstein
Quote of the Week
To treat your facts with imagination is one thing, but to imagine your facts is another.
John Burroughs, American naturalist and nature essayist
Links
Download Podcast
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]

COVID-19 Quackery in Afghanistan ()

• Undark: In Afghanistan, a Drug Sparks Hope — and Charges of Quackery

The Russian Vaccine ()

• Science-Based Medicine: Russian and Other COVID Vaccines

CNO Neutrinos ()

• First Direct Experimental Evidence of CNO neutrinos

TESS Exoplanet Mission ()

• Space.com: NASA's TESS exoplanet-hunting space telescope wraps up primary mission

Follow Up on Lava Tubes ()

• Space Force: Lava Tubes On Mars And The Moon Are So Wide They Can Host Planetary Bases

Who's That Noisy? ()

• Answer to last week’s Noisy: _brief_description_perhaps_with_link_

New Noisy ()

[_short_vague_description_of_Noisy]

Questions/Emails/Corrections/Follow-ups ()

Question #1: Benford's Law ()

Steve, pretty please, with cheese and Jay farts, talk about Benford's Law.
— Pepe Smith, Raleigh, NC/Hong Kong

Science or Fiction ()

Answer	Item
Fiction	Wheat cultivars
Science	Powered flight
Science	Missed firearms

Host	Result
Steve	win

Rogue	Guess
Evan	Powered flight
Bob	Powered flight
Cara	Wheat cultivars

Voiceover: It's time for Science or Fiction.

Item #1: A new review of dinosaurs closely related to birds finds that powered flight evolved independently at least three times in this group.
Item #2: An analysis finds that TSA likely missed 4,600 firearms in carry on luggage for air travel between 2014 and 2019.
Item #3: A comparison of wheat varieties from 1891-2010 finds that modern wheat has as much as 50% more gluten than the older cultivars.

Skeptical Quote of the Week ()

To treat your facts with imagination is one thing, but to imagine your facts is another.
– John Burroughs (1837-1921), American naturalist and nature essayist

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