SGU Episode 751

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SGU Episode 751
November 30th 2019
(brief caption for the episode icon)
SGU 750                      SGU 752
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
Guest
RS: Richard Saunders
Quote of the Week
In all of history we have found just one cure for error, a partial antidote against making and repeating grand and foolish mistakes, a remedy against self-deception. That antidote is criticism.
David Brin, American scientist and novelist
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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]

Sex Robots ()

• The Sun: ATTACK OF THE CLONES Sex robots could suddenly malfunction and attack their randy masters, expert warns

Acupuncture Points Don't Exist ()

• Neurologica: Acupuncture Points Don’t Exist

Fake News and False Memory ()

• Neurologica: False Memories and Fake News

Science or Fiction ()

Answer	Item
Fiction	Apollo team in oz
Science	Mailed himself home
Science	No active volcanoes
Science	Second for suffrage

Host	Result
Richard

Rogue	Guess

Voiceover: It's time for Science or Fiction.

Theme: Australia
Item #1: In 1964, an Australian man running low on money and keen to get home successfully posted himself from London, England, to Perth, Australia, in a wooden box.
Item #2: Australia is vast being the world’s 6th largest country, almost as big as the US although much smaller in population. However, it is the only continent without active volcanoes.
Item #3: Australia played a vital role in the 1969 moon landings via its radio telescopes that relayed the TV and other transmissions from the moon to Houston. What is less well known is the Apollo 11 astronauts were all trained in geology to help them understand what they would find when they reached the moon. This included a two-week stint in Australia to study the rocks in the Great Victoria Desert.
Item #4: Australia was the second country to give women the right to vote.

Skeptical Quote of the Week ()

In all of history we have found just one cure for error, a partial antidote against making and repeating grand and foolish mistakes, a remedy against self-deception. That antidote is criticism.
– David Brin, American scientist and novelist

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