SGU Episode 781

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SGU Episode 781
June 27th 2020
(brief caption for the episode icon)
SGU 780                      SGU 782
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
B: Bob Novella
C: Cara Santa Maria
J: Jay Novella
E: Evan Bernstein
Quote of the Week
The number of women entering astronomy graduate programs has more than tripled since I started graduate school in the early '70s. The number of women at scientific conferences has increased, as has the number of women in technical positions on observatory staffs. This is a BIG improvement! And the future looks bright for women in astronomy. Half of the undergraduate students majoring in astronomy are women now, and the fraction of new Ph.D.s who are women continues to rise.
Caty Pilachowski, American astronomer
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Show Notes
Forum Discussion

Introduction

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

COVID-19 Update ()

• Science-Based Medicine: Can Air Purifiers Stop Spread of COVID-19 Virus?

News Items

S:

B:

C:

J:

E:

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

Electrified Masks ()

• Scientific American: Electrified Fabric Could Zap the Coronavirus on Masks and Clothing

Black Neutron Star ()

• BBC News: 'Black neutron star' discovery changes astronomy

Vaccine Nationalism ()

• The Conversation: How ‘vaccine nationalism’ could block vulnerable populations’ access to COVID-19 vaccines

Tennis Star Gets COVID-19 ()

• BBC Sport: Novak Djokovic: World number one 'so sorry' after testing positive for coronavirus

Who's That Noisy? ()

Answer to previous Noisy:

First sound recording

New Noisy ()

[_short_vague_description_of_Noisy]

short_text_from_transcript

Questions/Emails/Corrections/Follow-ups ()

Email #1: Where Did the Towers Go? ()

Greetings from Norway! So, I was just made aware of a book by Dr. Judy Wood called "Where did the towers go?". I Googled it and found this documentary: https://youtu.be/zOo22epklyE I've never heard of that theory before, and, disregarding all the anecdotal evidence of people being flung a block away by some strange force, it was pretty entertaining. What's your take on this? Best regards, J. I. Falck

Science or Fiction ()

Answer	Item
Fiction	Domestic dog
Science	Elephants kill
Science	Snakes kill

Host	Result
Steve

Rogue	Guess

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

Theme: Most Deadly Animals
Item #1: Elephants kill 10 times more people every year than lions, sharks, and wolves combined.
Item #2: The non-human animal responsible for the most human deaths by direct attack, not through venom, poison, or disease, is the domestic dog.
Item #3: Snakes as a group kill more people every year than any other animal, excluding other humans and disease vectors.

Skeptical Quote of the Week ()

The number of women entering astronomy graduate programs has more than tripled since I started graduate school in the early '70s. The number of women at scientific conferences has increased, as has the number of women in technical positions on observatory staffs. This is a BIG improvement! And the future looks bright for women in astronomy. Half of the undergraduate students majoring in astronomy are women now, and the fraction of new Ph.D.s who are women continues to rise.

– Caty Pilachowski, Kirkwood Chair in Astronomy at Indiana University Bloomington, former President of the American Astronomical Society, a fellow of AAAS, a strong advocate of decreasing light pollution, and an equally strong advocate of helping more women and minorities find paths to careers in science.

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