SGU Episode 854

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SGU Episode 854
November 20th 2021
(brief caption for the episode icon)
SGU 853                      SGU 855
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
B: Bob Novella
C: Cara Santa Maria
J: Jay Novella
E: Evan Bernstein
Guest
GH: George Grab, American musician & podcaster
Quote of the Week
Trust in science has a critical role to play with respect to increasing public support for science funding, enhancing science education, and separating trustworthy from untrustworthy sources. However, trust in science does not fix all evils and can create susceptibility to pseudoscience if trusting means not being critical.
Dolores Albarracín, American psychologist
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Show Notes
Forum Discussion

Introduction

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

S: Hello and welcome to the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe. Today is Saturday, September 4, 2021, and this is your host, Steven Novella. (applause) Joining me this week are Bob Novella...

B: Hey, everybody!

S: Cara Santa Maria...

C: Howdy.

S: Jay Novella...

J: Hey, guys.

S: ...and Evan Bernstein.

E: Hello, everyone!

S: And, we have a special in-studio guest with us, George Hrab!

News Items

S:

B:

C:

J:

E:

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

Kilometers-Long Spaceship ()

• China wants to build a spaceship that's kilometers long

Social Media and Kids ()

• Please, Please Like Me! Social Media Poses Unique Danger to Kids, Experts Say

Bionic Arms ()

• Bionic Arms

Embryo Research ()

• What’s next for lab-grown human embryos?

Trust in Science ()

• Trust in Science May Lead to Pseudoscience

Science or Fiction (1:22:35)

Answer	Item
Fiction	Yuzu largest culinary fruit
Science	Jabuticaba berries
Science	Pawpaw: rotting flesh, neurotoxic

Host	Result
Steve	win

Rogue	Guess
Bob	Yuzu largest culinary fruit
Jay	Yuzu largest culinary fruit
George	Jabuticaba berries
Cara	Yuzu largest culinary fruit
Evan	Yuzu largest culinary fruit

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

Theme: Fruit Item #1: Jabuticaba berries, native to Brazil, are the size of plums but taste like grapes and grow directly on the trunk of the jabuticaba tree. Item #2: The pawpaw is a sought-after tropical fruit relative native to the eastern United States with flowers that smell like rotting flesh and fruit that contains a high concentration of neurotoxin. Item #3: The Yuzu is an Asian tree fruit that is the largest culinary fruit in the world, with long tubular fruit weighing over 80 pounds.

Skeptical Quote of the Week (1:31:32)

Trust in science has a critical role to play with respect to increasing public support for science funding, enhancing science education and separating trustworthy from untrustworthy sources. However, trust in science does not fix all evils and can create susceptibility to pseudoscience if trusting means not being critical.
– Dolores Albarracín, director of the Science of Science Communication Division and the Social Action Lab at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center.

Signoff/Announcements (1:33:30)

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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