SGU Episode 761

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SGU Episode 761
February 8th 2020
(brief caption for the episode icon)
SGU 760                      SGU 762
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
B: Bob Novella
C: Cara Santa Maria
J: Jay Novella
E: Evan Bernstein
Guest
GH: George Hrab
Quote of the Week
Nanotechnology will let us build computers that are incredibly powerful. We'll have more computing power in the volume of a sugar cube than exists in the world today.
Ralph Merkle, American computer scientist
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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]

Proxima B Climate ()

• Universe Today: Here’s What the Climate Might Look Like on Proxima Centauri B

Drug Development with AI ()

• BBC News: Artificial intelligence-created medicine to be used on humans for first time

Frame Dragging System ()

• Science: Lense–Thirring frame dragging induced by a fast-rotating white dwarf in a binary pulsar system

Scream Therapy ()

• Global News: Julianne Hough writhes, screams during so-called ‘energy treatment’

Special Segment: Personal Questions ()

• George Hrab asks the other Rogues personal questions

Science or Fiction ()

Answer	Item
Fiction	First computer
Science	Oldest theater
Science	Betsy ross myth

Host	Result
Steve	clever

Rogue	Guess
Bob	Oldest theater
Cara	Betsy ross myth
Jay	Oldest theater
Evan	First computer
George	First computer

Voiceover: It's time for Science or Fiction.

Theme: Philadelphia
Item #1: The Walnut Street Theater is the oldest theater in continuous operation in the English speaking world.
Item #2: There is no evidence Betsy Ross stitched the first American Flag, a myth concocted 100 years after the alleged fact.
Item #3: The first general computer, ENIAC, was built in Philadelphia. It weighed 27 tons and when fully turned on the lights in the city would dim.

Skeptical Quote of the Week ()

Nanotechnology will let us build computers that are incredibly powerful. We'll have more computing power in the volume of a sugar cube than exists in the world today.
– Ralph Merkle, American computer scientist

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