SGU Episode 891

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SGU Episode 891
August 6th 2022
Lava tube on the Moon
SGU 890                      SGU 892
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
B: Bob Novella
C: Cara Santa Maria
J: Jay Novella
Quote of the Week
If anyone can refute me–show me I'm making a mistake or looking at things from the wrong perspective–I'll gladly change. It's the truth I'm after, and the truth never harmed anyone. What harms us is to persist in self-deceit and ignorance.
Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor
Links
Download Podcast
Show Notes
Forum Discussion

Introduction, passing of Nichelle Nichols

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

Quickie with Bob (7:15)

• Friction: Atomic-scale friction between single-asperity contacts unveiled through in situ transmission electron microscopy

News Items

S:

B:

C:

J:

E:

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

The Neuroscience of Politics (8:59)

• Political Ideology and the Brain

Cozy Lava Tubes (28:21)

• Lunar Pits Warm and Comfy

Video Games and Well-being (43:27)

• Playing video games all summer won’t make you feel worse

Invisible Dark Matter (58:23)

• Australian scientists begin to shine light into invisible dark matter

Questions/Emails/Corrections/Follow-ups (1:10:30)

_consider_using_block_quotes_for_emails_read_aloud_in_this_segment_
with_reduced_spacing_for_long_chunks –

Question #1: Lord Kelvin (1:10:40)

...In podcast [851]—that's not that old—chirality was a topic of discussion.

Question #3: Universe Isotropy (1:17:45)

I voted for Pedro.

_text_from_show_about_isotropy_WTW_

Who's That Noisy? (1:21:24)

Answer to previous Noisy:

Armstrong & Aldrin discussing their camera on the Moon

New Noisy (1:23:38)

[high-pitched, scratchy calls/music]

...

J: If you think you know what this week's Noisy is, you can email me at WTN@theskepticsguide.org. ...

Science or Fiction (1:24:53)

Theme: Materials Science Item #1: Chemists have developed a method for essentially printing complex designer molecules by using specific frequencies of light. Item #2: Scientists have produced a method for combining single-walled carbon nanotubes into highly ordered structures, such as a regular helix, with minimal errors by using DNA as a lattice. Item #3: Researchers have produced a biocompatible fiber optic sensor out of spider silk.

Answer	Item
Fiction	Complex designer molecules
Science	Dna as a lattice
Science	Spider silk sensor

Host	Result
Steve	win

Rogue	Guess
Jay	Spider silk sensor
Bob	Complex designer molecules
Cara	Complex designer molecules

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

Skeptical Quote of the Week (1:39:01)

If anyone can refute me–show me I'm making a mistake or looking at things from the wrong perspective–I'll gladly change. It's the truth I'm after, and the truth never harmed anyone. What harms us is to persist in self-deceit and ignorance.
– Marcus Aurelius (121-180), Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher, from Meditations Book 6, Number 21

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.

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Today I Learned

• Fact/Description, possibly with an article reference
• Fact/Description
• Fact/Description

References

Vocabulary