SGU Episode 798

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SGU Episode 798
October 24th 2020
James Randi, Canadian-American stage magician, author and scientific skeptic, 8/7/1928 - 10/20/2020
SGU 797                      SGU 799
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
B: Bob Novella
C: Cara Santa Maria
J: Jay Novella
E: Evan Bernstein
Quote of the Week
Science is best defined as a careful, disciplined, logical search for knowledge about any and all aspects of the universe, obtained by examination of the best available evidence and always subject to correction and improvement upon discovery of better evidence. What's left is magic. And it doesn't work.
James Randi, Canadian-American co-founder of CSI
Links
Download Podcast
Show Notes
Forum Discussion

Introduction, James Randi passes

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

Special Segment: James Randi memories (1:30)

• James Randi, Canadian-American stage magician, author and scientific skeptic, 8/7/1928 - 10/20/2020

News Items

S:

B:

C:

J:

E:

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

Mapping the Proteome (11:49)

• Scientists map the human proteome

Room Temperature Superconductivity (19:53)

• Room Temperature Superconductor

Biodiversity (31:24)

• Biodiversity Matters

Who's That Noisy? (57:13)

Answer to previous Noisy:

Bullet Ant on a microphone

[background hiss, foreground squeaking/squelching]

New Noisy (1:03:14)

[background hiss, foreground baby animal-like squealing/bleating]

J: Please identify the source of that sound. If you think you know what this week's Noisy is, if you have a Noisy that you heard--I have a lot of fun Noisies from people. I can't use

Announcements (1:04:05)

• 12-hour live stream

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Interview with Richard Wiseman (1:07:16)

• Daryl Bem, Psi Research, and Fixing Science

Science or Fiction (1:25:21)

Item #1: Researchers have developed a motion-capture system that requires only a single chest-mounted camera, not multiple cameras, sensors, or a dedicated studio. Item #2: A study of the last 125 years of chess tournaments reveals that people are retaining peak cognitive ability about a decade longer than a century ago. Item #3: Scientists have discovered how pit vipers can seen prey in the dark – by seeing heat with a special pyroelectric organ.

Answer	Item
Fiction	Chess & cognitive ability
Science	Motion capture camera
Science	Pyroelectric organ

Host	Result
Steve	win

Rogue	Guess
Evan	Chess & cognitive ability
Jay	Motion capture camera
Bob	Chess & cognitive ability
Cara	Chess & cognitive ability

Voiceover: It's time for Science or Fiction.

Skeptical Quote of the Week (1:44:52)

Science is best defined as a careful, disciplined, logical search for knowledge about any and all aspects of the universe, obtained by examination of the best available evidence and always subject to correction and improvement upon discovery of better evidence. What's left is magic. And it doesn't work.  – James Randi (1928-2020), Canadian-American stage magician, author, scientific skeptic, and co-founder of Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI)

Signoff (1:47:06)

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