SGU Episode 794

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SGU Episode 794
September 26th 2020
(brief caption for the episode icon)
SGU 793                      SGU 795
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
B: Bob Novella
C: Cara Santa Maria
J: Jay Novella
E: Evan Bernstein
Quote of the Week
An informed appraisal of life absolutely requires a full understanding of life’s arena – the universe. By deepening our understanding of the true nature of physical reality, we profoundly reconfigure our sense of ourselves and our experience of the universe.
Brian Greene, American theoretical physicist
Links
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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: Airborne Transmission of SARS-CoV-2

News Items

S:

B:

C:

J:

E:

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

Better Batteries ()

• Ars Technica: The story of cheaper batteries, from smartphones to Teslas

Perovskite Solar Cells & Better Copper ()

• Phys.org: New composite material revs up pursuit of advanced electric vehicles

Perception of Time ()

• NatGeo: How you perceive time may depend on your income

Rewiring the Brain ()

• Science Focus: "Third thumb" human augmentation rewires the brain

2020 IgNobels ()

• Improbable Research: Ig®Nobel Prize Winners

Who's That Noisy? ()

• Answer to last week’s Noisy: _brief_description_perhaps_with_link_

New Noisy ()

[_short_vague_description_of_Noisy]

Science or Fiction ()

Answer	Item
Fiction	Murder hornet
Science	Fairy circles
Science	Life on venus

Host	Result
Steve	win

Rogue	Guess
Bob	Life on venus
Jay	Life on venus
Cara	Murder hornet
Evan	Murder hornet

Voiceover: It's time for Science or Fiction.

Item #1: Researchers have demonstrated the cause of Australian fairy circles – a reaction-diffusion pattern of water dynamics following a mathematical pattern first proposed by Alan Turing.
Item #2: A new analysis finds that the amount of life necessary in the clouds of Venus to produce the phosphine signature is several orders of magnitude less than the biomass in Earth’s clouds, making life a more plausible answer.
Item #3: Scientists have identified the first confirmed “Murder Hornet” nest in Washington state.

Skeptical Quote of the Week ()

An informed appraisal of life absolutely requires a full understanding of life’s arena – the universe. By deepening our understanding of the true nature of physical reality, we profoundly reconfigure our sense of ourselves and our experience of the universe.
– Brian Greene, American theoretical physicist, mathematician, and string theorist.

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