SGU Episode 783

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SGU Episode 783
July 8th 2020
(brief caption for the episode icon)
SGU 782                      SGU 784
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
B: Bob Novella
C: Cara Santa Maria
J: Jay Novella
Quote of the Week
I have always strenuously supported the right of every man to his own opinion, however different that opinion might be to mine. He who denies to another this right, makes a slave of himself to his present opinion, because he precludes himself the right of changing it.
Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason
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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 ()

• NatGeo: How scientists know COVID-19 is way deadlier than the flu

News Items

S:

B:

C:

J:

E:

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

Roundness Bias ()

• ScienceDaily: Consumers prefer round numbers even when the specific number is better news

Pooled Testing ()

• Smithsonian: Pooled Testing Could Be the Fastest and Cheapest Way to Increase Coronavirus Screening

Insect Feed ()

• Neurologica: Feeding Animals Insects

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion ()

• Are Technica: The US military is getting serious about nuclear thermal propulsion

Who's That Noisy? ()

• Answer to last week’s Noisy: Helicopter on Mars

New Noisy ()

[brief, vague description of Noisy]

Science or Fiction ()

Voiceover: It's time for Science or Fiction.

Item #1: A new genetic analysis confirms that Polynesians made contact with Native Americans before European contact, despite being separated by thousands of miles of open ocean.
Item #2: Researchers have built a “robot scientist” capable of autonomously carrying out chemical experiments, and using AI to determine what experiments to run, with 1000 times the efficiency of human scientists.
Item #3: Scientists have finally been able to produce commercial-level spider silk by genetically engineering hag fish to produce spider silk slime.

Steve Explains Item 3

Answer	Item
Fiction	Spider silk
Science	{{{science1}}}

Host	Result
Steve	win

Rogue	Guess
Jay	Polynesian contact
Cara	Spider silk
Bob	Spider silk

Skeptical Quote of the Week ()

I have always strenuously supported the right of every man to his own opinion, however different that opinion might be to mine. He who denies to another this right, makes a slave of himself to his present opinion, because he precludes himself the right of changing it. – Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason

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