SGU Episode 856

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SGU Episode 856
December 4th 2021
(brief caption for the episode icon)
SGU 855                      SGU 857
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
C: Cara Santa Maria
J: Jay Novella
E: Evan Bernstein
Quote of the Week
It’s hard to win an argument with a smart person, but it’s damn near impossible to win an argument with a stupid person.
Bill Murray, American actor & comedian
Links
Download Podcast
Show Notes
Forum Discussion

Introduction

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

COVID-19 Update (1:13)

• Omicron variant

Special Segment: Today Jay Learned (9:43)

• Myths about Black Widow spiders

News Items

S:

B:

C:

J:

E:

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

Sentient Cephalopods (21:33)

• Octopuses, squids and lobsters could become 'sentient beings' in the UK

Self-Replicating Xenobots (32:16)

• Self-Replicating Xenobots

Pharmacists Recommending Homeopathy (43:24)

• Hidden camera reveals some pharmacists recommend homeopathic products to treat kids' cold and flu

Who's That Noisy? (51:55)

Answer to previous Noisy:

First recording played by a PC--an Altair 8800, the first true PC, interfering with a radio signal, programed to "play" the Beatles' "The Fool on the Hill" via that interference

New Noisy (59:50)

[_short_vague_description_of_Noisy]

J: If you guys have any idea what this week's Noisy is, or if you heard something cool, something that is worthy of Who's That Noisy?, email me at WTN@theskepticsguide.org.

Questions/Emails/Corrections/Follow-ups (1:00:27)

_consider_using_block_quotes_for_emails_read_aloud_in_this_segment_ with_reduced_spacing_for_long_chunks –

Follow-up: Spin Launch System

rocket equation

Science or Fiction (1:14:36)

Theme: The Deep Ocean Item #1: Only four people have visited the Challenger Deep, the deepest location on Earth at 10,928 meters and about 1,100 atmospheres of pressure, including filmmaker James Cameron. Item #2: We have mapped only 20% of the ocean floor, compared to 100% of the surface of Mars. Item #3: Cuvier's beaked whales (the deepest diving whales) have been spotted in the Mariana Trench at depths of over 6,000 meters. * (Transcriptionist's note: see this cool, super-scrollable breakdown of facts, animals, and exploration of the deep ocean!)

Answer	Item
Fiction	Beaked whales below 6000m
Fiction	Only four to Challenger Deep (Transcriptionist's note: this was true in 2019, but by this episode, 23 people had visited!)
Science	20% of ocean floor mapped

Host	Result
Steve	win

Rogue	Guess
Evan	20% of ocean floor mapped
Jay	Beaked whales below 6000m
Cara	20% of ocean floor mapped

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

Skeptical Quote of the Week (1:28:20)

It's hard to win an argument with a smart person, but it's damn near impossible to win an argument with a stupid person.
– Bill Murray, American actor & comedian

Note about episode releases & Signoff (1:29:19)

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