SGU Episode 968

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SGU Episode 968
January 27th 2024
Image taken on the Moon by Lunar Excursion Vehicle 2 (LEV-2) of robotic moon rover Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM. Credit: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency/Takara Tomy/Sony Group Corporation/Doshisha University
SGU 967                      SGU 969
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
B: Bob Novella
C: Cara Santa Maria
J: Jay Novella
E: Evan Bernstein
Quote of the Week
We swallow greedily any lie that flatters us, but we sip only little by little at a truth we find bitter.
Denis Diderot, French philosopher
Links
Download Podcast
Show Notes
Forum Discussion

Introduction; Japan's lunar probe; other lunar missions

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

Swindler's List: Deepfake Robot Call (8:37)

• The Biden Deepfake Robocall Is Only the Beginning
   (Note: this article is not from the SGU show notes page)

News Items

S:

B:

C:

J:

E:

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

Oxygen Bottleneck (14:42)

• The Oxygen Bottleneck: Astronomers Find Huge New Problem For Alien Civilizations

NASA Opens Osiris Rex Canister (29:10)

• NASA finally opens OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample canister after freeing stuck lid

_rogue_mentions_apophis_^{[link needed]}

Learning and Longevity (35:23)

• More Education, Longer Life: Global Study Reveals Link

DNA Directed Assembly (48:00)

• DNA Directed Assembly of Nanomaterials

Bleach Peddler Going to Prison (55:57)

• Anti-vaxxer Roger Blake jailed for selling bleach as Covid-19 cure in New Zealand

Who's That Noisy? (1:05:45)

Answer to previous Noisy:

Balloon ribbon "saying" "Happy New Year!"

New Noisy (1:09:50)

["rat-a-tat" with a brief animal clucking sound]

what this week's Noisy is

Questions/Emails/Corrections/Follow-ups (1:15:04)

Follow-up #1: Nuclear Batteries

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Science or Fiction (1:19:15)

Theme: The Ice Age Item #1: During the last glacial maximum greater than 50% of the Earth's surface was covered in ice. Item #2: Most of Canada has no native earthworms, because they were wiped out during the last glacial period. Item #3: At the end of the last glacial period, about 10,000 years ago, the Earth's tilt (obliquity) was 24.5 degrees, and since then has decreased to its current 23.4 degrees.

Answer	Item
Fiction	50% covered in ice
Science	No native earthworms
Science	Earth's tilt has decreased

Host	Result
Steve	win

Rogue	Guess
Cara	50% covered in ice
Jay	50% covered in ice
Evan	50% covered in ice
Bob	Earth's tilt has decreased

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

Cara's Response

Jay's Response

Evan's Response

Bob's Response

Skeptical Quote of the Week (1:31:45)

We swallow greedily any lie that flatters us, but we sip only little by little at a truth we find bitter.  – Denis Diderot (1713-1784), French philosopher and art critic

Signoff (1:38:29)

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