SGU Episode 809

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SGU Episode 809
January 9th 2021
(brief caption for the episode icon)
SGU 808                      SGU 810
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
Quote of the Week
Science and secrecy do not sit comfortably together. In technologically advanced democracies, it is almost an article of faith that openness is essential both for the advancement of science and for its beneficial interaction with society.
Sheila Jassanoff, American social scientist
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.

News Items

S:

B:

C:

J:

E:

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

Canyons on Mars ()

• New photos reveal massive canyon on Mars, the largest in the solar system, NASA says

Ethics of Brain-Machine Interface ()

• The Ethical Challenges of Connecting Our Brains to Computers

Belief in Learning Styles ()

• How Common Is Belief in the Learning Styles Neuromyth, and Does It Matter? A Pragmatic Systematic Review

Ravens and Ape Intelligence ()

• 4-Months-Old Ravens Parallel Great Apes in Cognitive Skills, Study Shows

Who's That Noisy? ()

• Answer to last week’s Noisy: _brief_description_perhaps_with_link_

New Noisy ()

[_short_vague_description_of_Noisy]

Questions/Emails/Corrections/Follow-ups ()

_consider_using_block_quotes_for_emails_read_aloud_in_this_segment_ with_reduced_spacing_for_long_chunks –

Science or Fiction ()

Answer	Item
Fiction	First seed-bearing plants
Science	Green algae ancestor
Science	First trees 419 m.y.a.

Host	Result
Steve

Rogue	Guess

Voiceover: It's time for Science or Fiction.

Theme: Plant Evolution
Item #1: All land plants derive from a common terrestrial ancestor, which was a green algae.
Item #2: The first seed-bearing plants were cycads, palm-tree like gymnosperms that are still extant as a group today.
Item #3: The first trees appeared around 419 million years ago, consisted of multiple columns around a hollow trunk and connected by soft tissue, and have no living descendants.

Skeptical Quote of the Week ()

Science and secrecy do not sit comfortably together. In technologically advanced democracies, it is almost an article of faith that openness is essential both for the advancement of science and for its beneficial interaction with society.
– Sheila Jassanoff, American social scientist

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

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