SGU Episode 965

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SGU Episode 965
January 6th 2024
An innovative design can double energy output from solar updraft towers and works in hot and dry conditions.
SGU 964                      SGU 966
SGU 913 ← predictions→ SGU 1017
Skeptical Rogues
S: Steven Novella
B: Bob Novella
C: Cara Santa Maria
J: Jay Novella
E: Evan Bernstein
Quote of the Week
Civility is hard to codify or legislate, but you know it when you see it. It's possible to disagree without being disagreeable.
Sandra Day O'Connor, U.S. Supreme Court justice
Links
Download Podcast
Show Notes
Forum Discussion

Introduction, predictions from 1924

Voiceover: You're listening to the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe, your escape to reality.
S:

B:

C:

J:

E:

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

Psychics' predictions for 2023 (4:05)

The Rogues review others' predictions and then their own for 2023.

Rogues' predictions for 2023 (14:23)

Jay's results

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Steve's results

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Cara's results

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Evan's results

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Bob's results

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Rogues' predictions for 2024 (25:13)

The Rogues make their own predictions for 2024.

Jay's predictions

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Steve's predictions

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Cara's predictions

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Evan's predictions

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Bob's predictions

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Rogues each make one science news prediction (31:13)

E: ... "pay no attention to that person behind the curtain!"

News Items

Dosing Gene Expression (34:16)

• Control of mammalian gene expression by modulation of polyA signal cleavage at 5′ UTR

Solar Tower (39:20)

• New twin-tech solar tower generates twice the power, 24/7 

Alzheimer's Virus (46:30)

• A Study of 500,000 Medical Records Links Viruses to Alzheimer's Again And Again

Quark Matter (57:27)

• The likelihood of quark matter cores in massive neutron stars

Scientology RICO (1:05:11)

• "Criminal Enterprise" Scientology Should Face RICO Charges, Danny Masterson Accusers Say – Update

Who's That Noisy? (1:16:53)

Answer to previous Noisy:

Australian magpie singing

New Noisy (1:21:14)

[background hissing, foreground beeping of different volumes, speeds, and frequencies]

short_text_from_transcript

Announcements (1:22:05)

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Science or Fiction (1:25:14)

Theme: The worst countries Item #1: The US has the highest rate of automobile accidents, at 5,938 per million people in 2019. Item #2: El Salvador has the highest murder rate in the world at 52 per 100 thousand people per year, while the US ranks 76th. Item #3: The country with the greatest income inequality is Brazil, with a Gini index of 52.9. (Gini index – 0 is perfect equality, while 100 is maximal inequality.)

Answer	Item
Fiction	US has highest rate of automobile accidents
Science	El Salvador has highest murder rate
Science	Brazil has greatest income inequality

Host	Result
Steve	sweep

Rogue	Guess
Jay	El Salvador has highest murder rate
Evan	El Salvador has highest murder rate
Cara	El Salvador has highest murder rate
Bob	El Salvador has highest murder rate

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

Jay's Response

Evan's Response

Cara's Response

Bob's Response

Skeptical Quote of the Week (1:38:15)

Civility is hard to codify or legislate, but you know it when you see it. It's possible to disagree without being disagreeable.  – Sandra Day O'Connor (1930-2023), U.S. Supreme Court justice

Signoff (1:43:44)

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