Skeptics Guide #1110

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1110 October 15th 2026 Segment #1. Flu Season Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Future Forests https://www.science.org/content/article/forests-burn-can-we-replant-trees-ready-warmer-world News Item #2 – Carbon Nanotube Product https://theness.com/neurologicablog/finally-a-carbon-nanotube-application/ News Item #3 – Rethinking Normal https://theconversation.com/i-teach-doctors-how-to-interpret-test-results-and-the-labels-normal-and-abnormal-often-hide-what-matters-most-291125 News Item #4 – Smart Clothing https://newatlas.com/wearables/smart-clothing-cools-detects-movement-generates-electricity/ Segment 3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Name That Logical Fallacy To be clear, I'm not actually certain if I am the one falling for this fallacy, or if you are. I -am- pretty confident you get a lot of feedback that's a lot worse than where I'm going with this though, so hopefully I can alleviate that concern, alternatively If you'd like to dip out here, yes this is about AI, I get it. Also, I'll just refer to the whole cast collectively, since I don't want to seem to be singling anyone out. To define terms: the 'Goomba Fallacy' is an informal logical fallacy where one conflates two opinions stated by one's opposition, usually online, dismissing them because they contradict, even though they are said by different people. Everyone on the SGU seem to mostly have converged at this point, so I feel safe saying it feels very odd that the opinion now seems to be that it is -both- an incredible tool that everyone should use whenever they like, and the underlying grumbling that this obviously threatens the entire enterprise of getting people to build up their own critical thinking skills. I have a hundred times more arguments against this seeming-contradiction than will fit in this text box, unfortunately, so I'll leave that as an open 'is that contradictory? To advocate for a threat to your own goals?'. Secondly, and this may be -me- being a Goomba. When it's time to end the discussion the line comes out that 'it's not going away', it gets under my skin. Because I feel I'm being made a straw-man, you're conflating all possible arguments against AI with a very simple 'well you can't turn back time'. In a pretty recent episode the panel was discussing the problems with climate change deniers, and that exact idea is one of their very common refrains about why we don't need to do anything about global warming. And like it or not, that's how it comes across when you use the same line, to talk about AI. To deny all possible negative outcomes, and do nothing at all because the genie is out of the bottle. Tirion California Segment #5. Your Questions and E-mails Dr Novella, if interested: https://www.realclearscience.com/articles/2026/10/08/why_covid-19_may_have_started_at_the_university_of_north_carolina_1210178.html I respect that you favor natural origins, but the same virologists are creating self-spreading Ebola vaccines for fruit bats, which are the SARS2 reservoir host: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanmic/article/PIIS2666-5247%2820%2930089-6/fulltext Thanks, Jim Haslam, Houston, TX, 713-775-9747 Segment #6. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. Item 1: A 75,000 year old Neanderthal fossil shows the first evidence of death by wooden spear. Item 2: A new study finds that if 50% of available marginal agricultural land in the US were dedicated to growing bamboo for feedstock, the resulting biofuel could replace up to half of the current demand for transportation fuel. Item 3: A new analysis finds that 27% of the Earth’s land is under some type of conservation. Segment #7. Skeptical Quote of the Week “The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.” ― Carl Sagan


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SHE'S BACK!!! Insufferable KAREN Returns To Court, and FAILS Miserably!!!

Hey guys, and welcome to today's video! Today we have the follow up to an insufferable Karen going head to head with a no-nonsense judge! In this video, she fails even worse than she did in the first video! First Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me_ym3qjb2c To Support The Channel : Team Skeptic Fund : https://paypal.me/TeamSkepticYT Become A Channel Member : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCawl3BI9azbMB5DQqJNpRrg/join Join Our Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/TeamSkeptic #Court #CourtCam #TeamSkeptic


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Why Earth Photos Have Different Colors

Lighting, camera sensors, and imaging choices affect the appearance of Earth photographs. Bob explains why different images can still show the same geography. Want to learn more? Watch this related public BtSG video: When Is a Photo Actually Scientific Evidence? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r3xVMQmyFY Bob the Science Guy — Science You Can Test. Follow for more science you can test! #Science #BobTheScienceGuy #Shorts


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What is Geothermal Energy?: Crash Course Geology #21

You’ve probably heard about fossil fuels before – the good, the bad, and the super, super ugly. But what you might not know is that fossil fuels only exist because of the power of the Earth. And that same power can also provide us with a different type of energy that might be key to a more sustainable future. In this episode, we’ll dig deep and talk about fossil fuels and geothermal energy. 00:00 Introduction: St. Patrick's Cathedral 00:44 What are fossil fuels and how do they form? 04:20 The problems with fossil fuels 05:38 Geothermal energy 09:27 Review and Credits Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RpwM8ZQPFk_DkzMJjMdtRrNGrJSNJ7FbgmQybSZ2Cqo/edit?tab=t.0 Check out our CC Geology Extracurricular Playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8dPuuaLjXtOmqnkvEtNVOrm0eaIjFjJ7 *** Support us for $5/month on Patreon to keep Crash Course free for everyone forever! https://www.patreon.com/crashcourse Or support us directly: https://complexly.com/support Join our Crash Course email list to get the latest news and highlights: https://mailchi.mp/crashcourse/email Get our special Crash Course Educators newsletter: http://eepurl.com/iBgMhY Thanks to the following patrons for their generous monthly contributions that help keep Crash Course free for everyone forever: ., Alex Hackman, Allison Wood, Andrew Woods, AThirstyPhilosopher ., b.sav, Barbara Pettersen, Barrett, Bernardo Garza, Brandon Thomas, Breanna Bosso, Caleb Weeks, Chelsea S, Chuck Smith, Constance Urist, Dalton Williams, David Fanska, DexcilaDou, Diana, Elizabeth LaBelle, Emily Beazley, Emily T, Eric Koslow, Erminio Di Lodovico, Evol Hong, Gina Mancuso, Ian Dundore, Indija-ka Siriwardena, Jason Buster, Jason Rostoker, Jason Terpstra, Jennifer Killen, Jennifer Wiggins-Lyndall, John Lee, Johnathan Williams, Joseph Ruf, Katie Dean, Katrix , Ken Davidian, Ken Penttinen, Kevin Knupp, Kristi Wallace Knight, Krystle Young, Kyle & Katherine Callahan, Laurel Stevens, Leah H., Les Aker, Luke Sluder, Marcus Bruun, Matt Curls, Matthew Fredericksen, Michael Maher, NassauLinda, Nathan Taylor, oranjeez, Perry Joyce, Pietro Gagliardi, Quinn Harden, Rie Ohta, Rizwan Kassim, Roger Harms, Samantha, Sarah & Nathan Catchings, Scezumin, Scott Harrison, Shruti S, Siobhán, Stephen Akuffo, Stephen McCandless, Steve Segreto, Tandy Ratliff, Tanner Hedrick, team dorsey, Thomas, Toni Miles, Trevin Beattie, Triad Terrace, VI-Ed Podcast, Wai Jack Sin __ Want to find Crash Course elsewhere on the internet? Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecrashcourse/ Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/YouTubeCrashCourse Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/thecrashcourse.bsky.social CC Kids: http://www.youtube.com/crashcoursekids


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3 things to never do with a credit card

Learn how to spot the 3 most common traps of credit cards, and how they can lock you into a cycle of interest, fees, and debt. -- While useful for secure purchasing, emergencies, and building credit scores, credit cards can make it difficult to avoid overspending. And this is no accident. Credit card systems are intentionally designed to encourage spending and lock you into a cycle of interest and fees. So, how can you avoid their most common traps? Explore 3 ways that credit card companies take advantage of their customers. Directed by Jeff Le Bars, JetPropulsion.space. This video made possible in collaboration with Gifted Savings Learn more about how TED-Ed partnerships work: http://t.ted.com/Rbx7KCW Support Our Non-Profit Mission ---------------------------------------------- Support us on Patreon: http://t.ted.com/nlVpzFN Check out our merch: http://t.ted.com/upNeDi3 ---------------------------------------------- Connect With Us ---------------------------------------------- Sign up for our newsletter: http://t.ted.com/R7iMQzr Follow us on Facebook: http://t.ted.com/NKcsscO Find us on Twitter: http://t.ted.com/nXsWmpA Peep us on Instagram: http://t.ted.com/zuDVFXP ---------------------------------------------- Keep Learning ---------------------------------------------- View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/3-things-to-never-do-with-a-credit-card Dig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/3-things-to-never-do-with-a-credit-card/digdeeper Animator's website: https://jetpropulsion.space Music: https://www.campstudio.co ---------------------------------------------- Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Lex Azevedo, Michael Aquilina, Jason A Saslow, Yansong Li, Cristóbal Moenne, Dawn Jordan, Prasanth Mathialagan, Samuel Doerle, David Rosario, Dominik Kugelmann - they-them, Siamak Hajizadeh, Ryohky Araya, Mayank Kaul, Christophe Dessalles, Heather Slater, Sandra Tersluisen, Zhexi Shan, Bárbara Nazaré, Andrea Feliz, Victor E Karhel, Sydney Evans, Latora, Noel Situ, emily lam, Sid, Niccolò Frassetto, Mana, I'm here because of Knowledge Fight Facebook group., Linda Freedman, Edgardo Cuellar, Jaspar Carmichael-Jack, Michael Burton, VIVIANA A GARCIA BESNE, The Vernon's, Olha Bahatiuk, Jesús Bíquez Talayero, Chels Raknrl, Sai Pranavi Jonnalagadda, Stuart Rice, Jing Chen, Vector-Dopamine math, Jasper Song, Giorgio Bugnatelli, Chardon, Eddy Trochez, OnlineBookClub.org, Eric Shear, Leith Salem, Omar Hicham, and Adrian Rotaru.


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When you lose weight where does it go?

What does it mean to lose weight? When you work out or eat less your overall size decreases. So where does this mass go?


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Why Stars Disappear in Photos of the Moon

Exposure settings that retain detail on the bright Moon can hide faint stars. Bob demonstrates what changes when the camera exposes for the stars instead. Want to learn more? Watch this related public BtSG video: Can you see the Moon's dark portion? Testing camera settings https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUbtm94zBdU Bob the Science Guy — Science You Can Test. Follow for more science you can test! #Science #BobTheScienceGuy #Shorts


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