Skeptics Guide #1076

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1076 February 19th 2026 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Gene That Provides Resistance for Bananas https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260219040749.htm News Item #2 – Drug Advertising https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/16/health/drug-advertisements-consumers.html News Item #3 – AI Powered Prosthetics https://theness.com/neurologicablog/the-future-of-ai-powered-prosthetics/ News Item #4 – Laser Written Glass Storage https://www.keybiscayneportal.com/news/national/laser-written-glass-can-store-data-for-millennia-microsoft-says/article_00977cca-283e-52ba-b49a-047b682d49bd.html News Item #5 – UFO Balloons https://www.twz.com/air/f-16s-find-balloons-not-ufos-after-sunday-scramble-norad Segment 2. Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Mental Illness and Culpability Hey y’all. Since there is both a neurologist and a psychologist on the show, I figured you would be a good place to ask this. If you didn’t see the entertainment news, Kanye West recently put out an open letter apologizing for his past behavior and explaining it as a manifestation of untreated bipolar disorder. This opened up a chain of comments on Reddit dismissing it by saying “bigotry is learned, it’s not a side effect of mental illness”. Others would try to explain that they witnessed people in their own lives slip into destructive chains of thought due to mental illnesses like bipolar disorder. A similar thing happens when it comes to dementia or drug/alcohol intoxication. People say things like “alcohol only reveals a person’s true thoughts”, as if it’s some kind of truth serum. People with dementia can suffer dramatic personality changes, including developing bigoted views they never held before, at least openly. I feel like this idea is misguided. My understanding of modern neuropsychology is that we are ALL awash with intrusive thoughts or flashes of ideas that go against our values, but those with a healthy mind and psyche are able to quash them before they take root, sometimes before we’re even aware of them. And yes, while disinhibition can sometimes reveal thoughts we hold true but seek to suppress, I feel like there’s a point where it’s just plain delusion and not an automatic representation of who we are and what we stand for. What are your thoughts on this? I imagine the full explanation is complex and situational, and I’d love to hear more. Derick Segment #4. Name That Logical Fallacy I've been listening to the show for about 7 years, this is my first time writing in! Your discussion of motivated reasoning last week reminded me of a situation I found myself in a while ago, and I'd be interested to hear an experienced skeptic's take on it. I was playing a game of cribbage with my sister, and a situation arose where the rules were unclear, and a "discussion" broke out about whether or not I had legally scored two points. The details are unimportant, but the discussion took an interesting turn, and I'm wondering about which particular fallacy was at play, if one was even present at all. The discussion proceeded as follows: I laid out my arguments, then my sister laid out hers, then several bystanders (who were functioning as a makeshift jury) contributed opinions. The crux of the discussion came when my mother declared that if roles were reversed, I would be arguing for the other side. I admitted that yes, I was indeed playing lawyer. Because of my admission, the jury declared my reasoning invalid, and ruled in my sister's favor. Clearly, both my sister and I could be accused of motivated reasoning, but I'm more interested in which fallacy the jury committed. It seems to me that the jury cannot rightfully dismiss an argument solely due to the fact that it came from a biased source. Having a biased source should be a warning flag to apply extra scrutiny, but the argument still ought to be ultimately judged on its merits. My best guess is that this is some sort of ad hominem? Anyway, love the show, thank you for all that you do! Best, Hendrik Segment #5. 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. Theme: Biology Item 1: A new study finds that living at high altitude significantly reduces the risk for diabetes. Item 2: Researchers demonstrate that mouse-derived brain organoids are able to learn and remember tasks often used to train AI, using reinforcement learning. Item 3: A recent review of research finds that animal behavior, such as vigilance and foraging, has a variable response to interactions with humans, with fear-driven behavior increasing, changing little, or even decreasing. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Astrology is a disease, not a science. It is a tree under the shadow of which all sorts of superstitions thrive. Only...


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Judge SHUTS DOWN Sovereign Citizen Who Hasn't Paid Child Support In A LONG TIME!!! Pro Se FAIL!!!

You’re 30 seconds away from being debt free with PDS Debt. Get your free assessment and find the best option for you at https://PDSDebt.com/SKEPTIC. Hey guys, and welcome to todays video! Today we have a judge who shuts down a sovereign citizen who owes more than $24K dollars in unpaid child support! 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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Film & Literature: Crash Course Latin American Literature #12

Lights, camera, action! Latin American literature intersects with all sorts of other kinds of art, including film. In this episode of Crash Course Latin American Literature, we explore the exchange between these two art forms, and how one piece of pop culture can help illuminate another. Introduction: At the Movies 00:00 Manuel Puig 0:35 Alberto Fuguet & McOndo 3:49 Book-to-Screen Adaptations 7:46 Review & Credits 10:05 Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eE7g4-k6PD7C6wNBzeJIO8GCDHpoJl8ldDjKyq_2yYg/edit?tab=t.0 To learn more, check out these videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8dPuuaLjXtN-Bd-H_TGq72CN50Fpv_JX https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8dPuuaLjXtOCicti5dwLAKuesMQVi7hw https://youtu.be/_wx8XooVlVs?si=eiluqnk2O5ww3Kdm https://youtu.be/ftcvaJCKVjs?si=vO15MjvCWidAd-J6 https://youtu.be/YWNcCs__vQg?si=_wYs4tsONAaVxhF0 https://youtu.be/Hlpv7nKt81A?si=yosEHoKHsVELOKBT Check out our CC Latin America Extra Curricular Playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8dPuuaLjXtPTzMxnHVWhrV8dUZM0qL34 *** 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: Mitch Gresko, Roger Harms, Brandon Thomas, Ken Davidian, AThirstyPhilosopher ., Michael Maher, Johnathan Williams, Chelsea S, oranjeez, EllenBryn, Katrix , Evan Nelson, Shruti S, UwU, Leah H., Allison Wood, Thomas Sully, Jennifer Wiggins-Lyndall, Dalton Williams, Quinn Harden, Chuck Smith, Andrew Woods, Kevin Knupp, Rie Ohta, Jason Terpstra, NassauLinda, Martin G. Diller, Matthew Fredericksen, Gina Mancuso, Elizabeth LaBelle, DexcilaDou, Barbara Pettersen, SpaceRangerWes, Emily Beazley, David Fanska, Reed Spilmann, Pietro Gagliardi, Jason Rostoker, Toni Miles, Les Aker, Alex Hackman, Liz Wdow, Wai Jack Sin, team dorsey, Rizwan Kassim, Eric Koslow, John Lee, Triad Terrace, Duncan W Moore IV, Matt Curls, ClareG, Emily T, Kristina D Knight, Stephen McCandless, Barrett, Bernardo Garza, Katie Dean, Laurel Stevens, Ian Dundore, Thomas, Trevin Beattie, Steve Segreto, Joseph Ruf, Nathan Taylor, Constance Urist, Jason Buster, Stephen Akuffo, Sarah & Nathan Catchings, Kyle & Katherine Callahan, Perry Joyce, Ken Penttinen, Tanner Hedrick, Scott Harrison, Jennifer Killen, Breanna Bosso, Alan Bridgeman, Siobhán, Krystle Young, Indija-ka Siriwardena, Samantha, Evol Hong, Tandy Ratliff, Erminio Di Lodovico, Luke Sluder, Caleb Weeks __ 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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HILLBILLY Sovereign Citizen Has NO CLUE How To Represent Himself, But INSISTS On Doing It!!!

Hillbilly Sovereign Citizen Has NO CLUE how to represent himself, but still insists on doing it! The judge warned him it wouldn't be easy, but he read on the internet that it was simple. 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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How expert songwriters find the right lyrics | Think Like A Musician

Professional musicians share what makes for great, memorable lyrics, their writing process, and where they get inspiration from. -- "Think Like A Musician" connects you with working musicians who want to help the music-curious and music-passionate hone and share the gift of music with the world. Part interview, part animated course, our second season "Think Like A Songwriter" features artists sharing their insight on the ins and outs of fine-tuning your songwriting and crafting timeless, memorable music. Each episode features free supplemental learning materials developed by Education Through Music (https://etmonline.org) — a nonprofit with over 30 years of experience developing classroom-adaptable curriculum for music educators. Directed by Kozmonot Animation Studio. A special thanks to the musicians who provided their insights and expertise for this video. You can check out their pages here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMZsFzIPvqSsOL_ta-zZq2g https://www.youtube.com/@Breland https://www.youtube.com/@bonniemckeeofficial https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZOWzC1SZPiIRRr52fdabvw https://www.youtube.com/@TaylaParx https://www.youtube.com/user/benharper Support Our Non-Profit Mission ---------------------------------------------- Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreon Check out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop ---------------------------------------------- Connect With Us ---------------------------------------------- Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletter Follow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebook Find us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitter Peep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram ---------------------------------------------- Keep Learning ---------------------------------------------- View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-expert-songwriters-find-the-right-lyrics-think-like-a-musician Dig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-expert-songwriters-find-the-right-lyrics-think-like-a-musician/digdeeper ---------------------------------------------- Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Anthony Benedict, Karthik Balsubramanian, Annastasshia Ames, Amy Lopez, Vinh-Thuy Nguyen, Liz Candee, Ugur Doga Sezgin, Karmi Nguyen, John C. Vesey, Yelena Baykova, Nick Johnson, Carlos H. Costa, Jennifer Kurkoski, Ryan B Harvey, Akinola Emmanuel, Jose Arcadio Valdes Franco, Sebastiaan Vleugels, Karl Laius, JY Kang, Abhishek Goel, Heidi Stolt, Nicole Sund, Karlee Finch, Mario Mejia, Denise A Pitts, Doug Henry, Keven Webb, Mihai Sandu, Deepak Iyer, Javid Gozalov, Kyanta Yap, Rebecca Reineke, William Biersdorf, Patricia Alves Panagides, Yvette Mocete, Cyrus Garay, Samuel Barbas, LadyGeek, Marin Kovachev, Penelope Misquitta, Hans Peng, Gaurav Mathur, Erik Biemans, Tony, Michelle, Katie and Josh Pedretti, Hoai Nam Tran, Kack-Kyun Kim, Michael Braun-Boghos, zjweele13, Anna-Pitschna Kunz, and Edla Paniguel.


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Some conspiracists are real a holes.

🪐 SUBSCRIBE / 🚀 LIKE / 👽 COMMENT The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe Website & Podcast: https://www.theskepticsguide.org/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SkepticsGuide Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theskepticsguide Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theskepticsguide/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkepticsGuide TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skepticsguide ✉️ Send your questions to: info@theskepticsguide.org Check out Our Books: 📘 The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe: How to Know What's Really Real in a World Increasingly Full of Fake 📙 The Skeptics’ Guide to the Future: What Yesterday’s Science and Science Fiction Tell Us About the World of Tomorrow https://www.theskepticsguide.org/our-book #SGU #SkepticsGuide #Science


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Meet the Extreme Decorator Crab, the Ultimate Fashionista | #DeepLook #Shorts

When you live by the seashore, one day you're in, the next day you're lunch. So these crabs don the latest in seaweed outerwear to blend in. Learn more in our episode "Decorator Crabs Make High Fashion at Low Tide" 👉 https://youtu.be/OwQcv7TyX04 #youtubeshorts #crab #deeplook


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