Skeptics Guide #871

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #871 March 15th 2022 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Why Is Life Symmetrical https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/why-is-life-symmetrical/ News Item #2 – Evolution of Language https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/culture/language-evolution-gestures-sign/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=language-evolution-gestures-sign News Item #3 – Moon Rocks https://www.guardianmag.press/2022/03/nasa-studies-50-year-old-lunar-sample-to-prep-for-return-to-moon.html/ News Item #4 – Plasma Lens https://www.miragenews.com/holographic-plasma-lenses-for-ultra-high-power-742907/ News Item #5 – International Paranormal Conference https://www.ricethresher.org/article/2022/03/rice-hosts-conference-on-paranomal-phenomena Segment #2: Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. Interview with Michelle Lipkin Michelle Ciulla Lipkin (she/her) Executive Director National Association for Media Literacy Education www.namle.net www.medialiteracyweek.us Segment #4. 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. #1) Researchers identify two genes that allow people to have full sleep benefits from only 4-6 hours of sleep a night, and as a bonus protect against the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease. #2) Scientists have developed a tiny EMP protection device that can shunt electricity at up to 6,400 volts in a few billionths of a second. #3) A reexamination of data demonstrates that as many as 20% of exoplanets previously validated through the transmit method are instead small stars. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week "But my experience has taught me two lessons: first, that things are seen plainer after the events have occurred; second, that the most confident critics are generally those who know the least about the matter criticized." - President Grant


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