Skeptics Guide #875

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #875 April 16th 2022 Recorded live in Boston 03/27/2022 With recurring guest Rogue, George Hrab Segment #1: Over-Under The Rogues are asked if specific things, like college, are over or under rated. Segment #2: News Items News Item#1 - New CRISPR Mechanism to Turn On Genes https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/using-crispr-to-turn-genes-on/ News Item #2 - Acrhomatic X-Ray Lenses https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-28902-8 News Item #3 - Pareidolia and Gender https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2117413119 News Item #4 - Cleaning Solar Panels https://news.mit.edu/2022/solar-panels-dust-magnets-0311 News Item #5 - Public Media and Healthy Democracy https://www.niemanlab.org/2022/01/do-countries-with-better-funded-public-media-also-have-healthier-democracies-of-course-they-do/ Setment #3: 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: New England Geology #1) - New England is primarily composed of volcanic island arcs. #2) - Plymouth Rock geologically originated in northern Canada and was deposited in its current location by the Laurentide glacier 20,000 years ago. #3) - New England was adjacent to modern day Morocco in Africa when part of Pangea, evidenced by their identical lithographic sequences. Segment #4: Skeptical Quote of the Week "Let us tenderly and kindly cherish therefore, the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write." John Adams


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