Skeptics Guide #904

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #904 November 3rd 2022 Segment #1. Quickie with Bob New model for matter in neutron star collisions https://phys.org/news/2022-11-dense-neutron-star-collisions.html Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Daylight Saving Time https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2022/11/02/clocks-set-back-this-weekend-and-no-daylight-saving-time-isnt-going-away-yet/?sh=7de11670576e News Item #2 – Humans Working with Robots https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/11/221101124250.htm News Item #3 – Lottery Miracle https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/no-lottery-miracle/ News Item #4 – Mechanical Neural Network https://theconversation.com/a-new-type-of-material-called-a-mechanical-neural-network-can-learn-and-change-its-physical-properties-to-create-adaptable-strong-structures-192800 Segment #3: Special Report History of Vibrators Segment #4. Who’s That Noisy Segment #5. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Intermittent Renewable Energy 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. Theme: Apples #1) Evolutionarily apples have been around for about 12 million years, but the oldest archaeological evidence of apples being used as food goes back to 3160 BCE. #2) John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed) promoted the process of hybridizing apple cultivars, and his basic process is still used today to produce most commercial apple trees from seeds. #3) Even though the US is the second most apple producing country in the world (after China), only crabapples are native to North America. Edible apples were imported from Europe in the late 16th century. Segment #7. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Many people seem to confuse cynicism with skepticism, and believe that critical thinking results in a negative attitude about life. However, this opinion rests on a number of mistaken assumptions about the nature of skepticism. Skeptics must correct these misconceptions if they hope for the wider application of critical thinking." Phil Molé, columnist, Skeptical Inquirer Magazine (2002)


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