Skeptics Guide #1063

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1062 November 20th 2025 Segment #1. Dumbest Thing of the Week https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NKe7vtpueA/ Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Using AI To Design a Virus https://www.biopharmatrend.com/news/stanfordarc-team-reports-ai-made-viruses-that-kill-bacteria-1383 News Item #2 – Creatine for Cognitive Function https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/creatine-supplements-for-brain-function/ News Item #3 – Earth Digital Twin https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-create-digital-twin-of-earth-accurate-to-a-1-kilometer-scale News Item #4 – Quiet Supersonic Jet https://www.livescience.com/technology/engineering/nasas-new-ultraquiet-supersonic-flying-swordfish-plane-makes-history-with-first-test-flight News Item #5 – Test For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251102205021.htm Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Tool use by wolves A recent paper in Science claims wolves use tools (https://www.science.org/content/article/have-wild-wolves-learned-use-tools). A wolf apparently learned to pull up a submerged net with crabs at the bottom. An ethologist on Bluesky wrote, "This meets the the most standard definition of tool use used in primatology (Beck 1980), and it surprises me how many don’t think it qualifies as tool use" ( https://bsky.app/profile/marspidermonkey.bsky.social/post/3m5x6erzt622q ). The definition is apparently "that they are using an unattached object (the net), to manipulate something else (the fish), and manipulated and properly orients the tool (correctly angles it to pull the net out and get the fish)." To me, this seems like a weak definition of "tool," because it relies on humans' awareness of whether the object is unattached to the reward. For example, suppose crabs had a very long, floaty tail that looked just like a net, and a wolf pulled that up and ate the crab's main body. Humans wouldn't call that a tool, but the wolf might not see any difference between that and the reported situation. What do you all reckon? Love the show. Best Tom Buckley 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. Item 1: South Korean researchers have developed a process for increasing bacterial cellulose production for textiles by over 10 fold, approaching cost parity with natural fibers. Item 2: MIT researchers have developed a thin polymer film that is 10,000 times less permeable to gas than all other polymers. Item 3: For the first time scientists were able to create immortal cow cells without the need for any genetic modification. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “What you learn from a life in science is the vastness of our ignorance.” – David Eagleman


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