Skeptics Guide #1109

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1109 October 8th 2026 Segment #1. Special Segment AI Follow Up. Segment #2. News Items 2026 Nobel Prizes News Item #1 – Physiology or Medicine https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2026/10/popular-medicineprize2026.pdf News Item #2 – Physics https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2026/press-release/ News Item #3 – Chemistry https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/ News Item #4 – Reading Fiction https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nightstand-empathy-cognitive-health.html Segment 3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Sleep and Consciousness I lay here at 3 am having just experienced something odd that perhaps has an explanation in the neurology of sleep and consciousness. I was asleep, I think dreaming, and I thought I had a good idea for work. And a part of my mind was saying don't wake me up for this, it's going to be a stupid idea. I looked at the clock, I could tell the time, but I still couldn't really understand the idea. Ultimately, I woke up completely, and yes the idea was stupid. So the question that my fully awake mind has is; was this a moment of partial consciousness and does sleep science explain why I couldn't understand this idea until I was fully awake? And was it really two parts of my brain separately thinking? Paul Mississauga Canada 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: Whales Item 1: Killer whales, or orcas, are actually dolphins, which are, in fact, whales. Item 2: Whales belong to the taxonomic group, Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates, with their hooved limbs evolving into flippers. Item 3: It is estimated that humpback whale populations worldwide were about 150,000 individuals prior to hunting, and now their total population is estimated at about 5,000. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week "When kids look up to great scientists the way they do musicians, actors [and sports figures], civilization will jump to the next level." - Brian Greene


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