Skeptics Guide #905

The Skeptics Guide To The Universe

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #905 November 10th 2022 Segment #1. Dumbest Thing of the Week Career in Alternative Medicine https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63562191 Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Climate Change in the Classroom https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/subverting-climate-science-in-the-classroom/ News Item #2 – Climate Change in the US https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/11/07/cop27-climate-change-report-us/ News Item #3 – Closest Black Hole https://phys.org/news/2022-11-astronomers-closest-black-hole-earth.html News Item #4 – AWARE II Study of NDEs https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/aware-ii-near-death-experience-study/ Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Belief in Astrology I have an ongoing friendly dispute with someone. It boils down to what is the harm in following astrology. They loosely follow astrology for fun with a few friends (possibly as a running joke just to tease me) and take the stance that it is pretty harmless. While I agree it's probably pretty harmless for most, my worry is that it could act as a sort of "gateway drug" to other pseudoscientific beliefs. Believing in astrology seems to demonstrate a disinterest at best, or inability at worst, in evaluating its scientific plausibility and the empirical evidence as to if it's actually a real phenomenon. Or put more broadly, in the willingness or ability to exercise certain critical thinking skills. I worry that continual engagement with following astrology acts as a series of tiny brain votes against being able to evaluate what is real in this world. Even for those that may be otherwise informed and only loosely follow astrology for entertainment. And that as a result, people may be more likely to entertain other beliefs not supported by evidence, ultimately making decisions that may negatively affect themselves or others. That said, I haven't found studies to support (or refute) the hypothesis that following or believing in astrology negatively impacts the thinking or decisions of society at large. Only studies disproving the predictive power of astrology or anecdotes of some astrology believers making bad or illogical decisions. Maybe not surprising, as I imagine it's a hard thing to study. I would love your thoughts on this topic and if you know of any studies that have tackled it. Thanks! Dan, Seattle, WA 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: Animal Myths #1) Daddy-Longlegs are not spiders, but arachnids in the Opiliones order. They do not have venom or fangs. #2) Sharks have a sense of smell about as good as other fish, equivalent to a drop of blood in an average-sized swimming pool. They can detect blood from hundreds of yards, but not miles, away. #3) The Alaskan wood frog does not actually freeze in the winter, but hibernates beneath the mud at the bottom of lakes and ponds. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “It is much easier to con people than to convince them that they have been conned” John Allen Paulos on Sean Carrol’s Mindscape podcast. Nov 2022