Skeptics Guide #921

The Skeptics Guide To The Universe

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #921 March 1st 2023 Guest Rogue: F Perry Wilson Segment #1. Quickie with Bob Ancient Steel https://phys.org/news/2023-02-steel-europe-years.amp Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Mining Hydrogen https://www.science.org/content/article/hidden-hydrogen-earth-may-hold-vast-stores-renewable-carbon-free-fuel News Item #2 – ChatGPT Update https://www.zdnet.com/article/what-is-microsofts-new-bing-with-chatgpt-heres-everything-we-know/ News Item #3 – Erythritol and Heart Disease https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/common-sweetener-erythritol-tied-to-higher-risk-of-stroke-and-heart-attack News Item #4 – Growing Brain Electrodes https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/02/230223181803.htm News Item #5 – Woodland Elves https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraph.co.uk%2Fworld-news%2F2023%2F02%2F26%2Fmexican-president-claims-has-proof-mythical-woodland-elf%2F Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. 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: Ancient Bizarre Medical Treatments #1) In order to treat the black death, thought to be caused by deadly vapors, medieval physicians recommended sniffing farts that had been stored in a jar. #2) A medieval treatment for stuttering was a hemiglossectomy – to surgically remove half the tongue, without anesthesia. #3) Of the many ancient treatments for hemorrhoids, the most aggressive involved placing a live rat in the anus until it died. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week "I think knowing what you cannot do is more important than knowing what you can." Lucille Ball