The Skeptics Guide #987 - Jun 8 2024

Back to Basics: Fundamental Attribution Error; News Items: Improved Photosynthesis, Birth of a Magnetar, US Bioweapons Research, False Health Information from Chatbots; Your Questions and E-mails: Consistency; Name That Logical Fallacy; Science or Fiction 

Quickie with Bob: Thatcher Effect; News Items: Lunar Chickpeas, Sea Level Rise, Latest Study Shows Reiki Does Not Work, Brain Cells Playing Doom; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Glyphosate Safety; Science or Fiction 

The Hot And Cold Past Of The Air Conditioner

In the Northeast, the leaves have started changing colors, heralding the season of pumpkins, sweaters, and the smell of woodsmoke. But in some parts of the country, the heat hasn’t let up. In cities like Dallas, Phoenix, and ...

Saturn’s moon Enceladus reveals complex organic molecules that could hint at extraterrestrial life. Researchers also uncover fungi’s ancient reign over Earth and warn that second COVID infections may pose greater risks to young people. Plus, ants ferment yogurt, and flu detection ...  Show more

Tomorrow marks the 50th anniversary of a transmission from the Arecibo Observatory, intended as our first attempt to send a message to intelligent life across the universe. Journalist Nadia Drake talks about the careful crafting of the signal and her personal connection with the ...  Show more

New simulations suggest the Milky Way’s long-predicted collision with Andromeda might be less of a cosmic certainty than we thought. A massive marine heat wave in 2023 sent North Atlantic temperatures soaring—equal to two decades’ worth of typical warming—with weak winds and clim ...  Show more