Skeptics Guide #1019

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1019 January 15th 2025 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Does Fact-Checking Work https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00027-0 News Item #2 – Nuclear Electric Propulsion https://phys.org/news/2024-12-strategic-alliance-high-energy-nuclear.amp News Item #3 – The LA Fires https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/11/climate/wildfire-smoke-risks.html and https://www.sciencealert.com/dumping-seawater-on-la-fires-is-an-experiment-scientists-are-closely-watching and https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/11/24340913/watch-duty-wildfire-tracking-app-los-angeles-nonprofit News Item #4 – Building Materials for Storing Carbon https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adq8594 Segment 2. Who’s That Noisy Segment #3. Interview with Nick Tiller https://www.nbtiller.com/ 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: Death Item 1: The WHO reports that over 5 million snake bites occur each year, resulting in over 100,000 deaths. Item 2: It is estimated that over half a million deaths globally in 2024 can be attributed to extreme weather events. Item 3: In 2021, COVID-19 was the second leading cause of death, just behind ischemic heart disease. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Knowledge is a paradox. The more one understands, the more one realizes the vastness of his ignorance." Spoken by Viktor (also known as the Herald) in season 2 of the hit Netflix show: Arcane - League of Legends.