Skeptics Guide #960

The Skeptics Guide To The Universe

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #960 November 29th 2023 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Internet Use and Mental Health https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/internet-use-and-mental-well-being/ News Item #2 – Methane Capture https://www.sciencenews.org/article/methane-capture-air-global-warming-climate News Item #3 – Bitter Revenge https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/transcending-the-past/202311/revenge-is-rarely-sweet News Item #4 – Underground Microbes https://phys.org/news/2023-11-minimalist-maximalist-life-microbe-mile.html News Item #5 – PopSci Magazine Closes https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/27/23978042/popular-science-digital-magazine-discontinued Segment #2. Quickie with Steve LK-99 Debunked https://scitechdaily.com/shattered-dreams-scientists-debunk-lk-99-room-temperature-superconductivity-myth/ Segment #3. Who’s That Noisy Segment #4. Questions and E-mails Question #1: Dr. GPT My friend suggested I submit this story """ I've been using GPT for a great deal of software and also family health work. I'm pretty much using it as a personal physician. I understand the risks but I'm pretty good at corroborating its responses with other research. Toddler banged his head yesterday, and I took a photo of it into GPT and asked it how it looked, it was pretty helpful. Baby was quite sick last week and it helped us make a decision on care at night. "" Cheers Ryan, Cayman Islands 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: Mushrooms #1) Evidence shows that many mushroom species will increase their growth after a lightning strike, with shiitake crop yield doubling. #2) Three popular supermarket mushrooms, cremini, button, and portobello, are all the exact same species. #3) Although originally classified as plants, the kingdom of Fungi is genetically closest to the kingdom of Protista. Segment #6. Skeptical Quote of the Week “Skepticism: the mark and even the pose of the educated mind.” ---John Dewey