The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe

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1: A new study finds that the psychedelic effects attributed to the popular bohemian drink known as Absinthe were entirely due to its alcohol content. 2: A new brain imaging study shows that alcohol disinhibits certain emotional centers in the brain, exaggerating the response to a perceived threat. 3: A new study shows that virtual reality ‘video game’ environments can trigger drinking behavior and can be used to treat alcohol addiction.
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1: A recent study finds that grey squirrels are capable of solving complex puzzles, rivaling primates. 2: A large genetic analysis finds that increased genetic diversity is associated with being taller and smarter. 3: A new technique allows examiners to extend the window in which the time of death can be accurately determined from 36 hours to 240 hours.
1: A new analysis confirms that the so-called mitochondrial eve lived about 200,000 years ago. 2: New research indicates that for adults internet access at home is significantly associated with a decreased probability of being involved in a romantic relationship. 3: New images of the Moon’s surface indicate that the Moon is shrinking – by about 100 meters in the recent past.
1: New studies find that most people grossly overestimate their ability to resist temptation. 2: A new study finds that daily use of kefir, a fermented milk drink rich in probiotics, is associated with a decreased risk of autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. 3: A new study finds that 70% of US children are deficient in Vitamin D.
1: New research finds that hearing a salesperson flatter another customer causes a negative reaction to the salesperson but increases the desire to buy an expensive item. 2: A new study finds that subjects were more likely to purchase a lottery ticket if they had just spent money on an expensive item. 3: Researchers find that women are more likely to purchase expensive accessories when they feel threatened in their relationship, and that this strategy works because women are also less likely to pursue a man whose girlfriend has expensive accessories.
1: After studying material, self-testing is more effective at enhancing learning than repeated studying. 2: It is best to study in a consistent and uncluttered environment. 3: A recent review concludes that there is no evidence to support the notion that different people benefit from different learning styles, such as visual vs auditory.
1: Scientists have developed a smart keyboard that is self-powered and can identify users by their typing pattern. 2: Analysis of the oldest fossil primate species indicates that the earliest primates lived underground. 3: New research finds that wolves have as much social skill with their own species and with humans as do domestic dogs.
1: Scientists reveal the first car that can run on biofuel made from chocolate. 2: Physicists have developed a new incandescent light bulb suitable for residential use that is almost 100 times as energy efficient as existing bulbs. 3: A new fossil analysis shows that the so-called “hobbit”, or Homo florensiensis, had long flat feet more like apes than humans, and therefore could not walk efficiently.
1: A new study finds that medical testimonials that contain irrelevant information may lead to inappropriate medical decision making. 2: A recent study finds that listening to an emotional sermon can induce an out-of-body experience in susceptible people. 3: A new paper warns against “chemophobia,” the irrational fear of the ubiquitous and non-toxic chemicals found in our food and environment.
1: Physicists studying solar cells may have discovered why most plants on Earth are green. 2: Researchers have published the first estimate of the mass of the technosphere, 30 trillion tons, or 50 kilograms per square meter of Earth surface. 3: Astronomers have identified the tiniest known asteroid, measuring about 200 millimeters in average diameter.
1: A new study finds that the Earth’s magnetic field is much closer to flipping polarity than previously thought and may happen this century. 2: After sequencing the genome of the tardigrade, researchers found that about 6,000 genes, or over 17%, of the tardigrade’s genome is composed of foreign DNA. 3: Engineers have made bionic roses, with transistors and electrodes incorporated into the leaves and stem, including a rose that can change color when an electrical current is applied.
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1: South Korean doctors have successfully revived a dog who was preserved in cryogenic stasis for eleven days. 2: Israeli scientists have grown a palm tree from a 2000 year old seed. 3: In perhaps the first application of nanotechnology in medicine, scientists have attached cancer-fighting drugs to nanoparticles that target tumor cells.
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1: Total length of blood vessels in the human body: 10,000 miles 2: Hottest known temperature in the universe (recently created in the laboratory by physicists): 7.2 trillion degrees F 3: Number of cells in the human body: 10-50 trillion 4: Total number of species ever to have lived on Earth (upper limit of estimates): 10 billion
1: A recent survey shows that online gamers are more physically fit than the general population. 2: Astronomers have discovered a new class of neutron star, called a gravitar, which is more massive than the previously calculated upper limit for neutron stars. 3: A recent nutritional survey shows that most children are getting more than enough vitamins and minerals in their diet.
1: A recently published analysis concludes that 100% of the world’s energy needs can be met with renewable sources (wind, solar, and water) using existing technology within 20-40 years. 2: Paleontologists have uncovered the first and only known single-fingered dinosaur. 3: A new study finds that, contrary to popular belief, staring at the horizon on a moving boat worsens motion sickness.
1: Twenty separate Mercury spacecraft were built for the Mercury program, but only 15 were ever flown. 2: The Mercury capsule was only capable of manned flight for a maximum of a day and a half, which was achieved on the final mission by L. Gordon Cooper lasting 34 hours, 19 minutes, 49 seconds. 3: John Glenn was the first American to orbit the earth, in the capsule Freedom 7, so named because it was the 7th mission of the Mercury Program.
1: Ernest Duchesne presented for his PhD thesis in 1897 his research finding that Penicillium molds produced a substance which killed bacteria and could be used to treat bacterial infections, 31 years prior to Alexander Fleming’s discovery. 2: Both the Franklin Stove and bifocals were not original to Benjamin Franklin, but French inventions he popularized in America. 3: In 1835, James Bowman Lindsay demonstrated the first incandescent light bulb, 43 years before Thomas Edison began work on his bulb.
1: A new study examines South African dogs bred and trained to defend livestock that are capable of fighting and killing cheetahs and other large predators. 2: A recent systematic review finds that people who suffer from food allergies are more likely to die from murder than from their allergy. 3: A new computer simulation suggests that a major component of the Permian extinction 252 million years ago was sulfuric acid rain with a pH of 2.
1: New research finds that people who take vitamin supplements are less healthy because they make other unhealthy choices. 2: Psychologists have identified a reliable method for selectively reducing traumatic memories in human subjects. 3: Researchers find that sleep deprivation causes parts of the brain to go to sleep, even in fully awake individuals.
1: A new study identifies a spinal cord pathway that, when stimulated, essentially turns off pain conduction to the brain, reducing pain to imperceptible. 2: Scientists report that the Nheengatu native Amazonians indicate time of day by pointing to the location of the sun at that time, the first recorded instance of specific information being conveyed entirely by gesture in an auditory language. 3: Scientists report that they have completely reversed osteoporosis in mice through a single injection of stem cells.
1: A new study concludes that the internet is not responsible for the decline of the newspaper industry. 2: Scientists have discovered the most ancient fox ancestor, an arctic breed found with gnawed mammoth bones indicating the foxes were scavengers. 3: Engineers have developed a method for creating inflatable concrete domed structures and have built the first test structure.
1: Darwin dropped out of medical school after two years because he found it boring. 2: Darwin suffered from a chronic illness, thought perhaps to be psychosomatic, and frequently sought treatment from a bogus water-cure. 3: On The Origin of Species, was initially a financial failure, selling few copies in its first run.
1: Naturalists have discovered that when wasps lay their eggs in figs without reciprocating by fertilizing the fig tree, the tree retaliates by killing the eggs. 2: Researchers have discovered that bats and dolphins have the same genetic mutations in the same protein responsible for their echolocation. 3: A new study finds that running barefoot burns 15% more calories than running with shoes.
1: A new linguistic analysis suggests an independent origin of language in Africa, Europe, and Asia. 2: A new study finds that some fish are able to estimate numbers as well as college students. 3: Scientists have made a prototype for an artificial muscle motor that does not require external electronics or hard metal parts.
1: A new study finds that 93% of parents make at least one critical mistake when placing their newborn in a car seat to take them home from the hospital. 2: Researchers find that a combination of strawberry and baking soda is as effective at whitening teeth as the most popular commercial whiteners. 3: A new measurement of star velocities finds that the mass of dark matter in the Milky Way galaxy is half of what was previously thought.
1: Scientists have developed transparent wood that can be used as building material. 2: A new computer model indicates that some heavy elements, such as gold, may have been formed near the event horizon of hungry black holes. 3: New research finds that a new technique for scrolling information on a computer screen improves skimming efficiency by 60% and allows readers to find points of interest 210% faster.
1: Researchers have developed a process for making boron nitride nanotubes, which they claim have superior qualities to carbon nanotubes and can be woven into macroscopic threads. 2: A new study finds that matching learning techniques, primarily audio vs video, to student preferred styles results in improved academic performance. 3: New evidence suggests that mammoths were around as recently as 7,500 years ago – 5,600 years later than previous estimates.
Let’s see your best predictions for 2025!
1: NIST scientists have developed a ‘dark laser’ that is endothermic – it takes heat away from an object on which it is focused. 2: A new analysis suggests that many comets, including well-known comets like Halley’s and Hale Bopp, originated from other solar systems. 3: Scientists report a 5-fold increase in the growth of rice plants from manipulating the genetics of a fungus that grows on its roots.
1: After 30 years of dimming, the planet’s surface is brightening. 2: As the world warms, vegetation could double the frequency of extremely hot days experienced. 3: Our most creative thoughts come when we’re walking.
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1: A study of college students finds an inverse relationship between mood and academic achievement, with those reporting more stress and negative emotions performing better than their happy peers. 2: A new study finds that most undergraduate students do not improve their problem solving skills after the first semester. 3: Researchers find that children who gesture more, or were encouraged to gesture more, are more creative than those who gesture less.
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Happy Thanksgiving from the SGU to you!