Key Takeaways

  • A new study suggests that Venus may have always been inhospitable, with its interior being as dry as its surface, challenging theories of a past temperate and Earth-like history.
  • A large-scale, multi-lab replication study failed to find evidence of innate morality in infants using the classic ‘Hill paradigm,’ suggesting that the original findings may have been influenced by methodological issues or that the preference develops later.
  • The International Space Station is showing significant signs of age, with persistent air leaks and structural issues prompting NASA to plan for its deorbiting and to fund private sector initiatives for future space stations.
  • Venus likely never had a temperate Earth-like history or surface water due to its magma ocean lasting too long, a key difference from Earth’s formation.
  • Future orbiters and landers, like the planned Da Vinci mission, are crucial for confirming theories about Venus’s past and habitability.
  • When searching for exoplanets with life, the focus should be narrowed to Earth-like planets rather than Venus-like ones.

Segments

SGU Dice and Swag (~00:04:22)
  • Key Takeaway: The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe is now selling custom dice and has refreshed its merchandise line.
  • Summary: Jay Novella announces the release of SGU dice, inspired by a suggestion from Brian Wecht, and mentions new swag available at the D.C. show, noting that the merchandise was restocked during a holiday sale.
Infant Morality Study (~00:08:46)
  • Key Takeaway: A large-scale replication study found no significant preference in infants for ‘helpers’ over ‘hinderers’ using the Hill paradigm, challenging previous findings on innate morality.
  • Summary: Kara Santa Maria discusses a replication study of the 2007 Hamlin et al. paper on infant social evaluation. The new study, involving over a thousand infants across multiple labs, used a more robust methodology including behavioral choices and found no significant preference for helpers, suggesting the original findings might be flawed or that such preferences develop later.
International Space Station Future (~00:21:34)
  • Key Takeaway: The International Space Station is nearing the end of its operational life, with plans for deorbiting and the development of multiple private space stations to succeed it.
  • Summary: Jay Novella provides an update on the ISS, highlighting its age, ongoing issues like air leaks, and the planned retirement around 2030. He discusses NASA’s plans for a controlled deorbit with SpaceX and introduces several private companies developing new space stations, such as Axiom Space, Orbital Reef, and Starlab.
Climate Change Hotspots (~00:32:24)
  • Key Takeaway: Climate change is increasing the variability of weather patterns, leading to more frequent and extreme heat waves in specific ‘hotspots’ that are not well-predicted by current climate models.
  • Summary: Bob Novella reports on a study identifying climate hotspots with statistically outlier heat waves, noting that these extreme events are happening more frequently and intensely than models predict. The discussion touches on the increasing variability of weather due to rising global temperatures and the potential for extreme weather events in unexpected regions.
Orcas Wearing Fish Hats (~00:40:02)
  • Key Takeaway: The behavior of orcas wearing dead fish on their heads, first observed in 1987, has reappeared in J-Pod, suggesting a potential cultural transmission of learned behaviors within whale pods.
  • Summary: Evan Bernstein discusses the reappearance of orcas wearing dead salmon on their heads, a behavior first documented in 1987. Scientists are investigating this as a possible cultural phenomenon, similar to other learned behaviors observed in orca pods, and considering it might be a form of food storage or play.
Venus’s Inhospitable Past (~00:48:03)
  • Key Takeaway: New atmospheric chemistry analysis suggests Venus may have always been inhospitable, lacking liquid water on its surface due to its proximity to the Sun and prolonged magma ocean phase.
  • Summary: Bob Novella explains a new theory suggesting Venus has always been a dry and inhospitable planet. By analyzing atmospheric chemistry, researchers propose that Venus’s early magma ocean lasted too long due to its distance from the Sun, preventing water from accumulating and leading to a perpetually harsh environment, unlike Earth.
Venus’s Lost Water (~00:54:24)
  • Key Takeaway: Venus’s proximity to the sun prevented its magma ocean from solidifying early, leading to the loss of all its water, unlike Earth.
  • Summary: The discussion centers on the differing histories of Earth and Venus, specifically how Venus’s closer orbit to the sun resulted in a prolonged magma ocean phase that boiled away its water, making it uninhabitable.
Future Missions & Exoplanet Search (~00:54:58)
  • Key Takeaway: Future missions like Da Vinci are essential for confirming theories about Venus and will inform the search for extraterrestrial life by guiding focus towards Earth-like exoplanets.
  • Summary: The hosts discuss the need for further exploration of Venus through upcoming orbiters and landers to gain more certainty about its past. This information is crucial for refining the search for habitable exoplanets, suggesting a focus on Earth-like worlds.
This Week’s Noisy: Elk (~00:56:27)
  • Key Takeaway: The ’noisy’ sound was identified as a bull elk in rut, with listeners providing various incorrect guesses.
  • Summary: The segment is dedicated to identifying a mysterious sound played on the show. After several listener guesses, the sound is revealed to be a bull elk during mating season, with Crystal Haka and Shane Hillier correctly identifying it.
Fisher Cat vs. Fox Scream (~01:04:08)
  • Key Takeaway: Evidence suggests that ‘fisher screams’ are actually fox vocalizations, as experts have rarely, if ever, documented fishers screaming.
  • Summary: A listener correction prompts a discussion about the vocalizations of the fisher. The hosts explore the possibility that the sounds commonly attributed to fishers are actually made by foxes, with limited evidence supporting the idea of fishers screaming.
Connecticut UFO Sighting (~01:07:40)
  • Key Takeaway: A reported UFO sighting by a Connecticut police officer is likely explainable by a drone or a meteor, not an extraterrestrial craft, despite sensationalized media coverage.
  • Summary: The hosts analyze a recent UFO sighting reported by a police officer in Connecticut. They critically examine the media’s sensationalized reporting and the claims of a UFO enthusiast, concluding that the evidence points towards a drone or a natural phenomenon like a meteor.
Science or Fiction: Surprising Statistics (~01:16:31)
  • Key Takeaway: While koalas are very sleepy and variations in spinal vertebrae are common, the initial claim that 80% of human remains at Machu Picchu were female has been revised to a 50-50 split.
  • Summary: The panel plays ‘Science or Fiction’ with three surprising statistics. They correctly identify the Machu Picchu statistic as fiction (or at least outdated) after initial research, while confirming the sleepiness of koalas and the commonality of spinal variations.