The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe

The Skeptics Guide #1076 - Feb 21 2026

February 21, 2026

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  • The discussion on figure skater Ilya Malinin's performance at the Winter Olympics highlighted the immense pressure elite athletes face, leading to shocking underperformance. 
  • Research into saving the Cavendish banana involves identifying genetic resistance markers in wild relatives using marker-assisted selection to accelerate the development of fungus-resistant varieties, despite a GMO-resistant version already existing. 
  • Microsoft's Silica project demonstrated laser-written borosilicate glass storage capable of holding terabytes of data with an estimated archival lifespan exceeding 10,000 years, addressing the growing 'storage cliff' problem. 
  • Laser-written glass storage technology offers extreme longevity (10,000+ years) and stability for archival purposes, but requires specialized equipment for reading, making it unsuitable for everyday computing. 
  • The U.S. Department of Defense's All Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) logged 757 unique UAP reports over a 13-month period, with 70% ultimately attributed to balloons, and found zero evidence of extraterrestrial activity in resolved cases. 
  • Culpability regarding behavior influenced by mental illness is complex, as disinhibition does not automatically equate to revealing true, underlying beliefs, requiring an individualized assessment of capacity and opportunity for treatment. 

Segments

Figure Skater Olympic Performance
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(00:00:25)
  • Key Takeaway: Ilya Malinin failed to medal in the Olympics despite being the favorite due to high expectations and the unforgiving nature of figure skating.
  • Summary: Ilya Malinin, known as the ‘quad god’ for landing the quad axel, performed poorly in the Olympics, finishing eighth and failing to medal. The hosts noted that elite athletes often have the farthest to fall when small errors disrupt their routine. The media hype surrounding Malinin’s potential quintuple jump likely added significant pressure to his performance.
Curling Rules and Etiquette
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(00:06:06)
  • Key Takeaway: Curling involves high tactical play, and disputes over minor infractions, like sweeping contact, are typically resolved politely between teams.
  • Summary: The hosts observed controversies in curling, specifically regarding sweeping technique and accidental stone contact. In one instance where an American sweeper accidentally altered a stone’s path, the teams engaged in a polite discussion to rectify the situation. Curling is described as a very tactical sport, akin to chess on ice, where strategic placement determines victory.
Banana Fungal Disease Research
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(00:10:44)
  • Key Takeaway: Researchers are using genetic mapping on wild banana relatives to accelerate the development of Cavendish bananas resistant to Tropical Race 4 Panama disease via marker-assisted selection.
  • Summary: The Cavendish banana faces decline due to the soil fungus Fusarium, known as Panama disease (Tropical Race 4). Scientists identified a genetic region linked to resistance in the wild Calcutta IV banana relative. By crossing resistant and susceptible lines, they can use DNA markers to screen seedlings, significantly speeding up the breeding process to create resilient commercial varieties.
Drug Advertising Pros and Cons
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(00:23:44)
  • Key Takeaway: Direct-to-consumer drug advertising increases patient awareness and treatment adherence but also promotes overuse of expensive, non-superior brand-name drugs, increasing healthcare costs.
  • Summary: A major critique of pharmaceutical advertising is that it pushes consumers toward expensive, patented drugs that may offer no demonstrable benefit over existing generics. The American Medical Association supports banning direct-to-consumer advertising due to concerns over misleading claims and patient-doctor tension. A potential compromise involves advertising diseases and general treatment availability rather than specific, costly medications.
AI Prosthetics and Ownership Illusion
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(00:42:18)
  • Key Takeaway: While AI dramatically improves the precision and speed of prosthetic control, overly fast or automated movements can break the user’s neurological illusion of ownership and agency over the limb.
  • Summary: AI-powered prosthetics offer exquisite, precise movement control, drastically reducing training time from months to days. However, the brain’s natural circuits for body ownership and agency are sensitive to movement that deviates from biological norms. Researchers found a ‘Goldilocks zone’ for movement speed that maximizes AI benefits while preserving the user’s sense of control over the artificial limb.
Laser-Written Glass Data Storage
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(00:49:33)
  • Key Takeaway: Microsoft’s Silica project successfully archived 4.8 terabytes onto a small piece of borosilicate glass using femtosecond lasers, projecting data stability for over 10,000 years.
  • Summary: The Silica project addresses the ‘storage cliff’ where data creation outpaces storage density improvements by utilizing borosilicate glass (like Pyrex) for archival storage. Data is written in 3D structures called voxels using polarized femtosecond laser pulses, achieving a density of 4.8 terabytes on a 120mm square piece of glass. This method offers extreme longevity and stability against moisture and electromagnetic interference, making it ideal for cultural records.
Laser Glass Archival Storage
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(00:58:32)
  • Key Takeaway: Laser-written glass storage is chemically and thermally stable, ideal for ‘benign neglect’ archival needs like cultural records, but requires specialized equipment for reading.
  • Summary: This glass storage method is stable against moisture and electromagnetic interference, making it highly desirable for long-term archiving. Companies prioritize this media because it requires no maintenance for a decade or more. However, everyday computing use is impractical due to the need for femtosecond lasers for writing and specialized microscopes for reading.
Aura Frames Digital Picture Frame Ad
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(01:03:19)
  • Key Takeaway: Aura Frames offers a digital picture frame solution that allows users to easily share and view locked-away photos, with options for preloading gifts.
  • Summary: The Aura Frames digital picture frame is presented as an excellent gift option for viewing photos that otherwise remain inaccessible on phones. The frame allows users to preload photos before shipping, making it convenient for recipients. Listeners can receive $35 off the Carver Mat frame using the code Skeptics.
UFO Balloon Sightings and AARO Data
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(01:04:32)
  • Key Takeaway: NORAD scrambled jets to investigate unidentified objects over Nevada and California, confirming them to be weather balloons, highlighting the challenge of detecting slow-moving, high-altitude objects.
  • Summary: The All Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) logged 757 unique UAP reports over 13 months, with 70% identified as balloons. Military sensors are intentionally filtered to ignore slow-moving objects like balloons to focus on high-speed threats, necessitating costly visual confirmation via scrambled jets. AARO has found zero evidence of extraterrestrial activity in its resolved cases as of late 2024.
Cost Analysis of Balloon Detection
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(01:12:53)
  • Key Takeaway: Developing a dedicated ground-based radar network to detect balloons costs approximately four times more over 20 years than continuing to scramble jets for visual confirmation.
  • Summary: In 2022, 50% of UAP reports were attributed to balloons, and scrambling jets for 10% of those cases cost an estimated $12.5 million annually. A dedicated radar network for the US to detect these objects could cost up to $50 million annually for operations and maintenance, totaling $1 billion over 20 years. Therefore, scrambling jets remains the current cost-effective method until better systems are developed.
Who’s That Noisy Game Results
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(01:14:48)
  • Key Takeaway: The sound identified in the previous week’s ‘Who’s That Noisy’ segment was a golf ball bouncing on frozen ice, with the increasing frequency indicating the ball was slowing down.
  • Summary: Multiple listeners submitted guesses related to ice and skipping sounds, including skating and curling. The winning guess identified the sound as a golf ball hit onto frozen ice, bouncing with decreasing space between impacts. A new, shrill sound segment was introduced for the next round of guessing.
SGU Support and Event Announcements
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(01:18:30)
  • Key Takeaway: The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe is promoting patron support, a new Political Reality Podcast, and several live events in Madison, Sydney, and New Zealand during May and July.
  • Summary: Listeners are encouraged to support the 20-year-old educational podcast via Patreon. The team has launched the Political Reality Podcast hosted by Steve Novella and Andrea Jones-Roy. Live events include a secret SGU meetup and extravaganza in Madison, Wisconsin, in May, and appearances at Naticon 2026 in Sydney and a conference in New Zealand in July.
Mental Illness, Bigotry, and Culpability
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(01:21:05)
  • Key Takeaway: While mental illness or intoxication can cause disinhibition that reveals or creates temporary bigoted statements, consistent ideological behavior over time suggests a complex interplay beyond simple neurological release.
  • Summary: Disinhibition from conditions like frontal lobe damage or bipolar disorder can lead to inappropriate statements, but this does not automatically mean the statements reflect a person’s true, suppressed self. Neurologically, the brain’s executive function suppresses intrusive thoughts, and capacity for responsibility can fluctuate day-to-day. Legally, mental state serves as a mitigating factor rather than a complete absolution of responsibility.
Name That Logical Fallacy: Playing Lawyer
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(01:34:09)
  • Key Takeaway: Dismissing an argument solely because the proponent was engaged in motivated reasoning (playing lawyer) constitutes the Fallacy Fallacy.
  • Summary: The situation described—invalidating an argument because the speaker admitted to arguing a position they would defend even if the roles were reversed—is an example of the Fallacy Fallacy. This fallacy incorrectly assumes that committing an informal logical fallacy invalidates the argument’s conclusion. Understanding informal fallacies should primarily be used to police one’s own thinking, not as a weapon against others.
Science or Fiction: Biology Edition
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(01:37:42)
  • Key Takeaway: Living at high altitude significantly reduces diabetes risk because red blood cells absorb blood sugar to enhance oxygen delivery efficiency in low-oxygen environments, acting as a significant glucose sink.
  • Summary: The fiction item was that mouse-derived brain organoids could learn and remember tasks, as they demonstrated learning but lacked the mechanism for long-term memory retention. The science item confirmed that high altitude reduces diabetes risk because red blood cells utilize glucose to improve oxygen efficiency in hypoxic conditions. Animal behavior towards humans is highly variable, often showing less fear and more foraging comfort near humans due to reduced predator presence.
Quote of the Week: Maimonides on Astrology
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(01:56:56)
  • Key Takeaway: Twelfth-century philosopher and physician Maimonides strongly condemned astrology, viewing it as a breeding ground for superstition that only fools and charlatans value.
  • Summary: Rabbi Moses ben Maimonides, a physician who wrote on diabetes and hygiene, championed empirical observation over ancient authority. His quote highlights that while ancient thinkers grasped many basic concepts, they lacked modern mechanistic understanding. His condemnation of astrology shows that skepticism regarding pseudoscience is a long-standing tradition.