The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe

The Skeptics Guide 1046 Jul 26 2025

July 26, 2025

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  • The podcast episode covered Steve's recent trip to Sicily and Malta, discussing historical sites, cultural influences, and personal experiences. 
  • A significant portion of the show was dedicated to the concept of 'fossil words' – words that persist only within specific phrases. 
  • Jay presented research on a new biodegradable material developed from bacterial cellulose that shows promise as a plastic alternative, outperforming plastics and some metals in strength and thermal performance. 
  • The panel discussed the controversial claims of astrophysicist Avi Loeb regarding interstellar objects, criticizing his methodology as pseudoscientific anomaly hunting. 
  • Bob and Kara discussed a new injectable drug (CBL514) that shows promise for targeted fat cell reduction with minimal side effects, and also touched upon FDA panel discussions regarding antidepressant use during pregnancy and hormone replacement therapy. 

Segments

Steve’s Trip to Sicily and Malta
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(~00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Steve shares his travel experiences in Sicily, detailing its historical sites like the Valley of the Temples and its unique cultural blend, and his brief visit to Malta, noting its historical significance and natural beauty.
  • Summary: Steve recounts his trip to Sicily, describing the landscape, the historical Greek ruins at the Valley of the Temples, and the impact of various cultural occupations. He also mentions a short trip to Malta, highlighting its small size and the filming locations for movies like ‘The Blue Lagoon’ and ‘Game of Thrones’.
Fossil Words
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(~00:23:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Kara introduces the concept of ‘fossil words,’ words that are rarely used on their own but persist within common phrases, providing examples like ‘short shrift’ and ‘kith and kin’.
  • Summary: Kara explains the concept of fossil words, which are words that have largely disappeared from everyday language but are preserved in idiomatic expressions. The team discusses various examples, exploring their origins and how they are still understood in context.
New Biodegradable Material
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(~00:35:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Jay presents research on a new biodegradable material made from bacterial cellulose, developed by Rice University and the University of Houston, which demonstrates superior strength and thermal performance compared to many conventional plastics and even some metals.
  • Summary: Jay details the development of a new material from bacterial cellulose that is strong, biodegradable, and thermally efficient. The process involves growing cellulose nanofibers in an ordered manner, resulting in a material with potential applications in electronics, packaging, and textiles, offering a sustainable alternative to plastics.
Critique of Avi Loeb’s Claims
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(~01:05:00)
  • Key Takeaway: The panel criticizes astrophysicist Avi Loeb’s arguments for classifying interstellar objects as potential alien artifacts, labeling his methodology as ‘anomaly hunting’ and ‘special pleading’ that lacks scientific rigor.
  • Summary: Bob and Steve dissect Avi Loeb’s recent paper on the interstellar object ‘3I/2023-OT6’ (formerly 3I/2023-OT6), arguing that his reasoning for suspecting alien technology is based on retrofitting data and making unfounded assumptions about alien motivations, rather than sound scientific evidence.
Fat Reduction Drug and FDA Panels
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(~01:25:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Bob and Kara discuss a new injectable drug, CBL514, showing promise for targeted fat cell reduction with minimal side effects, and also cover recent FDA panel discussions on antidepressants during pregnancy and the potential removal of black box warnings on certain hormone replacement therapies.
  • Summary: Bob highlights the potential of CBL514, an injectable drug that induces programmed fat cell death, discussing its phase two trial results and potential applications beyond aesthetics. Kara then shifts to FDA panels, discussing concerns about the potential addition of black box warnings for antidepressants used during pregnancy and the debate around removing existing warnings for hormone replacement therapies, noting the politicization of science.
The Annabelle Doll and the Warrens
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(~01:50:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Evan discusses the enduring legend of the Annabelle doll, its origins with Ed and Lorraine Warren, and a recent incident involving the death of a paranormal investigator associated with the doll’s traveling exhibition.
  • Summary: Evan recounts the story of the Annabelle doll, its alleged paranormal activity, and its place in the Warrens’ collection of haunted artifacts. He also touches upon the recent death of a paranormal investigator during a tour featuring the doll, reiterating the Warrens’ history of attributing events to curses and the lack of evidence for their claims.
Who’s That Noisy?
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(~02:15:00)
  • Key Takeaway: The ‘Who’s That Noisy?’ segment identifies the sound as that of a vertical wind tunnel used for indoor skydiving, specifically a Gen 9 iFly tunnel.
  • Summary: Jay presents listener guesses for a mysterious sound, with the correct identification being a vertical wind tunnel used for indoor skydiving. Ryan Hanold correctly identified the sound and its specific origin, leading to a discussion about the technology and the experience of indoor skydiving.
Science or Fiction: Malta
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(~02:28:00)
  • Key Takeaway: The ‘Science or Fiction’ segment reveals that the national bird of Malta is the Blue Rock Thrush, not the Peregrine Falcon as stated in one of the fictional claims, while confirming Malta’s ancient megalithic temples and high car-per-capita rate are factual.
  • Summary: The panel plays a ‘Science or Fiction’ game with three facts about Malta. They correctly identify that Malta has some of the world’s oldest freestanding megalithic temples and a high car-per-capita rate. The fictional claim was about the national bird being the Peregrine Falcon; it is actually the Blue Rock Thrush.