The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #489 November 12th, 2014

Segment #1. This Day in Skepticism

November 22, 1963. JFK Assassination https://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/November-22-1963-Death-of-the-President.aspx

Segment #2. Special Report Review of Interstellar

Segment #3. News Items

News Item #1 – Landing on a Comet https://www.cnn.com/2014/11/12/world/comet-landing-countdown/index.html

News Item #2 – Feeling of Presence https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/feeling-of-presence-induced-in-the-lab/

News Item #3 – Doubting the Higgs https://www.sci-news.com/physics/science-techni-higgs-discovery-higgs-boson-02266.html

News Item #4 – Food Babe Nonsense https://www.theskepticsguide.org/ food-babe-misinformation-on-travel

Segment #4. Who's That Noisy

Answer to last week:

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.

#1) New research indicates that a stimulant drug, modafinil, enhances cognitive performance for those at the low end of the spectrum, but impairs performance for healthy individuals.

#2) The USDA has approved a new genetically modified potato that has 40% of the calories of existing cultivars typically used for chips and fries.

#3) New research in mice finds an association between the type of bacteria found in the gut and the presence of mental behaviors suggestive of anxiety, depression, and autism.

Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week

"The voice of reason is small, but very persistent".

• Sigmund Freud memorial