{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Skeptics Guide #1067","description":"The Skeptic\u2019s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1067 December 15th 2025 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 \u2013 Animals Adapting to Humans https:\/\/theness.com\/neurologicablog\/animals-adapting-to-humans\/ News Item #2 \u2013 Pig Organ Transplants https:\/\/theconversation.com\/putting-pig-organs-in-people-is-ok-in-the-us-but-growing-human-organs-in-pigs-is-not-why-is-that-270562 News Item #3 \u2013 Japan Plans to Beam Energy from Space https:\/\/dailygalaxy.com\/2025\/10\/japan-to-beam-energy-down-to-earth-from-space-in-first-real-test-of-orbital-power-transmission\/ News Item #4 \u2013 Ant Yogurt https:\/\/www.mcgill.ca\/oss\/article\/critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition-pseudoscience\/antsy-about-getting-old-how-about-some-ant-yogurt News Item #5 \u2013 First Evidence of Fire Making https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/12\/10\/science\/archaeology-humans-neanderthals-fire.html Segment #2. Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Mercury in Fish I sent this article a couple of months back as a suggestion for a segment. I am resending it because of the science or fiction last week. It is about mecury in lakes in MN. They are bio engineering fish to get rid of it. https:\/\/www.mprnews.org\/story\/2025\/08\/05\/mercury-pollution-minnesota-lake-country Question #2: Compounding Pharmacies Long time listener, one time helper of Steve for his Sunrun solar panels. A strip mall right near my house has a \u201ccompounding pharmacy\u201d. I\u2019ve never heard of such a thing and haven\u2019t heard it mentioned on the show. I knew it had to be BS, and apparently it\u2019s an alternative medicine that is not regulated. I\u2019m wondering if you\u2019ve talked about this on the show, and if not, it might be worth a segment. Thanks for all you do! Guy Henry Segment #3. From TikTok Inventor of the Diesel Engine https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@ak5528861\/video\/7577842291453234462?_r=1&amp;amp;_t=ZP-92668NlVOAx Segment #4. 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 \u2013 and you can play along. Theme: Astronomy 2025 Item 1: Astronomers discovered a nearly perfect spherical bubble of gas and dust within the Milky Way, which they named Teleios, but do not yet have an explanation for its formation. Item 2: Scientists confirmed the existence of four Mars-sized planets orbiting Barnard\u2019s star, the closest single-star system to Earth at just 6 light years. Item 3: NASA\u2019s Curiosity rover discovered evidence of complex organic chemistry on Mars, including 12 carbon atoms and simple nucleic acids. Segment #5. Skeptical Quote of the Week \u201cThe time is coming when people won't listen to good teaching. Instead, they will look for teachers who will please them by telling them only what they are itching to hear. They will turn from the truth and eagerly listen to senseless stories.\u201d Christian Bible. 2 Timothy Chapter 4, verses 3-4 (from the Contemporary English Version)","author_name":"The Skeptics Guide To The Universe","author_url":"https:\/\/www.theskepticsguide.org","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/39481065\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/content\/196750185"}