Episode #521

News Items

    Science or Fiction

    • Item #1 Fiction

      The Brown/Willy Effect is an optical phenomenon visible during a transit of Venus or Mercury, in which something resembling a drop of water appears to connect the disc of the planet with the edge of the sun. It is named for the discoverers of the effect.

    • Item #2 Science

      The Jack-In-The-Box Effect is a catastrophic kill on a tank or other turreted armored vehicle in which an ammunition explosion causes the tank’s turret to be violently blown off the chassis and into the air. It is named after the child’s toy, the jack-in-the-box, in which a puppet pops up.

    • Item #3 Science

      The Overview Effect is a cognitive shift in awareness reported by some astronauts and cosmonauts during spaceflight, often while viewing the Earth either from orbit or from the lunar surface

    Skeptical Quote of the Week.

    “The problem with today’s world is that everyone believes they have the right to express their opinion AND have others listen to it. The correct statement of individual rights is that everyone has the right to an opinion, but crucially, that opinion can be roundly ignored and even made fun of, particularly if it is demonstrably nonsense!” ― Brian Cox