Episode #934
News Items
Question #1: Which Attenborough?
- Correction of Richard Attenborough vs David Attenborough
- Hi, I’m a recent listener to your podcast and I have a question for your panel. In the 5/29 issue of the New Yorker Magazine, an article on trees questions the wisdom of mass tree plantings as away to combat global warming. Specifically, it says that although the world’s forests absorb around 16 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide every year, they also emit 8 billion tons. I know that some carbon dioxide is emitted due to respiration at night, but these numbers still seem way off. Can this be true? The online version of the story is dated 5/22. WHAT WE OWE OUR TREES Forests fed us, housed us, and made our way of life possible. But they can’t save us if we can’t save them. By Jill Lepore
Science or Fiction
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Item #1
Fiction
A newly published clinical study finds that a daily eyedrop can partially reverse myopia (nearsightedness) in children. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/fullarticle/2805504
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Item #2
Science
A study conducted during the pandemic shutdown finds that over the short term reducing pollution increases global warming. https://www.su.se/english/news/measurements-reveal-the-impact-of-air-pollution-on-climate-and-health-in-southern-asia-1.651602
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Item #3
Science
Researchers report the production of an organic solar cell with a record-breaking efficiency >19%, which is close to commercial silicon solar cells. https://www.cleanenergyreviews.info/blog/most-efficient-solar-panels
Skeptical Quote of the Week.
“The plural of anecdote is not data” attributed to Erika Engelhaupt