Episode #980
News Items
Science or Fiction
-
Item #1
Science
A new economic study finds that by 2050 the economic loss of climate change will be about 19% of the global economy, or 38 trillion dollars annually, even without further emissions. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07219-0
-
Item #2
Fiction
Scientists have bioengineered a cultivar of corn that has orange stalks and leaves, to make weeding easier for robots. https://www.cell.com/trends/plant-science/abstract/S1360-1385(24)00057-8
-
Item #3
Science
Paleontologists have formally described the largest marine reptile, an ichthyosaur estimated at 25 meters, about the size of a blue whale. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0300289
Skeptical Quote of the Week.
‘Actual science is _the_ great accomplishment of mankind. The antidote to ignorance, superstition, religious zealotry, and nonsensical beliefs in general. An eclipse exemplifies, to even the lay-est of laypeople, just how advanced modern science is.’ - John Gruber