The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe The Skeptics Guide #1083 - Apr 11 2026
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Apr 11, 2026 A lively mix of spaceflight mechanics and heat shield concerns around Artemis II, plus a playful take on a Waffle House teleportation claim. Deep dives into why people prefer certain colors and the brain studies behind those patterns. Ethical debates on human genetic engineering and a promising self-healing composite material. Plus a mystery noise reveal and a science-or-fiction trivia segment.
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Brain Signals Underpinning Fairness Choices
- fMRI and behavioral work show parts of the brain (medial prefrontal cortex, caudate, cingulate) activate when people choose fairness-oriented options.
- This supports empathetic mentalizing as a mechanism for preferring to protect the worst-off over aggregate utility.
People Prefer Protecting The Worst Off Over Aggregate Harm
- In a lab paradigm choosing one person to suffer more vs. many to suffer less, participants favored Rawlsian redistribution to protect the worst-off, not utilitarian minimization of total harm.
- The preference held even when choices were framed as action vs. inaction, showing intentionality matters.
Pain Nonlinearity Can Confound Moral Experiments
- A key limitation: pain in paradigms (cold water) isn't linear, so equating 30s vs 60s may misrepresent perceived harm and confound utilitarian comparisons.
- Researchers must ensure parameter ranges avoid thresholds where pain escalates nonlinearly.