The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe The Skeptics Guide #1079 - Mar 14 2026
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Mar 14, 2026 A lively mix of science and skepticism. They unpack cognitive bias with a clear take on the fundamental attribution error. Deep dives into photosynthesis improvements, Rubisco breakthroughs, and potential crop yield gains. Astronomy talk covers magnetars and superluminous supernovae. They debunk bioweapon claims about Lyme disease and examine chatbot-driven medical misinformation. Quick rounds on logical fallacies and climate trend questions.
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Combine Clumping With CO2 Pumps For C4 Crops
- Combine the simple Rubisco-clumping trick with CO2-concentrating pumps from C4 plants to create high-yield C4 crops.
- Novella frames this as the 'holy grail' of GMOs that could raise wheat and rice yields ~50%.
Magnetar Birth May Explain Superluminous Supernovae
- Superluminous supernovae may be powered by newly born magnetars whose rotational energy dumps into the ejecta, boosting brightness.
- Bob Novella explains magnetar spin-down and frame-dragging of a tilted accretion disk can produce the observed bumpy light curves.
No Evidence US Created Lyme Disease
- Recent claims that US bioweapons programs created Lyme disease are unsupported and rely on circumstantial 'dumpster diving' in declassified documents.
- Evan Bernstein and Stephen Novella cite genetic evidence showing Borrelia existed in North American wildlife long before modern research.