SpaceTime Series 28 Episode 18
The Astronomy, Space and Science News Podcast
Asteroid Threat Level Rusty, Dark Matter Experiment, and Martian Lava Rocks
In this episode of SpaceTime, we discuss the alarming increase in the threat level of near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR4, now assessed at a 2.3% chance of impacting Earth on December 22, 2032. With astronomers worldwide closely monitoring its trajectory, we explore the potential consequences of an impact from this asteroid, including the possibility of a catastrophic airburst or a significant surface collision.
New Dark Matter Experiment in Space
We also delve into an ambitious new experiment aimed at uncovering the mysteries of dark matter. Researchers are testing a device that could potentially detect dark matter by measuring tiny signals in a zero-gravity environment. This groundbreaking approach seeks to provide insights into the elusive substance that constitutes approximately 85% of the universe's mass.
Insights from Martian Lava Rocks
Additionally, we examine findings from NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover, which are shedding light on a critical period in Martian history. The analysis of igneous rocks in Jezero Crater suggests that the Martian crust was formed through widespread volcanism, offering a glimpse into the planet's geological evolution and its implications for understanding the early solar system.
00:00 Space Time Series 28 Episode 18 for broadcast on 10 February 2025
00:49 Increased threat from asteroid 2024 YR4
06:30 New dark matter detection experiment in space
12:15 Martian lava rocks and the history of the Red Planet
18:00 Microplastics accumulation in the human brain
22:45 WHO review on radio wave exposure and cancer
27:00 Genetically modified rice with reduced methane emissions
30:15 Jane Goodall's belief in Sasquatch and its implications
www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com (http://www.bitesz.com)
🌏 Get Our Exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ www.bitesz.com/nordvpn (https://www.bitesz.com/nordvpn) . Enjoy incredible discounts and bonuses! Plus, it’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! ✌
Check out our newest sponsor - Old Glory (https://www.bitesz.com/oldglory) - Iconic Music and Sports Merch and now with official NASA merchandise. Well worth a look...
Become a supporter of this Podcast for as little as $3 per month and access commercial-free episodes plus bonuses: https://www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com/about (https://www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com/about)
✍️ Episode References
NASA
Journal of Science Advances
https://www.science.org/journal/sciadv
Nature Medicine
Molecular Plant
https://www.cell.com/molecular-plant/home
Australian Skeptics
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spacetime--2458531/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spacetime--2458531/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) .
Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/25503626?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:03 this is spacetime series 28 episode 18
00:00:03 --> 00:00:05 for broadcast on the 10th of February
00:00:05 --> 00:00:09 2025 coming up on SpaceTime NASA raises
00:00:09 --> 00:00:11 the threat level for a potentially Earth
00:00:11 --> 00:00:14 impacting asteroid plans for a new test
00:00:14 --> 00:00:16 to try and identify dark matter and
00:00:16 --> 00:00:19 Martian lava rocks spreading light on a
00:00:19 --> 00:00:21 critical period in the red planet's
00:00:21 --> 00:00:26 history all that and more coming up on
00:00:26 --> 00:00:29 SpaceTime welcome to SpaceTime with
00:00:29 --> 00:00:38 steuart gar
00:00:38 --> 00:00:46 [Music]
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 NASA has dramatically raised the Threat
00:00:48 --> 00:00:50 Level posed by a recently discovered
00:00:50 --> 00:00:53 neuroth asteroid NASA's jet propulsion
00:00:53 --> 00:00:55 laboratory in passing into California
00:00:55 --> 00:00:58 says the space Rock 2024 yr4 now has a 1
00:00:58 --> 00:01:02 in 43 that's a 2.3% chance of hitting
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 the Earth on December the 22nd
00:01:04 --> 00:01:07 2032 now that's double last week's
00:01:07 --> 00:01:10 estimate of 1 in 83 or 1.2% chance of a
00:01:10 --> 00:01:13 direct hit the figures are consistent
00:01:13 --> 00:01:15 with independent estimates by the center
00:01:15 --> 00:01:17 for near Earth object studies and the
00:01:17 --> 00:01:20 near Earth object Dynamic side meanwhile
00:01:20 --> 00:01:22 the European space agency's Planet your
00:01:22 --> 00:01:24 defense office says it's now begun to
00:01:24 --> 00:01:26 closely track the newly discovered
00:01:26 --> 00:01:30 asteroid 2024 yr4 was first detected
00:01:30 --> 00:01:33 back on December the 27th by Atlas the
00:01:33 --> 00:01:35 asteroid terrestrial impact last alert
00:01:35 --> 00:01:38 system following its Discovery Issa
00:01:38 --> 00:01:39 elevated the asteroid to the top of its
00:01:39 --> 00:01:42 asteroid risk list and astronomers
00:01:42 --> 00:01:44 worldwide have started undertaking high
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 priority follow-up observations closely
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 monitoring the space Rock to try and
00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 find out more about its orbit and
00:01:50 --> 00:01:53 trajectory it's currently ranked as a
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 level three on the Torino impact hazard
00:01:55 --> 00:01:58 scale and that suggests a close
00:01:58 --> 00:02:00 encounter which would warrant careful
00:02:00 --> 00:02:01 attention by both astronomers and
00:02:01 --> 00:02:03 authorities as well as the general
00:02:03 --> 00:02:05 public now based on the amount of
00:02:06 --> 00:02:09 observations available so far 2024 yr4
00:02:09 --> 00:02:12 appears to be on an elongated elliptical
00:02:12 --> 00:02:13 orbit around the sun it's currently
00:02:14 --> 00:02:15 moving away from the earth and that's
00:02:15 --> 00:02:18 making it more difficult to track so
00:02:18 --> 00:02:20 is's coordinating observations using
00:02:20 --> 00:02:22 larger more powerful telescopes such as
00:02:22 --> 00:02:25 the Catalina Sky survey and the European
00:02:25 --> 00:02:27 Southern observatory's VT or very large
00:02:27 --> 00:02:30 telescope in Chile the asid makes its
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 next close approach to Earth on December
00:02:32 --> 00:02:34 the 17th
00:02:34 --> 00:02:37 2028 while a near Miss of around 10
00:02:37 --> 00:02:41 16 km in 2032 is still likely with a
00:02:41 --> 00:02:43 98% chance any potential Earth impact
00:02:44 --> 00:02:46 would be along an arc running from the
00:02:46 --> 00:02:47 central eastern Pacific Ocean across
00:02:47 --> 00:02:50 Northern South America then the Atlantic
00:02:50 --> 00:02:52 Ocean then equatorial Africa and finally
00:02:52 --> 00:02:55 onto Northern India the asteroids
00:02:55 --> 00:02:58 between 60 and 90 M across an airburst
00:02:58 --> 00:03:00 explosion of an asteroid of this size
00:03:01 --> 00:03:02 would be the equivalent of about 8
00:03:02 --> 00:03:06 megatons of TNT now that's more than 500
00:03:06 --> 00:03:08 times the power of the harashima nuclear
00:03:08 --> 00:03:11 bomb now if yr4 is a rubble pile
00:03:11 --> 00:03:13 asteroid and most of them are then it
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 would likely air burst in the atmosphere
00:03:15 --> 00:03:18 similar the famous tangus event in 1908
00:03:18 --> 00:03:19 that's when an asteroid or Comet
00:03:19 --> 00:03:22 fragment measuring around 30 to 50 m
00:03:22 --> 00:03:25 wide exploded in the Skies over Siberia
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 that blast flattened over 80 million
00:03:27 --> 00:03:29 trees in a matchwood across an area of
00:03:30 --> 00:03:33 over 2 square kilm with a blinding
00:03:33 --> 00:03:34 flash bright enough to be seen a third
00:03:35 --> 00:03:36 of the way around the world in London
00:03:36 --> 00:03:38 where it was reported that the explosion
00:03:38 --> 00:03:40 was so bright it allowed people to read
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 their evening newspapers without the
00:03:42 --> 00:03:45 need to turn on lights on the other hand
00:03:45 --> 00:03:48 if yr4 is a rocky or iron asteroid it'll
00:03:48 --> 00:03:50 cut through the Earth's atmosphere like
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 a knife slamming hard into the planet's
00:03:52 --> 00:03:55 surface producing a massive crater as
00:03:55 --> 00:03:57 large as Sydney or Melbourne Central
00:03:57 --> 00:03:59 business district with a destructive
00:03:59 --> 00:04:01 shock wave flattening buildings up to 20
00:04:01 --> 00:04:04 km away from Ground Zero if it explodes
00:04:04 --> 00:04:06 over the ocean the blast wave could
00:04:06 --> 00:04:09 trigger a tsunami however as more and
00:04:09 --> 00:04:11 more is discovered about this asteroid
00:04:11 --> 00:04:13 and its trajectory and orbit are better
00:04:13 --> 00:04:15 understood it's expected and hoped that
00:04:16 --> 00:04:18 the risk factor will drop needless to
00:04:18 --> 00:04:20 say no matter what happens we'll keep
00:04:20 --> 00:04:24 you informed this is spacetime still to
00:04:24 --> 00:04:26 come a new test to try and determine
00:04:26 --> 00:04:29 what mysterious Dark Matter might be and
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 scientists say marshan lava rocks are
00:04:31 --> 00:04:33 shedding new light on a critical period
00:04:33 --> 00:04:36 in the red planet's history all that and
00:04:36 --> 00:04:42 more still to come on
00:04:42 --> 00:04:53 [Music]
00:04:53 --> 00:04:55 SpaceTime scientists are working on an
00:04:55 --> 00:04:57 ambitious new dark matter experiment in
00:04:57 --> 00:04:59 space which they hope can unravel one of
00:05:00 --> 00:05:02 the universe's greatest mysteries for
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 years researchers have been baffled by
00:05:05 --> 00:05:07 the puzzling invisible force of Dark
00:05:07 --> 00:05:09 Matter first identified back in the
00:05:09 --> 00:05:12 1930s Dark Matter does not emit absorb
00:05:12 --> 00:05:15 or reflect light making it undetectable
00:05:15 --> 00:05:17 by telescopes put simply scientists have
00:05:17 --> 00:05:20 no idea what it is but they know it
00:05:20 --> 00:05:21 exists because they can see its
00:05:21 --> 00:05:23 gravitational influence on regular
00:05:23 --> 00:05:26 So-Cal bionic matter such as preventing
00:05:26 --> 00:05:28 galaxies from flinging apart as they
00:05:28 --> 00:05:30 rotate and acting as a gravit ational
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 lens to amplify light from more distant
00:05:32 --> 00:05:35 background objects in fact based on
00:05:35 --> 00:05:37 these observations we now know Dark
00:05:37 --> 00:05:40 Matter makes up about 85% of all the
00:05:40 --> 00:05:43 mass in the universe that means that all
00:05:43 --> 00:05:45 the stars and galaxies planets gas and
00:05:45 --> 00:05:48 dust all the trees houses dogs cats cars
00:05:48 --> 00:05:52 and people only make up 15% of the total
00:05:52 --> 00:05:55 mass budget of the universe so trying to
00:05:55 --> 00:05:56 understand what dark matter is is an
00:05:57 --> 00:05:59 important step in science's quest to
00:05:59 --> 00:06:03 stand the cosmos put simply Dark Matter
00:06:03 --> 00:06:04 dictates the very structure of the
00:06:04 --> 00:06:08 universe and yet it remains a complete
00:06:08 --> 00:06:10 mystery now scientists have developed a
00:06:10 --> 00:06:13 New Concept which could Advance their
00:06:13 --> 00:06:15 understanding of Dark Matter they've
00:06:15 --> 00:06:17 started testing a device that measures
00:06:17 --> 00:06:19 tiny signals by firing lasers through
00:06:19 --> 00:06:21 graphite sheets levitating in zero
00:06:21 --> 00:06:24 gravity the study's lead author Tim FKS
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 from the University of Southampton says
00:06:26 --> 00:06:27 it could be the first step to more
00:06:27 --> 00:06:30 space-based experiments that might one
00:06:30 --> 00:06:32 day be able to detect dark matter he
00:06:32 --> 00:06:34 says while there are lots of theories as
00:06:34 --> 00:06:36 to what Dark Matter might be no
00:06:36 --> 00:06:38 experiment on Earth so far has even come
00:06:38 --> 00:06:41 close to detecting it but this new
00:06:41 --> 00:06:43 experiment is unlike anything attempted
00:06:43 --> 00:06:45 before folks and colleagues will
00:06:45 --> 00:06:48 levitate graphite between magnets which
00:06:48 --> 00:06:50 in zero gravity are incredibly sensitive
00:06:50 --> 00:06:52 to small forces if there's a
00:06:52 --> 00:06:54 sufficiently high density of dark matter
00:06:54 --> 00:06:57 the dark wind it creates will softly
00:06:57 --> 00:06:59 push the levitated particles by a measur
00:06:59 --> 00:07:02 amount thereby providing the first ever
00:07:02 --> 00:07:05 direct detection of dark matter the
00:07:05 --> 00:07:06 experimental device would be blasted
00:07:06 --> 00:07:08 into space aboard a new satellite which
00:07:08 --> 00:07:10 is now being developed between space
00:07:10 --> 00:07:12 South Central and the universities of
00:07:12 --> 00:07:14 Southampton Portsmouth and Su under the
00:07:14 --> 00:07:17 name Jovian one different options are
00:07:17 --> 00:07:19 still being explored by the Jovin one
00:07:19 --> 00:07:20 team which hopes to launch the satellite
00:07:20 --> 00:07:23 early next year the Southampton Dark
00:07:23 --> 00:07:26 Matter device weighs just 1 1/2 kg and
00:07:26 --> 00:07:28 once deployed will fly around the Earth
00:07:28 --> 00:07:31 in low orbit for about 2 years in order
00:07:31 --> 00:07:33 to conduct its tests FK says there are
00:07:33 --> 00:07:35 many theories that say Dark Matters
00:07:35 --> 00:07:37 interaction rate may actually be so high
00:07:37 --> 00:07:39 that it cannot penetrate Earth's
00:07:39 --> 00:07:41 atmosphere or the mountains under which
00:07:41 --> 00:07:42 most Dark Matter detectors have been
00:07:42 --> 00:07:45 built now this might explain why all the
00:07:45 --> 00:07:47 major experiments on Earth that have
00:07:47 --> 00:07:49 been built to try and detect Dark Matter
00:07:49 --> 00:07:52 haven't revealed any conclusive results
00:07:52 --> 00:07:55 we want to do levitated mechanics in
00:07:55 --> 00:07:58 Space the goal is to provide a proof of
00:07:58 --> 00:08:00 principle test for a new method of Dark
00:08:00 --> 00:08:02 Matter detection we are not exactly sure
00:08:02 --> 00:08:04 yet ourselves what dark matter is it's
00:08:04 --> 00:08:06 very active uh field of research so we
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 know it has to be out there based on
00:08:08 --> 00:08:09 gravitational effects but these are all
00:08:09 --> 00:08:11 indirect and we don't know what makes it
00:08:11 --> 00:08:13 up because it doesn't seem to interact
00:08:13 --> 00:08:16 with light and magnetism the way our
00:08:16 --> 00:08:18 conventional matter does it's very
00:08:18 --> 00:08:20 difficult to predict what kind of like
00:08:20 --> 00:08:22 technical implementations this knowledge
00:08:22 --> 00:08:24 might yield us but we're still in that
00:08:24 --> 00:08:26 like very early like fundamental
00:08:26 --> 00:08:28 Inception phase that's physicist Tim
00:08:28 --> 00:08:31 folks from the University of Southampton
00:08:31 --> 00:08:34 and this is spacetime still to come
00:08:34 --> 00:08:36 Martian lava rocks shedding new light on
00:08:36 --> 00:08:38 a critical phase in the red planet's
00:08:38 --> 00:08:40 history and later in the science report
00:08:40 --> 00:08:42 a new study warns that micro
00:08:42 --> 00:08:45 nanoplastics are accumulating at higher
00:08:45 --> 00:08:47 rates in the human brain than in see the
00:08:47 --> 00:08:50 kidneys or liver should we be concerned
00:08:50 --> 00:08:52 all that and more still to come on
00:08:52 --> 00:09:05 SpaceTime
00:09:05 --> 00:09:09 [Music]
00:09:09 --> 00:09:11 a new study suggests that the Martian
00:09:11 --> 00:09:13 crust was built up by widespread
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 volcanism rather than the volcanic
00:09:15 --> 00:09:16 Hotpot remnants which doop the red
00:09:16 --> 00:09:19 planet surface today the findings
00:09:19 --> 00:09:21 reported in the journal science advances
00:09:21 --> 00:09:24 suggest that the ous Rocks now being
00:09:24 --> 00:09:26 examined by NASA's M perseverance Rover
00:09:26 --> 00:09:29 in jez Crater appear to date back to a
00:09:29 --> 00:09:31 crucial time period in Martian
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 evolutionary history a time when the
00:09:33 --> 00:09:35 internal dynamics of the planet were
00:09:35 --> 00:09:37 undergoing major changes the study's
00:09:38 --> 00:09:39 lead author mck Schmidt from Brock
00:09:39 --> 00:09:42 University says volcanism on Mars is
00:09:42 --> 00:09:45 dominated by hotspots these are similar
00:09:45 --> 00:09:47 to Earth's Hawaii and Iceland where
00:09:47 --> 00:09:49 there's a focused magma Source deep in
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 the mantle which punches up through
00:09:51 --> 00:09:52 everything including the crust to erupt
00:09:53 --> 00:09:55 on the planet's surface but early on in
00:09:55 --> 00:09:57 Martian history there's modeling to
00:09:57 --> 00:09:59 support the idea that the Martian crust
00:09:59 --> 00:10:02 was built up by widespread volcanism not
00:10:02 --> 00:10:04 necessarily focused on those hot spots
00:10:04 --> 00:10:06 and the transition between the two is
00:10:06 --> 00:10:08 thought to have happened around the same
00:10:08 --> 00:10:10 time that these rocks now being examined
00:10:10 --> 00:10:13 by perseverance were formed Schmid and
00:10:13 --> 00:10:15 colleagues used perseverance pixel x-ray
00:10:15 --> 00:10:17 fluorescent spectrometer to determine
00:10:17 --> 00:10:20 the fine scale Elemental composition of
00:10:20 --> 00:10:22 Martian surface materials allowing them
00:10:22 --> 00:10:24 to remotely dive deep into the rocks to
00:10:25 --> 00:10:26 investigate how they formed and what
00:10:26 --> 00:10:29 they're made of Schmid says the samples
00:10:29 --> 00:10:31 from jezzro crater are thought to be at
00:10:31 --> 00:10:34 least 3 and2 billion years old Mars is
00:10:34 --> 00:10:36 very well preserved in terms of its
00:10:36 --> 00:10:38 early geological history and so that
00:10:38 --> 00:10:40 opens a window on the early history of
00:10:40 --> 00:10:43 our solar system see we can't say the
00:10:43 --> 00:10:45 same for the Earth erosion and plate
00:10:45 --> 00:10:47 tectonics have recycled the Earth's
00:10:47 --> 00:10:49 surface making it much harder to work
00:10:49 --> 00:10:52 out what our original Planet was like so
00:10:52 --> 00:10:55 by studying the history of Mars we not
00:10:55 --> 00:10:56 only better understand the inner solar
00:10:57 --> 00:10:59 systems history but also that of the
00:10:59 --> 00:11:02 Earth Earth as well this is
00:11:02 --> 00:11:17 [Music]
00:11:17 --> 00:11:19 spacetime and time now to take a brief
00:11:19 --> 00:11:20 look at some of the other stories making
00:11:20 --> 00:11:22 news and science this week with a
00:11:22 --> 00:11:25 science report a new study has found
00:11:25 --> 00:11:27 that both micro and nanoplastics
00:11:27 --> 00:11:30 accumulate at higher levels in the human
00:11:30 --> 00:11:32 brain than in the kidneys or liver the
00:11:32 --> 00:11:34 findings reported in the journal Nature
00:11:34 --> 00:11:36 medicine also found that levels of
00:11:36 --> 00:11:38 microplastics found in brains and livers
00:11:38 --> 00:11:41 increased between 2016 and
00:11:41 --> 00:11:43 2024 the authors use new techniques to
00:11:43 --> 00:11:45 look for plastic particles in liver
00:11:45 --> 00:11:47 kidney and brain samples from human
00:11:47 --> 00:11:50 body's autopsi between 2016 and 2024
00:11:50 --> 00:11:53 including some 52 brain specimens in the
00:11:54 --> 00:11:56 2016 samples the authors detected
00:11:56 --> 00:11:58 Plastics in all samples and found
00:11:58 --> 00:12:00 similar concentration in the livering
00:12:00 --> 00:12:03 kidneys but brain samples from 2016
00:12:03 --> 00:12:04 contain substantially higher
00:12:04 --> 00:12:06 concentrations of plastic particles than
00:12:06 --> 00:12:09 either the liver or the kidneys in the
00:12:09 --> 00:12:11 2024 samples the authors found plastic
00:12:11 --> 00:12:13 concentrations have become much higher
00:12:13 --> 00:12:15 in brain and liver tissues than those
00:12:15 --> 00:12:16 from
00:12:16 --> 00:12:18 2016 and interestingly concentrations in
00:12:18 --> 00:12:21 the brain were highest in 12 people who
00:12:21 --> 00:12:24 had dementia now this link between
00:12:24 --> 00:12:26 microplastics in the brain and dementia
00:12:26 --> 00:12:29 can't prove causation so reearch want to
00:12:29 --> 00:12:31 look at a wider range of tissue samples
00:12:31 --> 00:12:33 in order to investigate the health
00:12:33 --> 00:12:36 effects of microplastics in human
00:12:36 --> 00:12:39 organs a World Health Organization
00:12:39 --> 00:12:41 commission systematic review has failed
00:12:41 --> 00:12:43 to find any association between radio
00:12:43 --> 00:12:45 wave exposure and various cancers
00:12:46 --> 00:12:48 including Leukemia Lymphoma thyroid and
00:12:48 --> 00:12:52 oral cavity cancers it's the second who
00:12:52 --> 00:12:53 commission systematic review which has
00:12:53 --> 00:12:56 looked at the association between cell
00:12:56 --> 00:12:58 phones and cancer the first published
00:12:58 --> 00:13:00 last year looked at the association
00:13:00 --> 00:13:02 between cell phones and brain and other
00:13:02 --> 00:13:05 head Cancers and also failed to find any
00:13:05 --> 00:13:07 link you can read the latest study in
00:13:07 --> 00:13:10 full in the journal environment
00:13:10 --> 00:13:12 International scientists of bre a strain
00:13:12 --> 00:13:15 of rice which emit 70% less methane
00:13:15 --> 00:13:18 without compromising yield methane is a
00:13:18 --> 00:13:20 greenhouse gas more potent than carbon
00:13:20 --> 00:13:22 dioxide and it's become a specific
00:13:22 --> 00:13:25 concern as global warming increases and
00:13:25 --> 00:13:27 growing rice is responsible for around
00:13:27 --> 00:13:30 12% of global methane emissions with
00:13:30 --> 00:13:33 demand for the staple growing rice emits
00:13:33 --> 00:13:35 methane due to specific chemical
00:13:35 --> 00:13:37 compounds in its roots and researchers
00:13:37 --> 00:13:39 investigated differences between a
00:13:39 --> 00:13:40 genetically modified variety with low
00:13:40 --> 00:13:42 methane emissions and another variety
00:13:43 --> 00:13:44 with average emissions in order to
00:13:44 --> 00:13:46 identify which compounds were
00:13:46 --> 00:13:48 determining how much methane is being
00:13:48 --> 00:13:50 released once they identify these
00:13:50 --> 00:13:52 compounds the authors bred a high yield
00:13:52 --> 00:13:54 variety of rice with a non-GMO low
00:13:54 --> 00:13:56 emitting variety with the chemical
00:13:56 --> 00:13:58 composition they were looking for a
00:13:58 --> 00:14:00 report the journal molecular plant
00:14:00 --> 00:14:02 claims growing the plants from this
00:14:02 --> 00:14:05 cross breeding produce 70% less methane
00:14:05 --> 00:14:06 compared with the original high yield
00:14:06 --> 00:14:09 Vari previously used for
00:14:09 --> 00:14:12 breeding Dr Jane Goodall one of the
00:14:12 --> 00:14:14 planet's most respected primatologist
00:14:14 --> 00:14:17 and anthropologists says she's certain
00:14:17 --> 00:14:19 that Sasquatch in other words Bigfoot is
00:14:19 --> 00:14:23 real sasquatch is a giant 3 m tall apik
00:14:23 --> 00:14:25 bipedal hominid reported to inhabit the
00:14:25 --> 00:14:27 North American Wilderness especially
00:14:27 --> 00:14:29 around the forest of the Pacific northw
00:14:29 --> 00:14:31 West it also has its counterparts such
00:14:31 --> 00:14:34 as the yeti or abominable snowman which
00:14:34 --> 00:14:36 is said to roam the Himalayan mountain
00:14:36 --> 00:14:38 ranges of Asia although there have been
00:14:38 --> 00:14:41 thousands of alleged anecdotal sightings
00:14:41 --> 00:14:43 lots of disputed films video recordings
00:14:43 --> 00:14:45 photographs and even plastic casts of
00:14:45 --> 00:14:48 large Footprints no scientific evidence
00:14:48 --> 00:14:50 such as remains or DNA samples have ever
00:14:50 --> 00:14:53 been found but Tim minum from strin
00:14:53 --> 00:14:55 skeptic says for good all there's no
00:14:55 --> 00:14:58 debate and no hesitancy Bigfoot is real
00:14:58 --> 00:15:00 it is a fascina story because she's a
00:15:00 --> 00:15:01 very sympathetic person she comes across
00:15:01 --> 00:15:03 very well she's obviously done a lot of
00:15:03 --> 00:15:05 research on chimpanzees in Africa for a
00:15:05 --> 00:15:07 long time she's very sincere seems to be
00:15:07 --> 00:15:09 very qualified in that area but like a
00:15:09 --> 00:15:10 lot of scientists you have to be very
00:15:10 --> 00:15:12 careful when they step slightly outside
00:15:12 --> 00:15:14 their areas of expertise because they're
00:15:14 --> 00:15:16 just syndrome well yes yeah they're just
00:15:16 --> 00:15:18 as as prone to sort of Step as making a
00:15:18 --> 00:15:20 mistake as as the rest of us they're
00:15:20 --> 00:15:22 human like the rest of us but yeah Jane
00:15:22 --> 00:15:23 Goodall is always been a hero of
00:15:23 --> 00:15:25 everyone it's one of those sort of
00:15:25 --> 00:15:27 people like David aten Jane goodle that
00:15:27 --> 00:15:30 sort of person everybody loves but for
00:15:30 --> 00:15:34 years yeah possibly um for years she's
00:15:34 --> 00:15:35 been making in interviews and things
00:15:35 --> 00:15:37 she's been saying that she definitely
00:15:37 --> 00:15:39 believes in bigfoots and yetis and
00:15:39 --> 00:15:41 probably yahs if you ever heard of the
00:15:41 --> 00:15:43 Australian variation squats all that
00:15:43 --> 00:15:46 sort of stuff she can see she says one
00:15:46 --> 00:15:49 is no reason not to believe it and two
00:15:49 --> 00:15:50 yes it's worthwhile believing in it so
00:15:50 --> 00:15:52 the reason no reason not to believe it
00:15:52 --> 00:15:54 is totally pointless because it means
00:15:54 --> 00:15:55 you haven't looked at any evidence
00:15:55 --> 00:15:56 you're trying to find an Evidence where
00:15:56 --> 00:15:58 something doesn't exist is very hard you
00:15:58 --> 00:15:59 certainly have to look those who claim
00:15:59 --> 00:16:01 that there's evidence and look at the
00:16:01 --> 00:16:03 evidence okay so it's up to the claimant
00:16:03 --> 00:16:05 to put forward the evidence really you
00:16:05 --> 00:16:06 can't sort of say there's no evidence at
00:16:06 --> 00:16:08 all she's really not following the
00:16:08 --> 00:16:10 scientific method is she no not at all
00:16:10 --> 00:16:12 she I mean the evidence is the evidence
00:16:12 --> 00:16:14 that's been put forward on the belief is
00:16:14 --> 00:16:16 poor very anecdotal very sort of vague
00:16:17 --> 00:16:18 all those sort of things whether it's
00:16:18 --> 00:16:20 personal stor sightings sounds whatever
00:16:20 --> 00:16:22 Footprints you name it it's always very
00:16:22 --> 00:16:23 sort of dodgy things and because no
00:16:24 --> 00:16:25 one's actually found one right captured
00:16:25 --> 00:16:27 one killed one whatever it makes you
00:16:27 --> 00:16:29 only relying on these an toal and sort
00:16:29 --> 00:16:31 of very very vague evidence but that's
00:16:31 --> 00:16:33 not good enough in a scientific
00:16:33 --> 00:16:34 environment you got to get do better
00:16:34 --> 00:16:35 than that thank you very much and it
00:16:35 --> 00:16:37 seems that Jane goodle who's a scientist
00:16:37 --> 00:16:39 qualified very experienced in primates
00:16:40 --> 00:16:42 Etc has been coming out over the years
00:16:42 --> 00:16:43 and sort of not just once it's been a
00:16:43 --> 00:16:45 whole range of different times that she
00:16:45 --> 00:16:47 said this giving credence to yahi stat
00:16:47 --> 00:16:50 squat Bigwood Etc is a worry because
00:16:50 --> 00:16:51 people will believe it because she's a
00:16:51 --> 00:16:52 believable sort of person she's a nice
00:16:53 --> 00:16:55 person she in her scientific Community
00:16:55 --> 00:16:57 that's got to affect her credibility
00:16:57 --> 00:16:58 people have got to think she's being a
00:16:58 --> 00:17:01 Nutter yes it happens a lot but then
00:17:01 --> 00:17:02 people often allow for that and they say
00:17:02 --> 00:17:04 yeah well she's a nut in that area but
00:17:04 --> 00:17:06 in this area she's very good and does
00:17:06 --> 00:17:07 that override all the good things she's
00:17:07 --> 00:17:09 done not if you believe her not if not
00:17:09 --> 00:17:11 if you if you support her not if you
00:17:11 --> 00:17:13 have faith in her Etc you'll just regard
00:17:13 --> 00:17:15 this as sort of an Abomination a
00:17:15 --> 00:17:18 aberration this case both well we all
00:17:18 --> 00:17:19 have human foibles I guess we all have
00:17:19 --> 00:17:21 human fbl in a story about Alfred
00:17:21 --> 00:17:23 Russell Wallace which I written about a
00:17:23 --> 00:17:25 number of times who was the co-
00:17:25 --> 00:17:27 developer discoverer of natural
00:17:27 --> 00:17:29 selection in evolution the same time is
00:17:29 --> 00:17:31 believing in head bumps ionology
00:17:31 --> 00:17:33 believing in spiritualism believing in
00:17:33 --> 00:17:35 all sorts of pseudo Sciences Etc at the
00:17:35 --> 00:17:37 same time as being a scientist and they
00:17:37 --> 00:17:39 noted and approved scientists the people
00:17:39 --> 00:17:41 who work with him Etc just said oh
00:17:41 --> 00:17:43 that's just Alfie being a bit strange
00:17:43 --> 00:17:44 over there but his work here is great
00:17:44 --> 00:17:46 and you think well does that mean that
00:17:46 --> 00:17:48 the person himself is is wrong is the
00:17:48 --> 00:17:50 work wrong an agile problem anyway so
00:17:50 --> 00:17:52 Jane goodle because she is respected
00:17:52 --> 00:17:54 because she comes across well and
00:17:54 --> 00:17:56 because she gives Credence to the
00:17:56 --> 00:17:58 possibility that means it exists and
00:17:58 --> 00:18:00 people will believe her saying it exists
00:18:00 --> 00:18:02 and you say ah Jane goodle says you know
00:18:02 --> 00:18:03 it's true and she should know therefore
00:18:03 --> 00:18:05 it must be true unfortunately not you
00:18:05 --> 00:18:07 could say the same thing about Edwin
00:18:07 --> 00:18:09 Hubble he he believed in in elves and
00:18:09 --> 00:18:12 yet uh he was a brilliant astronomer and
00:18:12 --> 00:18:17 that's timum from Australian Skeptics
00:18:17 --> 00:18:30 [Music]
00:18:30 --> 00:18:33 and that's the show for now SpaceTime is
00:18:33 --> 00:18:35 available every Monday Wednesday and
00:18:35 --> 00:18:38 Friday through Apple podcasts iTunes
00:18:38 --> 00:18:41 Stitcher Google podcast pocketcasts
00:18:41 --> 00:18:45 Spotify acast Amazon music bites.com
00:18:45 --> 00:18:47 SoundCloud YouTube your favorite podcast
00:18:48 --> 00:18:50 download provider and from SpaceTime
00:18:50 --> 00:18:53 with Stewart gar.com space time's also
00:18:53 --> 00:18:55 broadcast through the National Science
00:18:55 --> 00:18:57 Foundation on science Z Radio and on
00:18:57 --> 00:19:00 both iHeart Radio and TuneIn radio and
00:19:00 --> 00:19:02 you can help to support our show by
00:19:02 --> 00:19:04 visiting the SpaceTime store for a range
00:19:04 --> 00:19:07 of promotional merchandising goodies or
00:19:07 --> 00:19:09 by becoming A Spacetime Patron which
00:19:09 --> 00:19:11 gives you access to Triple episode
00:19:11 --> 00:19:13 commercial free versions of the show as
00:19:13 --> 00:19:15 well as lots of bonus audio content
00:19:15 --> 00:19:17 which doesn't go to a access to our
00:19:17 --> 00:19:19 exclusive Facebook group and other
00:19:19 --> 00:19:21 Awards just go to SpaceTime with Stewart
00:19:22 --> 00:19:25 gary.com for full details you've been
00:19:25 --> 00:19:28 listening to SpaceTime with Stuart Gary
00:19:28 --> 00:19:30 this has been another quality podcast
00:19:30 --> 00:19:33 production from bites.com