Science You Believe That Isn't True & The Story of The Lie Detector - SYSK Choice

Mar 15, 2025

Brian Clegg, a science writer with over 40 books to his name, joins Amit Katwala, an award-winning journalist from Wired, to debunk popular scientific myths. They tackle misconceptions like goldfish memory and water conductivity. Clegg emphasizes the importance of understanding science to navigate these false beliefs. Katwala shares the intriguing history of the polygraph, discussing its controversial reliability despite its frequent portrayal in media. Together, they unravel the truth behind both science and the myths that permeate our society.

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INSIGHT

Scientific Misconceptions

Common scientific statements are often untrue.
Examples include lightning never striking the same place twice and the Big Bang explaining the universe's beginning.

INSIGHT

Water Conductivity

Pure water is a poor conductor of electricity.
Impurities like minerals enable water to conduct electricity.

ANECDOTE

Lightning Strikes

The Empire State Building gets struck by lightning about 25 times yearly.
Park ranger Roy Sullivan was struck seven times.

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This may be hard to imagine but trees can fight crime. Not all types of crime but they the fight some crime – and no one really knows how they do it. Listen to hear the explanation. https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2019/04/trees-crime-cincinnati-philadelphia-ida-b-wells-chicago/

People believe things like goldfish have a 3-second memory. Or that lightning never strikes twice in the same place. And I bet you believe that water is a good conductor of electricity. None of these things are true. They are examples of the many science myths that a lot of people believe. In this episode, we are going to debunk these and others with my guest, science writer Brian Clegg. Brian is the author of over 40 books, one of which is titled Lightning Often Strikes Twice: The 50 Biggest Misconceptions in Science (https://amzn.to/41sY3jK)

I’m sure you’ve seen a polygraph machine in movies or on TV. This device can supposedly tell if someone is lying. But does it actually work? If it is so reliable, why do most courts refuse to allow the results of polygraph tests as evidence? Yet, if it is unreliable, why is it still being used? The story of the polygraph or lie detector is fascinating. Here to tell it is Amit Katwala an award winning journalist, a senior writer at Wired and author of the book Tremors in the Blood: Murder, Obsession, and the Birth of the Lie Detector (https://amzn.to/3Zngu7C)

Are men better drivers than women? It really depends on your definition of “better.” However, in terms of accidents, moving violations and parking ability, there is a difference between men and women. Listen and I’ll reveal which gender scores better. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/27/well/live/car-accidents-deaths-men-women.html

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