Astronomer Phil Plait returned to the show to discuss such recent missions as the Cassini Probe at Saturn and the Mars Rovers, as well as to debunk what he considers to be "pseudoscience" and hoaxes. He discredited the "Aussie Bloke" case, in which an alleged astronomer was claiming in Internet postings that the Earth's orbit would be passing through the tails of several comets that would send calamitous meteors our way.
Plait enthused that the Mars Rovers had lasted well past their primary mission, and discussed the strange lumpy rock photographed there recently which has been dubbed the "Pot o' Gold." He also expressed excitement over NASA's SWIFT observatory which is planned to be launched in October 2004 to study gamma ray bursts. For a detailed rundown on Plait's views and comments related to the topics in this program visit this page he created for his website.
Quayle Update
First hour guest, author Steve Quayle offered commentary on current events such as the holiday terrorism threat and Saddam's identity. He also noted that there had been two more deaths of scientists to add to the growing list of microbiologists who have met untimely ends in the last couple of years.