The European Skeptics Podcast

Just a quick update to give you three extra news items: - Darwin was a misunderstood fantasy author - The famous drop bears in Austria not extinct after all - Skepticism has won and is no longer neededThanks for everything! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we we mention the Icelandic volcanic eruptions and then a bit randomly reflect upon languages and spelling. Pontus asks people to check out the VoF web site and András informs us about the Hungarian Skeptics’ Flat Earth-prize. In history Wilhelm Röntgen was born this week the pope gets poked for congratulating the Philippines for being so gloriously invaded and oppressed 500 years ago. We take a new look at the covid vaccine situation, before we check out the news: - Middlesex University gets rid of homeopathy training - Spain adopts euthanasia law despite conservative opposition - Follow-up: Doctor who facilitated death may lose his license, although he was aquitted - Russian scientists looking for the tiniest particles (from under Lake Baikal) - Adverse effects of low level mm wave radiations could not be found (5G) - Conspiracy theories in small print on soda bottles - New lawsuit against Facebook for being a hub of misinformation - New book (available online for free in Spanish): The Office of D

This week we we start by checking out some science: travel faster than speed of light(?) and the wonderful 3D-model of the Antikythera mechanism. We look back at the birth of the Hungarian Skeptic Society and we poke the pope for being a bigot about gay marriage. We look at the covid vaccine situation and especially if the AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine appears safe, before we check out the news:New book: Fake news a threat to democracy?New tool to help students detect fake images and videosPeople with high emotional intelligence less susceptible to fake news?Water ‘vitalizer’ banned for possible interference with radio devicesSocial media watchdog: Instagram highly responsible for the spreading of misinformation?New book out: ‘Don’t get mixed up with food’Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; This Week; Pontus Pokes the Pope; Covid-19 Update; News; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takesThe Events Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we geek out some more about space, mention the demonstrations in Stockholm and the upcoming Cologne virtual skeptics in the pub. Some German children’s stories from the past are absolutely horrible and then we celebrate the birthday of Yuri Gagarin, the first person in space. Pope Francis went to Iraq endangering the public and himself and reported back that there was “a woman on the plane”. Then we have a covid-19 update before we get into the news:Order of Physicians sanctions doctors who spread antivax misinformationNew book: Fact-checking vaccinationsFacebook struggles with checking non-English contentElectric cars do not produce more particle pollutantsLatest study reveals more about the placebo effectThe Good Magic Award 2021 winner announcedSkeptiker Schweiz changes name to Kritisch DenkenThe UK General Chiropractic Council gets the prize for being Really Wrong.Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; This Week; Pontus Pokes the Pope; Covid-19 Update; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Ou

This week we first marvel at the on-going Mars missions, mention Germany’s need to get a new haircut and are fascinated by the Mount Etna eruptions. If you want to know where to find the French skeptics or the Observatoire Zététique, we tell you how, before we celebrate Brian Cox’ birthday. Pope Frances have double troubles with his trip to Iraq and that the Vatican finances are bleeding. Then, of course, we take look at the news: - COVID-19 – So, are we gonna win this?- -Cancer and cardiovascular diagnoses missed during pandemic - Wodarg (CoViD denier) is filing a lawsuit against Volksverpetzer - Vaccines scams emerge as rollout continues - Over 60% of Russians do not want the Sputnik vaccine – virus is created as biological weapon - Conspiracy theories start to take hold at age 14? - All the talks of ESC 2019 are now on YouTube - Freshwater fish in catastrophic decline - Swedish MD not charged for assisted death - Edzard Ernst shares some of the content from his latest book in EnglishGwyneth Paltrow claims

This week we geek out a bit about the landing of Perseverance on Mars, we (again) ponder the chances to become an ESA astronaut. Facebook stupidly believes Europe is a place in Australia and takes it out on this podcast. Idiots. (Speaking of Downunder, you should check out the Skeptic Zone and their logical fallacies series). We talk about Dolly the sheep who was presented to the public this week 24 years ago, and then Pontus reluctantly admits that the Pope did something good, sort of. Then, of course, we look at the news:Early results show an 85% drop in symptomatic cases after first vaccine doseExcess deaths in Sweden lower than European AverageStudy says: Everyone believes at least one conspiracy theoryViral video doesn’t show what it saysVitamin D-COVID-19 preprint removed from Lancet serverThe COVID Cube – to help you make the right decision about a COVID vaccineHomeopaths’ hardships aboundAre Extremists less able to do complex mental tasks?Fake medicine – New book outWell, Facebook definitely needs a g

This week we are happy that the Covid-19 Communication Handbook have been translated into German. A Swedish translation is underway and hopefully many more. We then celebrate Copernicus birthday before we look at the news:Secret Facebook group of academics, researchers and opinion-formers spreads misinformation about Swedish corona responseResearchers study the link between practicing alternative medicine and attitude towards vaccinationsFacebook finally bans misinformation about all vaccinesMarketer of alkalizing drops could go to jail for potentially dangerous fraudGuy launches GoFundMe campaign to launch his flat-earther friend into spaceThe guy (Edzard Ernst) is not just sitting around – publishes a book every few months nowPolish women should have “a room to cry in” in Church after abortionApostolic remains lying in Rome?To round off the episode the Romanian Orthodox Church gets the Really Wrong Award for continuing to kill people in the name of religion.Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; This Week; News;

This week we talk to Philipp Schmid about the COVID-19 Vaccine Communication Handbook. Philipp is a behavioural scientist at the Psychology and Infectious Diseases Lab at the University of Erfurt in Germany. He is also an Interim Lecturer for Statistics and Methods at the university’s Department of Psychology. Philipp is an expert in the psychological background of vaccine hesitancy, which is one of the hot topics for skeptics due to the ongoing pandemic. He has worked a lot with the World Health Organization and other intergovernmental institutions like the Robert Koch Institute. He recently took part of the international team behind the brilliant and extremely important booklet, The COVID-19 Vaccine Communication Handbook, but he also worked on the updated version of the Debunking Handbook.Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; Interview; Farewell; Outro; Out-takesEvents Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we note that Martin Moder (see ep. #236) are making videos so well that anti-vaxxers want them taken down. The Swedish Skeptics has a great video up from their (English-speaking) Skeptics in the Pub on-line. Pope Francis keeps absolutely quiet regarding the abuse scandals in Spain and then we get a Covid-19 update before we look at the news:Facebook still making money out of anti-vax sitesNew book out in Portugal: ‘Caught by the virus’Eustoquio Molina award for standing up for scienceLargest global opinion poll yet shows great support for climate emergency actionsEurope created more energy from renewables than fossil fuels last yearThere might not be phosphene in Venus’ atmosphere after all…Dyatlov Pass incident put in new context thanks to latest snow dynamics studyTory MP Sir Desmond Swayne gets the Really Wrong Award for fueling sentiments against covid restriction .Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; This Week; Pontus Pokes the Pope; Covid Update; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-

This week we get nostalgic about the days when we could travel. We marvel over the fact that some people still thinks it is okay to do so, since the Swedish ski resorts report they are as busy as ever. Nothing new about the pope today, we get a Covid-19 update and then it's time for us to look at the news:Study wants to show who is turning to the Covid-denying Querdenker movementBacklash for French Covid19 vaccinesThe Good Magic Awards are backStudy shows the neccessity of big visual signs to warn people about fake newsColloidal silver and other pseudoscientific therapies potentially dangerousHungarian media using a hoax about the NetherlandsStudy on the use and confidence in therapies not based on scienceIt has come to light that a Swedish company has sold fake covid-19 certificates to unknowing customers and of course that earns them a Really Wrong Award.Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; This Week; Covid Update; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy f

This week Annika has got some real nutty advice in the mail. She has also made a cameo on the Skeptic Zone, check it out!. Things are flying in the air, in Norway it was a meteor (landing as a meteor-ite, thank you very much) and in Sweden it was a real(?) UFO!Rudolph II (“Holy Roman Emperor, Batman!”) died in 1612, but his contribution to our understanding of the universe lives on. Pope Francis’ bishops are dropping like flies as if God doesn’t exist, we get a Covid-19 update and then it’s time for us to look at the news:The COVID-19 Vaccine Communication Handbook by S. LewandowskyAntivaxxers minority but very loudThe journal Nature retracts paper linking BMI with honestyTalk to me – Corona Edition, App launched in English and GermanWikipedia just turned 20EFSA approves mealworms as human foodConsultation launched over gene edited food in EnglandOur forests on track to reaching a tipping pointFake doctor withdraws from lawsuitWe finish with a Really Wrong Award going to the Irish Commission to investigate th

This week Annika is back! We hear that Pontus apparently is the new Confounderer of the Year and that UK Skeptics in the Pub Online is back after the holidays. Check out the calendar for the new events! We congratulate renowned skeptic and philosopher Massimo Pigliucci on his birthday, note that the Pope has misplaced billions of dollars and then we have a look at the news:College of Medicine and Integrated Health launches the Integrated Medicine AllianceNatalie Grams honoured with Prize for Civil CourageUpdate on warmest year contestVaccine hesitancy among medical staffPolio updatePSA suspends accreditation of Society of HomeopathsGuitar pedal circuit shared as COVID 5G chip diagram.Radiation protection stickers are useless, study findsWe finish with a Really Wrong Award going to the German health care system for using tax money to fund anthroposophical nonsense against Covid-19.Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; This Week; Pontus Pokes the Pope; Covid Update; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out

This week we start the new year with an update on the Swedish pandemic laws and recommend you check out the speech that András gave at Monterrey Skepticamp 2021. In skeptical history we celebrate the birth of Alfred Russel Wallace and Pontus pokes the Pope for ‘firing’ a Cardinal and an Archbishop. We get a Covid vaccine update and then we look at the news:Swedish Skeptical Awards for 2020 – Enlightener and Confounderer of the yearLatest book by Edzard Ernst – in GermanEdzard Ernst’s challenge unanswered by homeopathsGerman pilot draws syringe on the map to remind everyone of the COVID-vaccineDramatic change in opinion – 71% of Swedes say they will vaccinate against covidEnjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; This Week; Covid Update; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takesEvents Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are extremely happy to welcome the first ever ESP Skepti-baby! Annika and her newborn girl are doing very well and they send their regards to the listeners. Whoohoo!We spend the episode to look back at the very strange year of 2020. Lots of bad news of course and not just pandemic related, we will for one thing always miss the grandfather of modern skepticism, James the Amazing Randi.But there were good things too, like the many great people we had the fortune to interview and the 250th episode live stream with all our special friends. We and look forward to seeing the new year and there are reasons to be cautiously optimistic, like the new vaccines. We hope all our listeners are ready to follow us into 2021, and who knows, we may even get to meet some of you at QED, because this year it has to happen, right?And speaking of good news, we also hand out a Really Right Award for the Anti-vaxx Playbook.Happy New Year!Segments:Intro; Greetings; Covid Update; Ups and Downs of 2020; Really Right; Quote and Farewe

This week we start by recommending a German Podcast Christmas Special, we report that Sucharit Bhakdi won the Goldenes Brett award and talk about the Saturn / Jupiter planetary conjunction. Pontus reports that his book “the Dooma” is slightly delayed and then we get into the news:Our friend Martin Moder made a very good video about the safety of the new CoVid vaccineImproved trust in science within Swedish public during 2020Trust in media sources has risenComment by Swedish king about corona is so way off it’s not even wrongKaraoke bar from Berlin trying to sue virologist Professor Drosten – surely that will stop CoViD?ARP-SAPC publishes a monography on COVID-19 and critical thinkingHuge differences in Covid vaccine prizes, but all are cheaper than expected2020 on track to become one of three warmest years on recordSanta apparently is immune to CoViD! We are of course skeptical, not of WHO or CoViD, but of Santa – but the Christmas presents are safe!Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; This Week; Covid Update; Ne

This week we talk about that alt-med and antivaxxers have been visible on TV and how a town in Austria had to change its rather unfortunate name. We celebrate the anniversary of the Hungarian Skeptics and then we get into the news:New Brexit craze – Vaccine approval sped up because no EU to hold us backBibliometric analysis of global research into SCAM and COVID-19Former space security chief goes mental about alleged aliensWhat’s with the phallic symbols everywhere?Swedish health regions have spent 28 MEUR on weighted blanketsJohn Maddox prizes announced TODAYDas Goldene Brett – finalists announcedFollow-up: Influencer selling fish oil as covid treatment found guiltyNew series of videos: A scientist in the supermarketThen the Really Wrong award goes to all the religious exemptions to covid restrictions.Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; This Week; Covid Update; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takesEvents Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m

This week we talk to Nikil Mukerji, a German author, philosopher and skeptic. He has a position at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and academic director of philosophy, politics and economy.He studied economy, philosophy and theory of science and wrote his PhD thesis about consequentialism. He is an academic instructor and teacher, as well as a researcher of philosophy and ethics.He is also a very active skeptic, as he is head of the scientific board of GWUP (the German Skeptics) and a regular speaker at SkepKon. He also often writes for the German skeptics magazine “Skeptiker”Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; Interview; Farewell; Outro; Out-takesEvents Calendar: http://theesp.eu/events_in_europe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we reflect a on the new vaccines that are coming. Annika sings(!) to celebrate the quiz performance of Pontus, Brian and Claire last week and then she tells us about a memorial for fallen aliens, announced ten years ago this week. Pontus Pokes the Pope for a whole lot of serious things and for liking a sexy butt on his Instagram account. Then we get into the news:Patriarch Irinej and his Darwin-Award worthy storyNew book out about teaching biology in schools with health education and skepticismThe Debunking Handbook 2020 – German translation now availableFrench debate about making covid-vaccination mandatoryDarwin’s notebooks reported stolen from Cambridge University LibraryGerman Green Party no longer backs homeopathyWorld Wild Web – A new critical thinking gameSpanish Government to decide what is harmful fake newsPortuguese court rules based on misunderstanding science of covid testsSurprisingly, acupuncture is useless for people recovering from breast surgeryNo, Danish study doesn’t show masks ar

This week we celebrate 250 episodes and five years on the road with the ESP. We invited all guest hosts who ever have sat in for a show and they all joined us for our first ever live stream episode! With us we had Brian Eggo, Deborah Hyde, Claire Kroulik-Klingenberg, Jelena Levin, Jay Novella, Richard Saunders and of course our normal(?) hosts, András, Annika and Pontus.There was also The Awesome Quiz of Europe, Skepticism and Everything Else, prepared by the one and only Annika Harrison!Enjoy!You can also enjoy the unedited live video version on our Youtube-channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJH065e1lncSegments:Intro; Live stream; OutroEvents Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Pontus is a bit under the weather so András and Annika send him their “thoughts and prayers” (don’t worry, he is fine). Then we mention an interesting documentary about SCAM practitioners and give a heads up for next weeks jubilee episode 250. And five years ago this week the ESP made its debut! Then we give a Covid update before we get into the news:The new Pre-Bunking game: Breaking Harmony SquareAnother science communicator and journalist charged for speaking out against fraudsEdzard Ernst’s challenge to all homeopaths in the worldThermographic imaging – a risk to cancer patientsNewly emerging issues with climate change actionsMeasles cases in 2019 at a record high in 23 yearsTo round off the show, Victor Orbán gets a Really Wrong award for using the pandemic as an excuse for homophobic nonsense.Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; COVID Update; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takesEvents Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i