Synopsis
The European Skeptics Podcast is a project in support of the skeptic movement across Europe. By providing a forum for all national and international organisations and initiatives, our goal is to become a real meeting place for skeptics and science enthusiasts.
Episodes
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TheESP – Ep. #248 – Skepti-baby Alert!
13/11/2020 Duration: 01h08minThis week we first chat a bit about Trump, having covid in your family and an opportunity to talk to Swedish MPs. We also mention the Vienna terror attacks and the Hay Winter Festival. Annika has an exciting announcement regarding increasing the number of skeptics in the world.In history news we acknowledge the anniversary of the Night of Broken Glass and then Pontus Pokes the Pope for disciplining a Cardinal so old that he does not know what happened.After a Covid-update we then get into the actual news:Chiropractors don't like informed consentDoes article 61 of Magna Charta allow citizens to disobey COVID-19 regulations?Grandmothers sue government over climate challenge failureHow COVID-19 is reshaping the way people trust politiciansMedWatch wins federal Consumer Protection AwardUpdate on the last five years of RCTs about homeopathyEnjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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TheESP – Ep. #247 – Stephan Lewandowsky
05/11/2020 Duration: 53minThis week we talk to Stephan Lewandowsky,professor of cognitive psychology and one of the drivers behind the Debunking Handbook 2020, the recently published follow-up to the previous debunking handbook from 2011. A great resource for anyone, it summarises the current state of the science of misinformation and its debunking. It was written by a team of 22 prominent scholars of misinformation and its debunking, and it represents the current consensus on the science of debunking for engaged citizens, policymakers, journalists, and other practitioners.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.
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TheESP – Ep. #246 – RIP, James “the Amazing” Randi
29/10/2020 Duration: 01h08minThis week we remember James “the Amazing” Randi, a great skeptic and generous person who like no one else influenced the skeptic movement. His legacy lives on.We also reflect a bit on daylight saving before we go further back in time than usual in this week in history and look into the importance of Emperor Constantine and the Battle of the Milvian Bridge for early Christianity. Then Pontus looks into if Pope Francis really has changed his and the Church’s position on gay rights, before we get into the news:COVID-19 updateNo evidence contact tracing helps tackle COVIDWHO and Wikipedia team up to combat pandemic misinformationUnited Nations turns 75Iris Hundertmark and her pharmacy – updateARP-SAPC newsPatents on homeopathic productsIPSOS – Trust in news sources by countryEnjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; Pontus Pokes the Pope; This Week; 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.
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TheESP – Ep. #245 - Lust for Blood
22/10/2020 Duration: 58minThis week we notice the new I am Greta movie strangely so far is only in theaters and not online. Covid number are going up, especially in Germany where conspiracy theories are growing, but the German speaking community can celebrate that former GWUP Science Council member Dr. Krista Federspiel has been awarded the Österreichisches Ehrenkreuz für Wissenschaft und Kunst or the Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art. A special call goes out for everyone who can support to SKEPP who needs to defend two of their members who have been sued by a multimillionaire (see Ep #243).We’re happy to hear that Pontus is making progress with his sci-fi novel and then we dive into the news:World Doctors’ Alliance – WTFGuy claims he can cure COVID with homeopathyIs banning content the way to go? Facebook and YoutubeFitness influencer dies after having denied COVID existedOrban wants to raise children as ‘Homo christianus’Editors refuse to retract intelligent design paperThe Debunking Handbook 2020 editionEnjoy!Segments:Int
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TheESP – Ep. #244 – Go Women in Science!
15/10/2020 Duration: 01h05minThis week we start by celebrating that several women received the Nobel Prize this year. Well deserved and a good trend! We also look at the latest Global warming news delivered by Copernicus. We may need to find another planet to live on… In this week in history we get nostalgic about QED which was supposed to happen this week, but hey, we have many fond memories from previous years to look back on!Then we dive into the news:New pre-bunking online game GoViral to be used to counter COVID-misinformationSurveys in different countries reveal many young people lack basic knowledge about the HolocaustHomeopathy no longer exclusive to pharmacies in NorwayLatest attempts to legitimize homeopathy in Austria46% of Hungarians would not get vaccinated against COVIDThe most compelling evidence for the existence of Nessie yet?Most ambitious climate law voted on by European ParliamentEarthShot Prize for solutions to global climate issuesEnjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; This Week; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Ou
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TheESP – Ep. #243 – Belgian Skeptics Sued!
08/10/2020 Duration: 01h04minThis week we start by urging you to register nominations for the Ockham Awards, handled by The Skeptic. The deadline is 31 October. That’s the same date that Skepsis in the Netherlands will hold their full day ‘Skepsis Congress 2020’, check it out!Then we chat to Patrick Vermeren, who together with fellow skeptic Bart Van de Ven, is sued for defamation(!) by Carl Van de Velde, the multimillionaire behind the ‘Opleidingsinstituut’. Despite losing in the first instance Van de Velde has appealed and there is a fundraiser in support of our friends. No on Poking of Francis this week in Pontus’ absence, instead move directly to the news:Extinction denial is the new thing. UN Summit on biodiversity addressed that, tooGerman Order of Merit goes to…New prosecution in Macchiarini caseLandmark study of 1.7 million women – HPV vaccine better at preventing cervical cancer than previously thoughtIs the EU cheating in net-zero emissions plans?Dutch Cancer Society gets Master Kackadoris PrizeEnjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings;
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TheESP - Ep. #242 - Stefanie Handl, the Skeptic Vet
01/10/2020 Duration: 54minThis week we interview veterinarian Dr. Stefanie Handl from Vienna, Austria. Her special fields are nutrition and diets for pets. She is a member of the “Gesellschaft für kritisches Denken” (“Society for Critical Thinking”) which is the local chapter of the German skeptical organization, GWUP. Stefanie is very actively working to inform the public about nutrition woo and so called alternative medicine, especially when it comes to veterinary medicine. She is the owner of a veterinarian nutrition consultation service called “food ambulance” and helps pet owners with their little friends’ diets.Veterinary medicine, and the pseudomedicine we often encounter there, are important for pet owners which is why we were so happy to get Stefanie on the show.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.
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TheESP – Ep. #241 – One Million Unanswered Prayers
24/09/2020 Duration: 01h10minThis week we first chat about András lending his voice acting skills to a sketch in the Skeptic Zone, Pontus teases the coming release of his sci-fi novel the Dooma and then we talk about the upcoming Italian CICAPFest. This year the conference takes place online for the three weeks(!) between 25 September and 18 October. There will be over 150 meetings and 185 speakers, and it will all be for free!After that we get into the news:No, dozens of countries didn’t order COVID-19 tests in 2018Life on Venus?Warmest summer ever for Northern hemisphereThe world’s troubling hotspots of vaccine hesitancyNHS issued 2,000 homeopathic prescriptions in 2019 despite banA healthy diet more important than weight?Ig Nobel Prizes 2020The prize for being Really Wrong goes to Richard Gamble for “the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer” near Birmingham, England.Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; This Week; Pontus Pokes the Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takesEvents Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe H
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TheESP – Ep. #240 – SARS-CoV2 Virology w. Gábor Kemenesi
17/09/2020 Duration: 56minThis week we interview Hungarian researcher and virologist Gábor Kemenesi. He is a research fellow at the Virological Research Group within the Szentágothai Research Centre of the University of Pécs in Hungary, specializing in zoonoses, or viral diseases that spread from animals to humans. He’s also a member of Hungary’s COVID-19 Task Force for the research of the virus and in the last few months. He has become the number one go-to expert in the field for the country’s media, working hard to educate the public, debunking myths and fighting misunderstandings along the way.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.
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TheESP – Ep. #239 – “Gossip is Worse than Covid”
10/09/2020 Duration: 01h19minThis week we start off with having a quick chat with our old buddy Michael (“Marsh”) Marshall regarding the relaunch of the UK magazine called the Skeptic.In this week’s history segment we talk about the LHC that powered up 12 years ago this week without the world vanishing into a black hole, and then Pope Francis gets poked for several things, including his claim that gossip is worse than covid.Speaking of covid-19, the pandemic gets a separate segment about the latest developments, before we get into the news:The 1st randomised clinical trial of a Chinese herbal medicine for COVID-19Medical Chamber issues statement condemning COVID-19 denier membersUniversity of Kiel distances itself from infamous COVID-19 denier professor Sucharit Bhakdi30% of people in Spain have doubts about covid-19 vaccineSo, are women leaders really doing better in tackling COVID-19?Survey – Young adults tend to take food supplements as replacement for drugsDanish advocacy group against heart disease ends program involving healerGrape
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TheESP – Ep. #238 – Brian Deer and The Doctor Who Fooled the World
03/09/2020 Duration: 01h06minThis week we interview none other than Brian Deer, the investigative journalist that spent years digging up how the discredited ex-doctor Andrew Wakefield misled the public about the safety of vaccines. We dig deep into how Wakefield through dishonesty and deceit became the poster boy of the anti-vaxx movement and how his misinformation made it as big as it is today.Deer’s new book “The Doctor Who Fooled the World: Andrew Wakefield’s war on vaccines” is out this week! Make sure to check it out!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.
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TheESP - Ep. #237 - Plandemic II - worst movie ever
27/08/2020 Duration: 01h05minThis week András returns to the mothership to hear us discuss the UFO sighting in Cussac in France. Francis gets a pass this week and then we dive into the news:- Covid-19 update- Children in Germany are falling behind their vaccination schedules- Does flu claim more deaths the covid-19?- People who react negatively to rules and recommendations use more SCAM (so-called alternative medicine)- Does homeopathy “also” work for women (spoiler: it does not work, period)- Why is there a priest in the Swedish Corona commission?- Unprecedented levels of CO2 rise caused by humans- European Commission's educational page tackling conspiracy theoriesThe prize for being Really Wrong goes to the producers and distributers of the dangerous and misleading (and idiotically named!) film “Plandemic: inDOCTORnation”.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.
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TheESP - Ep. #236 - Martin Moder of the Austrian Science Busters
20/08/2020 Duration: 56minThis week we interview molecular biologist, science communicator and overall cool guy Martin Moder, who is one of the Austrian “Science Busters” and who is also active in the Austrian “Society for Critical Thinking”. We found ourselves discussing everything from the dangers of farting Coronavirus to GMO, philosophy, designer babies, how to make booze out of toilet paper and the optimal way of cutting a birthday cake. There were unexpected turns at every corner of this interview…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.
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TheESP - Ep. #235 - Show Me a Real Acupuncturist
13/08/2020 Duration: 01h18minThis week Brian is back(!) as András has gone missing(?) We chat again about the wonderful online events out there: you should definitely check out the Edinburgh Skeptics on the Fringe productions. We then talk about the Wow! signal that was recorded this week in 1977 and also find that Francis seems to have done something good for once.In this week’s news:- Two outbreaks in Mamming, Bavaria- Danish abattoir closed over COVID-19 cluster- Disinformation not only consumed by young or uneducated- Countries with mandatory BCG vaccination might actually be better off in the fight against COVID-- 19- 10 Coronavirus scams to be weary of- WHO calls for caution about Russian vaccine roll-out- No need to celebrate: 0.01 degrees less global warming by 2030 due to the pandemic- NHS hiring a spiritual healer- No positive outcomes at all from having free-schools in Sweden- UK government may intervene to curb dangerous 'cancer cure' propagandaThe prize for being Really Wrong goes to NICE in the UK (the National Institute f
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TheESP - Ep. #234 - Lysenkoism, science and BS
06/08/2020 Duration: 01h20minThis week we first chat about some of the great current skeptical online events, like NECSS and Skeptics in the Pub. We also enjoy the good news that the worlds largest fusion reactor is now being assembled in the South of France.In this week in history we learn about “Lysenkoism” which Stalin decided should replace all other science. In current affairs Pope Francis has issues with Chinese infiltrators and French women who demands to be bishops.In this week’s news:- What’s the truth about face masks and covid-19?- What lies behind conspiracy theories- Misleading claims on pre-existing conditions and Covid-19 deaths go viral- Hungarian company selling bogus 'pro-insulin c-peptide' product banned from advertising- COVID conspiracy theories skyrocket in Romania and number of cases increase- Use of so-called alternative medicine (SCAM) by French cancer patients- Update - Retraction Watch gets a response from editor-in-chief of journal that published worst paper of 2020- Chronic back pain and spinal manipulation -
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TheESP - Ep. #233 - Homeomathematics
30/07/2020 Duration: 01h21minThis week starts with the wonderful news that Annika is now a full time ESP member and co-host. We couldn’t be happier!We start with a minor correction to a story from last week and then chat a bit about the latest astronomy news before we celebrate this week in history: Happy birthday to the great skeptic and parapsychology researcher Susan Blackmore! (Also see our episode #088 when we had her as a guest)Giving the Pope more or less a pass this week, we then dive into the news:- Covid-19 update- Austrian Science Busters- (Not so) scientific paper on covid and 5G is withdrawn- Another misleading “letter from a doctor” regarding covid19 is making the rounds- How to engage conspiracy theorists- Climate change CO2 sensitivity- Heatwave in Siberia melts ice in the Arctic Ocean- German homeopathy study criticized- Orbán keeps winning the fight against Hungarian free press- UK to fight obesity by banning junk food adsThe prize for being Really Wrong goes to the scientific journal “Journal of Public Health: From The
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TheESP - Ep. #232 - Assisted Death
23/07/2020 Duration: 01h25minThis week we welcome Annika back and first chat a bit about comets and astronomy and about some of the excellent online skeptical events there now is to follow, like the UK Skeptics in the Pub Online, the new Cologne events and Susan Gerbic’s About Time project.In this week in history we hear about Carl Jung, who was born on 26 July in 1875. Just like Freud he got a lot of things terribly wrong, but his ideas still inspired a lot better psychology later on and they continue to be part of the present-day culture. Then we poke the pope and find that even though Francis appears to want to fight the sex abuse scandals, last week’s new guidelines confirm that the Church continues to get most of their priorities completely backwards.Lots of corona in the news this week:- The COVID19 infodemic re Western Europe- Corona conspiracy myths in Germany- Andrew Wakefield and other anti-vaxxers mobilising against a future corona vaccine and unfortunately it is working- Hungarian guy gets convicted for coronavirus misinforma
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TheESP – Ep. #231 – How to Argue with a Racist, with Adam Rutherford
16/07/2020 Duration: 01h06minThis week we are joined by the brilliant British geneticist, broadcaster, science journalist and author, Dr Adam Rutherford.He’s written several books of international acclaim like “Creation: The Origin of Life and the Future of Life”, “A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived”, “The Book of Humans: The Story of How We Became Us” and “Humanimal: How Homo Sapiens Became Nature’s Most Paradoxical Creature”.Avid podcast listeners might know him from the BBC Radio 4 shows ‘Inside Science’ and ‘The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry’, but he also frequently appears on TV both as presenter and as an expert in genetics. Adam frequently appears as a speaker at Skeptics in the Pub events and on the same day this interview goes out he will be giving a talk on Skeptics in the Pub Online that bears the same title as his latest book, How to Argue With a Racist: History, Science and Reality.Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; Interview; Farewell; Outro; Out-takesEvents Calendar: http://theesp.eu/events_in_europe Hosted o
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TheESP - Ep. #230 - Tinfoil hats against nonsense
09/07/2020 Duration: 01h04minThis week Europe has lost a star in the sky and we hear about how Louis Pasteur managed to create a rabies vaccine back in 1885 (he wasn’t even a medical doctor). Pope Francis seizes even more control about the Vatican’s finances and appoints an “extraordinary commissioner” to raid the entity looking after St Peter’s Basilica. Apparently, someone has been cooking the books.In the news this week:– After a new outbreak the German authorities suggest people stay at home for vacation– Was SARS-CoV-2 really present in Barcelona in March 2019? – WHO stops Hydroxychloroquine tests– WHO launches new podcast - Health in Europe– High risk for polio outbreak in Ukraine– Russian disinformation operations revealed– Swedish actor from "Fargo" creates documentary TV-series promoting bogus rune stone in Minnesota– What's happening with Facebook?- 5G towers burning in Limassol- Climate change denier loses bet - has to pay up- National Institute of Pharmacy and Nutrition bans most homeopathic products from claiming specific th
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TheESP - Ep. #229 - Reality vs politics, lies and fairy tales
02/07/2020 Duration: 01h10minThis week we can't help but mention the Polish presidential elections and Susan Gerbic's latest interview with Pontus. We commemorate Ignaz Semmelweis on his birthday before moving on to deliberating over the future of the papacy.In the news:- Was the Tönnies incident with COVID19 due to a church service- Didier Raoult doubles down on hydroxychloroquine- Hungary's new curriculum and history textbooks full of folk legends and misleading claims- Measles update- The latest and most sophisticated fake of the Loch Ness Monster- Large wildfires in Sibera as reminder of climate change- ARP-SAPC's Sergio Lopez Borgonoz research grant now open for applicationsThis week's Really Wrong Price goes to a Swedish elementary school for investing in bogus "protective equipment" against Wi-Fi.Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.