The European Skeptics Podcast

We start with some follow up from last week – Edward Bach is pronounced [batch], and we have some more thoughts on if plants can really appreciate music. In TWISH we celebrate(?) the birthday of Sally Morgan (‘Psychic Sally’) and find her neither convincing nor a nice person. Then we dig into the news:INTERNATIONAL: Ig Nobel prize winners 2024FRANCE: Brigitte Macron wins lawsuit against fortune-teller and journalist claimins she’s trans-genderFRANCE: Map Shows All French Churches ‘Set on Fire, Vandalized or Attacked in Recent Years’?GERMANY: Dubious homeopathy research funded by manufacturerThe Really Wrong Award this week goes to an old ‘friend’, pope Frankie himself.Enjoy!https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-445.htmlSegments:0:00:26 Intro0:00:51 Greetings0:07:28 TWISH0:16:43 News0:36:00 Really Wrong0:42:53 Quote0:45:11 Outro0:46:26 Outtakes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With an episode number like this, we have to start out with some numerology. Annika will be more off than on for a while and the promised record heat in Sweden actually delivered. In TWISH we hear about the sci-fi / philosophical writer Stanisław Lem who was born this week in 1921. Then we head for the news:SWEDEN: Music makes cucumbers happyUK: Hereditary seats to be removed from LordsINTERNATIONAL: No link between mobile phones and brain tumoursUK / INTERNATIONAL: Bach Flower Remedies for perceived stress of nursesWe hand out a Really Wrong Award to the Carl and Veronica Carstens Foundation for funding dubious research, and that should be the end – but wait! Brian Eggo crashes the party! He tells all about the upcoming Skepticamp at QED. Don’t miss out!Enjoy!Segments:0:00:28 Intro0:00:51 Greetings0:06:43 TWISH0:13:07 News0:34:09 Really Wrong0:39:47 Quote0:40:53 Interview0:46:23 Outro0:47:38 Outtakes Hosted on Acast. See acast.c

In TWISH this week we hear about August Kekulé, the French organic chemist who redefined his disciplin in the mid 1800s. The we go into the news:INTERNATIONAL: Scammers in the Moonlight – Real vs. fake Tarot readers on social mediaFRANCE: Imane Khelif files lawsuit over cyber-harassment, names JK Rowling and Elon MuskAUSTRIA / THE NETHERLANDS: Climate communication works!ITALY: Shroud of Turin reloadedThe Award for being Really Wrong this week goes to Fleur Agema, Dutch Minister of Health and Deputy Prime Minister, who refuses to donate vaccines against mpox. We also follow up last week’s interview a Word of the Week in both Lithuanian and Russian.Enjoy!https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-443.htmlSegments:0:00:27 Intro0:00:51 Greetings0:05:23 TWISH0:16:33 News0:39:05 Really Wrong0:43:28 Word of the Week0:48:33 Quote0:50:01 Outro0:51:16 Outtakes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before we go into today’s interview, we elaborate a little on last week’s TWISH about the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, adding a bit more details.Then we have a great chat with Algimantas Kvecys who is the chair of Lietuvos skeptikų draugija, the Society of Lithuanian Skeptics.Enjoy!https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-442.htmlSegments:0:00:31 Intro0:00:55 Greetings0:10:16 Interview0:44:33 Farewell0:47:04 Outro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

QED is getting a little bit closer and a really good idea is to sign up as a volunteer! Not only will you help creating the skeptical event of the year, it is also a great way to make new friends and become a little “VIP” at the same time.This week saw a “full true blue supermoon” – check out which part of this is nonsense and which parts that are real astronomy. In TWISH we go all the way back to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and why it may not have happened when everyone says it happened. Then, it’s time for the news:GERMANY / US: Link between right-wing politics and vaccine hesitancyUK: Druidic Stonehenge altar stone came from ScotlandINTERNATIONAL: Pointless vitamin infusions are on the rise while there is a worldwide shortage av IV fluidsUK: Humour is allowed to be factual or wrong, but shouldn’t hurt peopleIf you’re thinking about donating to the QED fund, or have already done so, you get to share this week’s Really Right Award. You will also have the satisfaction of

We start with a follow-up on the UK riots and the disinformation that triggered them. Regardless of this we look forward to going to QED where the Ockham Awards will be announced. The nominations are now open! See link in the show notes.In TWISH we hear about how it wasn’t that long ago that Joseph Lister performed the first antiseptic surgery – we sure are lucky that we we were not born back then. Then it is time for the news:RUSSIA: Russian textbook claims that Trump lost in 2020 due to election fraudINTERNATIONAL: Pseudoscientific answers to a medical and environmental mishap at the 2024 Summer Olympic GamesEUROPE: Heat Caused Over 47,000 Deaths in Europe in 2023 – but it could have been much worseINTERNATIONAL: Alleged transgender issue stirs up controversy at the OlympicsINTERNATIONAL: Chemtrails or not, aviation contrails contribute to the climate crisesEnjoy!Show notes: https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-440.htmlSegments:0:0

We start out with the sad news that Mark Edward has passed away. Mark was a mentalist, an author, and an active skeptic. Mark, sometimes with with his partner (and good friend of the show) Susan Gerbic, investigated many paranormal claims and exposed psychic frauds. He will be long remembered and missed by the skeptics movement.After some listener feedback and catching up, we go to TWISH, where we hear about Louis Leakey and his important, but often controversial, contributions to our understanding of ancient hominids. Then we turn to the news:GERMANY: New book about long COVID and ME/CFS by Dr. Natalie GramsSWEDEN: More fertility nonsenseUK: The role of misinformation in the riots following the Southport stabbingsUK: Practitioner of ‘slapping therapy’ guilty of manslaughterINTERNATIONAL: Reducing the number of AI ‘hallucinations’The Baden-Württemberg Medical Association in Germany has taken the long-overdue, but very welcome decision to exclude homeopathy fro

The three of us are (sort of) together again, so after the customary greetings, András joins us with Adrienne Hill all the way from Canada (Sparky studios?!) for a prerecorded chat. In TWISH we hear about how Adolf Hitler secured his position as Führer, which is scary since the tactics of modern would-be-dictators have not changed that much. Then we take a look at the news:INTERNATIONAL: Science and fairytalesFRANCE: BS and pseudoscience at the OlympicsINTERNATIONAL: Long term use of multivitamins has no effect on mortalityA Swedish clinic calls itself Infertility Aid and promises 90% success rate for people who struggle with getting pregnant. Their “methods” are based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), all of which is obvious bogus and superstition. For that they are deservedly receive this week’s award for being Really Wrong.Enjoy!Link: https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-438.htmlSegments:0:00:26 Intro0:00:52 Greetings0:05:19 Interview0:16:5

Thirty-two years ago this week the Vatican tried to explain why discrimination against gay people is not reallydiscrimination. That's basically still their position today, which we hear about in this week's TWISH. Then we have quite a few news items to go through:SWEDEN: Swedish telecom companies have blocked more than 50 million scam calls in 2024INTERNATIONAL: Global SCAM markets on the riseINTERNATIONAL: UV index apps used to get MORE sunburnsDENMARK: Widespread practice among athletes might be truly harmfulINTERNATIONAL: ‘Paleodiets’ can be harmfulINTERNATIONAL: Snopes launches AI-based fact-checking toolThe UK ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) shows a bit of teeth and bans ads for supplement that claim to treat autism and other conditions. For that, they receive this week's award for being Really Right. From the Netherlands we get a Who's Quacking? segment about George van Houts, actor and comedian turned conspiracy

Just the boys this week and we have a lot to talk about – climate change (András needs a new job), Türkiye vs. Turkey, Dutch vacations, homeopathy, Skeptical Science, and even some politics. In TWISH we hear about the skeptical priest Giuseppe Piazzi who discovered Ceres, the first asteroid ever detected. Also, if you catch this in time here is the link to the 19 July Global Skeptics in the Pub Zoom meeting. Then we have the news:UK: Are UK adolescents eating too much ultra processed foods?EU: Two major GMO corn crops approved for import as food and animal feedNot that we know how it will all end, but the new UK Labour government is off to a good start from a skeptical point of view and therefore receives this week’s award for being Really Right.Enjoy!Segments:0:00:27 Intro0:00:49 Greetings0:18:33 TWISH0:31:15 News0:49:06 Really Right0:57:05 Quote and Farewell0:59:36 Outro1:00:51 Outtakes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p

Some listeners have started to join our Discord – why don’t you do that do!In the news today:TURKEY: Turkey revokes radio station’s license for discussing Armenian genocideUK: Ultra-processed food fear – simply the next big nutritional moral panic?SPAIN: HIV patients often take other SCAM that interfere with their treatmentsThe Church of England has plans to evangelising in UK schools – even the secular ones! For that the receive this week’s award for being Really Wrong. To round off we have a Word of the Week and find out the meaning of ‘Lèse-majesté‘.Enjoy!0:00:27 Intro0:00:52 Greetings0:08:52 News0:28:26 Really Wrong0:32:47 Word of the Week0:41:11 Quote and Farewell0:42:56 Outro0:44:11 Outtakes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To start out we nerd out a bit about how to say ‘hello’ in Hungarian, launch the new ESP Discord thread and give a shout-out to Malmö Pride where people can team up with Pontus to fight against prejudices at Malmö Pride. In TWISH we for once hop across the pond to explain the origin of so-called Barnum statements. Then it’s time for the news:EU: University of Lund withdraws research application after AI generated referencesINTERNATIONAL: Lie-detection AI could provoke people into making careless accusations, researchers warnSWEDEN: New law criminalizes Holocaust denialEnjoy!Segments:0:00:27 Intro0:00:52 Greetings0:07:19 TWISH0:15:23 News0:37:19 Quote And Farewell0:39:46 Outro0:41:01 Outtakes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The band is back together for the first time in months! First we mention an important (but likely depressing) new book documenting Catholic child sex abuse. In TWISH we look back at the Brexit referendum and analyze why it went so terribly wrong, and then it’s time for the news:SWEDEN: Swedish EU election trends were a bit differentGERMANY: New publication out on esotericism in in political educationUK: There will not be 14 million immigrants over the next 12 yearsUK: King Charles III honours medical team with ties to alternative medicineINTERNATIONAL: Will this disclaimer help against AI learning from your data?INTERNATIONAL: Questionable research: Do Tattoos increase the risk of cancer?A Really Right Award goes to the Welsh Senedd (parliament) for their ambition to stop politicians from lying.Enjoy!Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Right; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Outtakes0:00:27 Intro0:00:53 Greetings0:06:40 TWISH0:20:27 News0:46:23 Really Right0:

Annika and András talk a bit about the EP elections again, mostly reacting to listener feedback. We also mention the Belgian skeptical organisation SKEPP's Skeptical Awards and in TWISH we commemorate evolutionary biologist, humanist, eugenicist and internationalist extraordinaire Sir Julian Huxley. Then in the news:SCOTLAND: Parliament votes to implement abortion safe access zonesINTERNATIONAL: How to help health care professionals on the forefront of vaccinations?The Welsh educational institution Llanidoes High School gets this week's Really Wrong award for teaching creationismas science.We also bring you a Word of the Week, which is the Hungarian expression "Lóvá tesz".Enjoy!Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Word of the Week; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes0:00:25 INTRO0:00:51 GREETINGS0:09:12 TWISH - THIS WEEK IN SKEPTICAL HISTORY0:16:43 NEWS0:23:16 REALLY WRONG0:27:04 WORD OF THE WEEK0:33:14 QUOTE AND FAREWELL0:35:18 OUTRO0:36:33

In Pontus' absence we talk a bit about EP elections and in TWISH we commemorate the Italian heroine of science and skepticism Margherita Hack. Then it is time to check out the news:UK: Zero hour for climate actionNORTHERN IRELAND: NI Assembly passes motion to ban conversion therapiesINTERNATIONAL: Edzard Ernst finds SCAM research to be in declineINTERNATIONAL: Intervention against misinformation might increase skepticism... against reliable sources, tooThe German Jury of Rimowa Design Price, who awarded a product that is based on nonsense, gets this week's award for being Really Wrong.Enjoy!Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes0:00:25 INTRO0:00:51 GREETINGS0:04:21 TWISH - THIS WEEK IN SKEPTICAL HISTORY0:14:38 NEWS0:30:02 REALLY WRONG0:32:05 QUOTE AND FAREWELL0:33:37 OUTRO0:34:52 OUT-TAKES Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pontus comes back from the European Skeptics Congress with a new title, applications to talk at Skepticamp QED is now open and Evidence Week is postponed by UK elections. In TWISH we hear about James Hutton, the father of modern geology, and then it is time to check out the news:INTERNATIONAL: The Catholic church’s first ‘millennial saint’INTERNATIONAL: Edzard Ernst did it againINTERNATIONAL: ‘Foolproof’ gives us vaccination without needlesINTERNATIONAL: Fact Brief by Skeptical Science – Have climate models estimated warming correctly?The country of Georgia is going full Putin with the new law targeting the LGBTQ community and for that they receive this week’s award for being Really Wrong.Enjoy!Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-Takeshttps://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-430.html0:00:27 Intro0:00:52 Greetings0:13:17 TWISH0:26:32 News0:42:01 Really Wrong0:45:54 Quote And Fare

We start with some listener feedback and also worry if Neil DeGrasse Tyson and his Star Talk show are falling for some alternative medicine. On the good side Skeptical Science, led by John Cook, is continuing their quest for science literacy and has a new online quiz you can take to check your “bullshit detector”. In TWISH we hear about the trial against Joan of Arc in 1431. Then we turn to the news:SWEDEN: How the Karolinska protected Paolo Macchiarini — and whistleblowers paid the priceUK: People with Long Covid scammed by fake therapyINTERNATIONAL: Misleading claims on well-known rare risk of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccineGERMANY: Michael Schumacher’s family wins law case against publisher running deepfake interviewThe Telegraph and the Independent spout antivaxx disinformation and for that get this week’s award for being Really Wrong.Enjoy!Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farew

In Pontus' absence Annika is back for a quick visit before her planned return next month. We mention the terrible assassination attempt against Slovakian prime minister Robert Fico and how it's a new source of fake news. On TWISH you can hear about Franz Anton Mesmer, who was the foremost proponent of "animal magnetism". Then, we look at the news:GERMANY: GWUP has a new leadership - Congratulations!VATICAN CITY: The Inquisition introducing new rules for the assessment of potentially "Supernatural Phenomena"SCOTLAND: According to 2022 census released recently, majority of people not affiliated with any religions.Enjoy!Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Quote and Farewell; Outro00:00:25Intro00:00:51Greetings00:09:05TWISH00:17:20News00:30:11Quote & Farewell00:33:50Outro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meeting up with fellow skeptics is always a blast. We recommend reading the recent article in Skeptic UK about the history of European skepticism and ECSO – the ESC (European Skeptics Congress) is only two weeks away! Pontus reports from last week’s annual meeting with VoF (the Swedish Skeptics) and in TWISH we hear about Pierre Curie who, apart from being a brilliant scientist also was intrigued by spiritualism. Then, it’s time for the news:SWEDEN: Fake news during Eurovision Song ContestGERMANY: German Medical Association wants to ban homeopathySWEDEN: SD and the troll factoryUK: Whooping cough surgingTadusz Wojda is the head of the Catholic Church in Poland, and he proves again that the Church has no morals. For that, he receives this week’s award for being Really Wrong.Enjoy!Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes0:00:27 Intro0:00:51 Greetings0:12:55 TWISH0:20:15 News0:37:46

Tickets for QED in Manchester (19-20 October) are now on sale and don’t forget Skepticamp on the day before! If all goes to plan, both András and Pontus may be among the speakers. But first we are looking forward to the European Skeptics Congress 2024, less than a month from now, 31 May – 2 June in Lyon, France! In TWISH we hear about how smallpox was announced eradicated this week in 1980 and then we take a look at the news:INTERNATIONAL: Big data reveals true climate impact of worldwide air travelSWEDEN: Swedish Skeptics’ awards for 2023INTERNATIONAL: Scottish Medical Journal retracts 13 papers due to concerns over potential paper mill activityFRANCE / INTERNATIONAL: Didier Raoult vs. Elisabeth Bik – case dismissed!The Really Wrong Award goes to the UK for two cases of educational malpractice regarding allowing religious indoctrination.Enjoy!Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-Ta