The European Skeptics Podcast

…plus Nicola Throp tells all about QED!This week we’re saved once again by Brian Eggo, as we suddenly find ourselves very short on staff. What a guy!Some initial info is followed by an interview with Nicola Throp, one of the brilliant members of the QED organizing team. In TWISH we hear about Carl Vogt, the German scientist, philosopher and, not least, politician who was born this week in 1817. In Pontus absence, Brian Bashes the Bishop (luckily, not exactly what it sounds like), after which we turn to the news:SWITZERLAND: Alternative medicine on the decline?INTERNATIONAL / UK: June is hottest month on record, in the UK and globallyINTERNATIONAL: Aspartame to be feared and avoided?Yet another Heilpraktiker, this one known only as Torben K., receives a well deserved Really Wrong Award as well as penal consequences due to his penile and lethal mistreatment of a customer. We end by a quote by Jane Marcet, a feminist and a science advocate who were at least a century before her time.Enjoy!Segments: Intro; Greeti

…and someone is quacking in LatviaThis week we start by commenting on the strange developments in Russia and the Titan submersible. We call for speaker at QED SkeptiCamp recommend the work of Skeptical Science. And if anyone wants to meet up with András in the Baltic states, get in touch! In TWISH we hear about the Tunguska event and then as usual Pontus has some news about the Catholic Church. After that, we dig into the news:UK: House of Commons to debate presence of bishops in House of LordsSWITZERLAND: New cases of conspiracy theories as part of treatmentsGERMANY: Investigations ongoing against Heilpraktikers who helped issued false covid vaccination certificates (and more)LATVIA: Plagiarism scandal blows up in domestic science circlesEU: EU’s new ways of securing the online space from disinformation – starting with TwitterINTERNATIONAL: Deforestation is also worsening (not only carbon dioxide emissions)SWEDEN: Macchiarini jail sentence increased to 2.5 yearsThe European Commission get a Really Right Awar

…be mindful of MāņticībaWe see signs of climate change all over the place and it’s worrying. Taking bus 666 to ‘Hel’ is not even an option anymore, but thankfully going to QED is still possible! Check out the link for the QED attendance fund if you cannot afford your ticket… In TWISH we hear about how it really went down when Galileo Galilei was forced to denounce that the Earth in not the center of the universe. A short update of Pope Frankie’s latest adventures and then it’s time for the news:FRANCE / SERBIA: ‘Novaxx’ Djokovic is at it again…!UK: New study shows less than half of Britons believe in God.NETHERLANDS: Dutch university can revoke PhD for fake data after court rulingSPAIN: Homeopathy on the decline in Spain?EU: Laws regulating AI activities to be passedGERMANY: Heilpraktiker sent to jail for fraudWe are happy to hand out a Really Right to Estonia that just legalized same-sex marriages and then we get to know this week’s Word of the Week which is from Latvia: ‘Māņticība’ literally means ‘false-fa

…anthroposophy on fire?Full episode this week folks, with the premier of a new segment to boot (see below). We talk about Hvaldimir the Russian spy whale and remind you of Annika’s SITPO talk on 5 July and comment on feedback from last week’s interview. In TWISH we hear about the recent passing of Silvio Berlusconi and then demonstrate that the Catholic Church has not change one bit when it comes to how they handle sex abuse scandals. After that it’s time for the news:GERMANY: New poster about Bach flower remediesRUSSIA / UKRAINE: Ukrainian children abducted by RussiaGERMANY / AUSTRIA: The Heinz Oberhummer Award goes to The Show With the MouseSWEDEN: Tongue web cut procedures has drastically fallenEU / UK: Sense About Science teams up with the European Commission and comes up with new guidelines for assessing policiesUK / UKRAINE: Ukraine built more onshore wind turbines in past year than EnglandGERMANY: Pharmacy students also distancing themselves from homeopathyThis week’s Really Wrong Award goes to a teach

This week we have a real treat for you – an interview with Brian Deer, the journalist who more than anyone showed the world how fraudulent Andrew Wakefield was when he claimed that there could be a link between the MMR vaccine and autism (spoiler – there isn’t).Enjoy!Segments: Intro; Greetings; Interview; Outro; Out-Takes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We start by commenting on the sad passing of Tina Turner – even sadder since she at one point turned to homeopathy. That was a choice that she later regretted and it most likely made her condition much worse than it had to be. On a brighter note we have good news about QED in Manchester 23-24 September: first of all there is a QED Attendance Fund that you can either apply or contribute to, all depending on your financial situation. Secondly, it is now confirmed that QED Skepticamp will take place on the day before so you should arrive a day early and possibly apply to speak yourself – link is in the show notes.Then it is interview time – we had an interesting talk with the fantastic Susan Gerbic who always has so many interesting skeptical projects going on. Listen and be inspired!Enjoy!Segments: Intro; Greetings; Interview; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

…plus interviews from SkepKonPlease support Oliver Rautenberg in his defence against a SLAPP-suit! What’s up with the Turkish presidential elections? Annika delivers short interviews from SkepKon with Maximilian Doeckel and Rebecca Wismeg-Kammerlander and then we look into Pope Frankie‘s obsession with negotiating peace in Ukraine. After that, it’s time for the news:BELGIUM: Prizes from SKEPPINTERNATIONAL: Is WHO right about artificial sweeteners? We are not convincedINTERNATIONAL: Almost 50% of all animal species in declineSWEDEN: School grades inflated in private schoolsGERMANY: Video about SkepKon by Dr. Janos HegedüsEnjoy!Segments: Intro; Greetings; Interviews; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

…FYI, that’s not James Randi talkingThis week we reflect a bit on the Eurovision Song Contest and how people misunderstand the news about a baby “with three parents”. In TWISH we wish Ben Goldacre a happy birthday and then Pontus brings us up to date with Pope Frankie. And then, of course, the news:GERMANY: The Golden Board Award is back!IRELAND: AI is here to stay: Fake article about fake tanning in the Irish TimesUK: Retractions should not take longer than two months, says UK Parliament committeeGERMANY: The schools that train ‘Heilpraktiker’ in Germany: no standards and no controlUK: Lost in the mall: Are the results of the classic false memory study not valid?“Voices from the Void” maybe hearing things, but the voices in their head do not include James Randi. Hear this instead: you are Really Wrong!Enjoy!Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

…or “SCAM”, if you willThis week we have lots of catching up to do, with sad news from Hungarian Skeptics, but also good news regarding skeptical meetings and activism in Germany, Hungary and Sweden. In TWISH we remember the founding of the Jagiellonian University over six hundred years ago this week. Then we dig into the news:INTERNATIONAL: WHO declares pandemic to be no longer a threatGERMANY: Homeopathic cold medicine Meditonsin no longer allowed to advertise with certain statementsEUROPE: Russia behind anti-Ukraine and anti-Erdogan demonstrations all over EUUK: Propagator of SCAM now heads the Royal Medical HouseholdGERMANY: Association of Midwifery distances themselves from HomeopathyUK: Measles on the riseSWEDEN: Paranormal beliefs remarkably highA very sad Really Wrong this week as a 14 year-old girl dies in Austria due to alternative practitioners.We trust you still enjoy the episode!Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes Hosted on Acast. See acast.

…BTW, there was not a single monkey at the Scopes Monkey trialBrian Eggo is back to save the day once again! as András and Annika couldn’t make it. But we hope that just like them and us, you will all make it to QED in Manchester on 23-24 of September. We will certainly be there! Tickets are now out and they’re selling like, well, QED-tickets after a pandemic. Get yours now!In TWISH we hear about the arrest of John Scopes of the Scopes Monkey trial fame. (No monkeys were hurt in the making of this episode). Then, it’s time for the news:GERMANY: Homeopathy company Heel reported to authorities for false advertising of productUK: On the power of objects, as the country is preparing for the coronation of The Alternative PrinceINTERNATIONAL: WHO pseudoscienceINTERNATIONAL: How medical decisions are really made?The Charité school in Berlin gets this weeks prize for being Really Wrong as they for no apparent reason pay for a professorship in anthroposophy.Enjoy!Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong;

…we also have a ‘defrogging’ for Pope Francis to look intoWe have Claire Klingenberg onboard this week and it means a packed show! We talk about the new interview with Claudia Preis, European immunization week and the Hungarian Flat Earth Award. Claire gives us a report from the growing anti-abortions movement in Czechia and we hear about several upcoming skeptical events, among them that Pontus is going to give a talk in Prague next month. In TWISH we celebrate the birthday of Carl Friedrich Gauss and then we hear how pope John Paul II posthumously is in the news for possible misdeeds in the night. Then it’s time for the news:GERMANY: So-called alternative medicine in Bavarian hospitalsINTERNATIONAL: Cranky Uncle wins awardUKRAINE: Blinding flash over Kyiv was probably meteor, says Ukraine space agencyHUNGARY: More than 1 on 4 Hungarians have seen a UFO at least onceHUNGARY: UFOs – Investigating the Unknown to be released April 28POLAND: Special hospice for pregnancies with nonviable fetusesAUSTRIA / GERMANY

…and it’s easy to lose you perpective of Loss NessWe remind everyone to sign up for SkepKon in Frankfurt 18-20 May. In TWISH we revisit the story of “the Surgeon’s photograph”, which was supposed to convince us that the Loch Ness monster was a thing. The pope gets a poking for supporting exorcism which is in the news due to Russell Crowe‘s latest Hollywood venture, “The Pope’s Exorcist” – the Vatican is not amused… Then we have a look into the news:Vatican: New observatory created to investigate possible apparitions of the Virgin MaryItaly: Madonna of Trevignano Romano – the miracle statue with tears of bloodGermany: Acupuncture as new homeopathy? Podcast episode with Udo Endruscheit and Natalie GramsHungary: List of Flat Earth Awards finalists sparks debatesGermany: Dangerous nonsense healingSweden: The new nationwide census is not a censusThe Vienna Medical Association has lost its mind and want their doctors to get into nonsense homeopathy. That earns them a Really Wrong Award.Enjoy!Segments: Intro; Greeti

…but we do know that hyper-electrosensitivity is not a thingIn TWISH we hear about a Finnish UFO sighting and later Pope Francis get to answer some very tough questions in a new documentary. In the news this week we have:SWEDEN: Five years after saying it won’t retract Macchiarini paper, journal finally does soINTERNATIONAL: So, lab leak theory down the drain?AI: Bing easily tricked to repeat neo-Nazi talking points as if they were factsIRELAND: New research focusing on reducing belief in conspiracy theorySWEDEN: Researchers pessimistic about reaching climate goalsTwo German cities go all pseudoscience and switch off their WLAN to “protect the citizens” and for this they are Really Wrong.Enjoy!Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

…and UK politicians orders police to go full on racistThere are several skeptical events to look forward to! In chronological order we recommend Skeptics in the Pub in Cologne, SkepKon in Frankfurt and QED in Manchester. No TWISH this week, but we look into Pope Francis‘ latest health problems and how the Vatican after more than five hundred years still refuses to own up on its role in the terrible conquest and enslavement of the Americas. Then, it’s time for the news:SWITZERLAND: Swiss court case ties human rights to climate changeINTERNATIONAL: People who lie use less details and that can reveal them, study saysUK: The trust in scientists has increased after the COVID-19 pandemicEUROPE: AI chatbots making it harder to spot phishing emails, expert saysGERMANY: Verdict coming up regarding the naturopath trial in IngolstadtSWEDEN: Pontus Pokes the Politicians: SD says that wind turbines are harmful for humansSuella Braverman and Rishi Sunak receive this week's Really Wrong Award for supporting that UK police s

… please don’t eat like Gwyneth PaltrowThe IPCC is out, but of course we all new it would be bad. We have listener feedback about acupuncture, SkepKon 2023 is announced and both Pontus and András are out there talking to the public. In TWISH we hear about Ludwig Büchner and the Pope has trouble getting heard. After that, we look into the news:GERMANY: Reichsbürger extremist sentenced to 10 years in prisonRUSSIA: Russian whose daughter drew anti-war picture flees jail termPORTUGAL: Voting for the Flying Unicorn Award open until the end of the dayGERMANY: Edzard Ernst has a new book outUK: Genetic Technology Act now passed into lawRUSSIA: Does Putin have fake body doubles?After all that, we have our first Word of the Week segment and Gwyneth Paltrow gets yet another well deserved Really Wrong Award.Enjoy!Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Word Of The Week; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

… also, Orgone energy is utter nonsenseFancy a coffee in Singapore with András? If you are quick you may get lucky! In TWISH this week we hear about Wilhelm Reich, infamous for his so-called “orgone theory“. No pope today, so we dive right into the news:INTERNATIONAL: New DNA find points to raccoon dogs as potential covid originNORWAY: Norwegian footballer gets her lung acu-puncturedGERMANY: Private TV channel tries to produce a show with an antisemitic Covid denier and failsSWEDEN: Confounderer of the year awarded €9000 compensation for being exposed in documentaryGERMANY: Trust in homeopathy is sinkingSWEDEN: Sales of organic food dropping fastTo finish off, we hand out a Really Wrong Award to Bishop John Sherrington who insists he has a right to harrass people at abortion clinics.Enjoy!Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

… and it’s time to start planning your QED trip!We are in the latest issue of the Australian Skeptics Magazine – thanks again dear friends for inviting us to Skepticon last year! New adventures are waiting in the new year with QED dates just announced, so it’s time to start planning for a trip to Manchester in September. We renew our call for Word of the Week and Who’s Quacking, please send in your contributions. In addition we note that the ISS astronauts made it back OK to Earth and that popes absolutely have known about the sex abuse scandals for a long time but found it more important to cover it up than to stop it. Then it’s time for the news:FINLAND / DENMARK / NORWAY: Rumors of babies kidnapped by authorities now also in the other Nordic countriesGERMANY: Record low number of breastfed babiesINTERNATIONAL: Cochrane statement clarifies recent review on masksINTERNATIONAL: High Seas Treaty of the UNSWEDEN: New recommendations as of 1 March re covid vaccinationBelieve it or not but the Polish PiS party ra

… also, maybe “the Swedish Experiment” wasn’t such a bad idea after allThis week we start by acknowledging two skeptical initiatives: András is part of the new Hungarian podcast “Hogy is van ez?”, and SkepKon 2023 is coming up in Germany in May. Then we have two challenges for our listeners – please send in you contributions for the new segments “Word of the Week” and “Who’s Quacking?”. In TWISH we hear how “America” got its name via a cartographer born in 1451, and then Pontus wishes Pope Francis would put his money where his mouth is. After that, it’s time for the news:AUSTRIA: Politician’s move to selling snake-oilINTERNATIONAL: COVID-19 Origin still not knownUK: Prince Harry and Gábor Máté team up to promote weird shit togetherSWEDEN / EUROPE: Sweden had the lowest excess mortality in Europe during the pandemicSegments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Right; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

… and German bishops openly defies the popeWe’re all back together again and urge you to help out with translations and nominate people for the John Maddox Prize. In TWISH we learn about the Index and how you’re not supposed the challenge the Catholic Church. Speaking of which, pope Francis interferes with the Trial of the Century and also gets totally ignored by the German bishops. Then we take a look at the news:INTERNATIONAL: CFI doubles international Paranormal Challenge Prize to $500kSWEDEN: Follow up – person behind disinformation against social authorities regrets itUK: Google ads direct pregnant people to anti-abortion groupsUK: Children’s Rights Alliance for England report calls on government to end compulsory collective worshipSWEDEN: Funmed – Not so fun as it sounds, and very expensiveFRANCE: Well known journalist suspended in suspected planted misinformation scandalNORWAY: Old sea creature might have been tricky whales after allBELGIUM: Lavish Flemish epic – is it history or propaganda?SWEDEN: Pon

We start this episode with talking about why earthquakes can not be predicted then ponder on the issues of resigning female leaders, before we move on to TWISH where this week we commemorate the 152nd anniversary of the publication of Darwin's The Descent of Man.Because Pontus is away, Pàpa Francesco (AKA Frankie) gets another week off the hook.On the news this week:UK - The first woman appointed the government's chief science adviserUK - Treasury takes back £ 1.6 billion previously promised for scienceGERMANY - INH publishes new article on "the memory of water"INTERNATIONAL - Cranky Uncle translation project calls for contributors in various languagesAUSTRIA - Massive HPV vaccination campaign on the wayINTERNATIONAL - EDMO report "From the Pandemic to the War in Ukraine: One Year and a Half of Disinformation" comes outGERMANY - The Münster Circle publishes memorandum with call for pharmacies to drop HomeopathyISRAEL - Disinformation squad revealed by international group of undercover investigative journalist