The European Skeptics Podcast

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

This 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.

This 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.

This 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.

This 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

This 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

This 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;

This 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.

This 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

This 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.

This 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

This 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.