The European Skeptics Podcast

…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

… and religious zealot insists he’s needed at schoolThis week we have some listener feedback and hear about Annika’s WTF project before we dive into the history of planet X. No pope today, so then we get into news:INTERNATIONAL: Macchiarini earns “expressions of concern” from the LancetTURKEY: False images of the earthquake shared onlineSWEDEN: No FOIA for free schoolsGERMANY: Money is more important than science communicationEnoch Burke, aka the Irish school teacher zealot, comes back from prison and gets his second Really Wrong Award. Will it be his last? Stay tuned!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 Francis strikes against the rebel nuns of RavelloThis week Brian and Pontus takes the lead and talks about the Turkish-Syrian earthquake as well as looking forward to Annika’s new WTF adventure (stay tuned!). In TWISH we look at the shenanigans of Elizabeth Holmes who was born this week in 1984, while pope Frankie is busy fighting rebels nuns(!). Then we also have the news:FRANCE: Naturopathy under fireTURKEY: Did someone on Twitter predict the earthquake?INTERNATIONAL: Do face masks work?AUSTRALIA / UK: Vitamin IV drips is an expensive SCAMUK: Brexit causes collapse in European research funding for OxbridgeTURKEY: Lausanne treaty conspiracyLots of news outlets (Euronews, Skynews, and even CNN) reported that the Earth’s core has stopped spinning and for that they share this week’s the Really Wrong Award.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 Frankie stands firm: no sex for gay peopleThis week the three hosts are finally back together. We start by congratulating Edzard Ernst on his 75th birthday, yippie! In TWISH we hear about the first tele-evangelist / remote healer of Hungary before diving into pope Francis’ terrible take on gay sex which for some reason is being hailed as very progressive (it is not). Then we get into the news:UK: Medical tribunal ends with 9 months ban from practicing for doctor Sarah Myhill spreading falsehoods about COVID-19UK: Hocus Pocus – Richard Wiseman‘s new book outSWEDEN / FINLAND: Different takes on burning the QuranINTERNATIONAL: Nominations for the John Maddox Prize 2023 now openINTERNATIONAL: Transparency International finds Hungary worst for corruption in all of EU, Denmark world’s bestThe Bnois Jerusalem Girls School in North London gets this week’s Really Wrong award for teaching creationism(!) and at the same time no sex education to its students.Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope;

– but all’s well that ends PellThis week we start by recommending that you check out Annika’s Skeptical Inquirer’s article about our trip down under, we hear about the Swedish Skeptic’s annual awards, the Hungarian Skeptics appearance on radio and a little bit about the fascinating art of art forensics. In TWISH it’s all about the high flying ancestors of Jean Luc Piccard – August and Jean Felix Piccard and the invention of the bathyscaphe and then Pontus catches up with the state of affairs in the Vatican, including the death of Cardinal Pell. After all that, it’s time for the news:POLAND: Internet hoax suggests country’s territorial claims live onSWEDEN: Dangerous trend of unassisted home births (aka. “freebirthing”)UK: An institution in Oxford (?) starts veterinary chiropractic courseSWEDEN: Linda Karlström, antivaxxer and Confounderer of the Year 2019, sues the Swedish GovernmentA Really Right award goes out this week to the Norwegian Authorities that very sensibly declares that the Jehovah’s Witnesses ar

... and nobody puts Greta in the corner!We start this week by commemorating Harriet Hall AKA "The SkepDoc" and talk about what a great loss her passing is for the international skeptic movement.On TWISH András talks about the London Institution, a major body for the public understanding of science in the 19th century, then with the Pope remaining un-poked this week, we are turning over to the news:- In the UK the British False Memory Society not to be dissolved after all- In HUNGARY, Hungarian-Canadian physician and author Gábor Máté spreads his dubious claims regarding cancer and autoimmune disease allegedly caused by childhood trauma and oppressed memories- In GERMANY a (mostly) peaceful demonstration at a coal mine site near Lützerath leads to police arrests (including Greta Thunberg) and violence, likely in coordination with energy giant RWE.This week's Really Wrong Price goes to Tory MP Andrew Bridgen who got expelled from the party for likening covid vaccinations to the Holocaust.Enjoy! Hosted on Acast.

... and someone please tell Prince Harry to act more responsibly.This week we start by lamenting over the launch failure of Virgin Orbit from Cornwall Spaceport, then praise Wikipedia that soon turns 22 and we also have a lot to thank Susan Gerbic, the "Wikipediatrician" for.Then in Pontus' absence we leave the pope alone and turn to the News:NETHERLANDS: Alleged nazi treasure map keeps people excitedHUNGARY: Far right MP appears on the pseudodocumentary 'Died Suddenly' and antivaxers promote the movie ferociouslyUK: Information about weird shaped waves could be yet another nail in Nessie's coffinSPAIN: Researches find correlation between conspiratorial thinking and weird myths about the causes of cancerThis weeks Really Wrong Prize goes to Prince Harry for actively promoting a questionable psychotherapy and consulting a psychic to help him cope with the loss of his mother, then advertising it on his autobiography.Enjoy!Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Take

– also, never think with your royal penis!This week start with some listener feedback regarding the new Swedish Spaceport Esrange, look at the value of New Year’s resolutions and discuss the crazy weather situation. In this week in Skepticism we celebrate the birth of Isaac Asimov who was born on 2 January 1920 (or was he?) and then Pontus reflects on the life and death of Joseph Ratzinger, aka. Pope Benedict XVI, aka, Senator Palpatine. Then we go through the news:INTERNATIONAL: European Humanist Federation merges into Humanists InternationalSWEDEN: The spread of rumors of Swedish authorities kidnapping babies from all over the worldRUSSIA: Russia is afraid of western psychic attacksDENMARK / RUSSIA: Danish military intelligence suggests drug-induced megalomania may have influenced Putin to invade UkraineThe Swedish King, Gustav XVI Gustaf, gets a well earned Really Wrong Award for thinking that monarchs shall have a penis.Enjoy!Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Qu

– also be prepared for next year’s Christmas!We start by reflecting on Putin’s “war” against Ukraine now that he (by accident?) admitted that that is what it is. In TWISH we hear about Vlad the Impaler (aka Vlad III or Dracula) and to what extent Bram Stoker used him as inspiration for his famous book. Also, some recent pseudohistory is making the rounds about Vlad III “Dragulya”. Pope Frankie has a new legal issue now that the Italian Senate has grown tired of his lack of action in the Orlandi case. Then we take a look at the news:NETHERLANDS: No ritual satanic abuse in NLSWEDEN: Svante Pääbo gets strange criticismINTERNATIONAL: After Christmas is before Christmas: tips for recyclingSWEDEN: The King to inaugurate Europe’s first launchpad for satellitesWe end the year by issuing a big Really Right and our deep thanks to all our listeners, patrons and supporters on Paypal.A very happy new year to you all!Enjoy!Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Right; Quote And Farewell; Out

– however, the other 1063 predictions failedThis week all the hosts are back from their adventures in foreign lands to record just before Christmas. We revisit the topic of Twitter and we hear about Pontus’ trip to New Zealand. After a few short interviews with skeptics in Australia we go to TWISH for the birth of Uri Geller and to the Vatican for the latest mishaps of pope Frankie. Then we turn to the news:GERMANY: Fortune teller was right – the Queen passed awaySWEDEN: Woman suffers paralysis and brain damage after seeing alternative quack masseurHUNGARY: Shops of health guru closing downSWEDEN: Prison for inventor of heater that supposedly generated more energy than was put inBritish politicians are notoriously nuts these days, and to illustrate this fact MP Andrew Bridgen receives this week’s Really Wrong Award for his covid vaccine denial.Enjoy!Segments: Intro; Greetings; Interviews; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote; Outro; Out-Takes; Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more

This week in Pontus' absence we lament overt the possible future of Twitter and the stupidity behind the Reichsbürger movement before being joint by Ralf Neugebauer who enlightens us about the legal situation of homeopathic remedies in Germany with special regard to Meditonsin.We commemorate the birthday of the late British star astrologer (pun intended)Jonathan Cainer before moving on to the news:SWITZERLAND/UK: Springer publishes Edzard Ernst's new book that lists 202 modalities of SCAM.FRANCE: A large chunk of Didier Raoult's scientific work marked with expression of concern by the publisher PLOS.INTERNATIONAL: Fact-checkers in USA, UK, Germany and Australia under scrutiny over assessing climate-related claims.EU: Terrible mess around vaccination schedules and how health ministers and the WHO try to solve the problem.AUSTRIA: Survey shows osteopaths don't seem to be bothered by legal and ethical considerations.EU: Dengue vaccine approved for use by European Commission.This week's Really Wrong prize goes to

- with the Bent Spoon Award & a happy birthday to VoF!We start by exploring the anthroposophic connections of the Griffins, the founders of Canberra, then move on to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Swedish skeptical organisation Vetenskap och Folkbildning.Then Pontus Pokes the Pope for all the mess his minions like Becciu have caused in the Vatican Bank before we turn to the news:GERMANY: Court prohibits homeopathic manufacturer from advertising product with false health claimsRUSSIA: The Duma passes law banning ‘LGBT propaganda’ among adultsINTERNATIONAL: Witchcraft beliefs in Europe (and around the world) surprisingly highUK: Graham Hancock rages war against the whole field of archaeologyINTERNATIONAL: With Twitter's end of enforcing policy against misinformation, EU raises prospect of big fines or banINTERNATIONAL:Measles is ‘imminent threat’ globally, WHO and CDC warnThis week's Really Wrong prize goes to the NHS in the UK for supporting quackery in midwifery.Finally, you can lis