The European Skeptics Podcast - The ESP

We start with some reflections on COP29 and then we send our big congratulations to Richard Saunders on receiving his Lifetime Achievement Award from the Australian Skeptics. Well deserved indeed! Another well deserved but shameful award goes to King Charles who received the New Zealand Skeptics’ Bent Spoon Award. In TWISH we look back at the founding of the Royal Society all the way back in 1660. Then, it’s time for the news:INTERNATIONAL: Measles cases at a massive surgeGERMANY: Court ruling states that informed consent is important when using SCAMNORWAY: Update: true con artists – the Princess and the Shaman have not paid the suppliers for their weddingAUSTRIA: Finalists of the Golden Board announcedSWITZERLAND: Deus in machina: Swiss church installs AI-powered JesusThis week’s Really Wrong Award goes to the Dutch minister of Education Eppo Bruins for his plans to slash education funding.Enjoy!Segments:0:00:27 Intro0:00:50 Greetings0:11:56 TWISH0:17:01 News0:43:00 Really Wrong0:46:48 Quote0:48:32 Outro0:49:47 Outtakeshttps://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-455.html

As everyone else these days we are moving from X to Bluesky, any help in driving traffic our way is much appreciated. The Humanists UK has published a new exciting book called What I Believe, named after podcast by the same name. You should check it out! In TWISH we hear about how the (then) Prince of Wales got his favorite charity for SCAM (So-Called Alternative Medicine) struck from the UK Charity Commission. Then, we head for the news:INTERNATIONAL: 2024 will be the first year above 1.5°CINTERNATIONAL: Climate crisis to blame for dozens of ‘impossible’ heatwaves, studies revealINTERNATIONAL: Retraction Watch is hiring!SPAIN: Video does not show ‘HAARP ship’ floating near Spain before floodsINTERNATIONAL: WHO teams up with TikTok to combat misinformation on social mediaThe Really Wrong Award goes to the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam for making a chiropractor professor.Enjoy!https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-454.htmlSegments:0:00:27 Intro0:00:50 Greetings0:11:56 TWISH0:16:37 News0:36:14 Really Wrong0:40:55 Quote0:42:32 Outro0:43:47 Outtakes

It’s one election after another. The same day that the US voted orange, Germany decided on a snap election after the current coalition fell apart. Let’s hope people over here are better informed than the American voters. In TWISH we hear about ‘Doctor Universalis’ Albertus Magnus whose scientific mindset in the 13th century helped Europe begin its long and winding road out of the dark ages. Then we explore the news:ONLINE: ‘Akusoli’ is a typical example of woowoo products that are aggressively marketed onlineUK: Assisted dying bill’s ‘strict’ safeguards to include long jail terms for coercionSWEDEN: Warning regarding fake medicine onlineGERMANY: Who trusts science and who doesn’t?UK: The Archbishop of Canterbury resigns over Church abuse scandalThe Really Wrong Award is split between oil producer Shell and a Dutch court of appeals that overturned Shell’s requirement to reduce their emission goals.Enjoy!https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-453.htmlSegments:0:00:27 Intro0:00:53 Greetings0:04:54 TWISH0:12:16 News0:36:35 Really Wrong0:40:13 Quote0:42:08 Outro0:43:23 Outtakes

This is the first “regular episode” for a while and of course we cannot help to mourn the stupid results of the US elections. But since this is a European show we cannot let that stop us, so after a TWISH story of how Charles Darwin, 130 years after his death, gained over 4000 votes in the elections in the US state of Georgia, it’s time for the news:BULGARIA / NORTH MACEDONIA: Baba Vanga (баба Ванга), the Bulgarian psychicINTERNATIONAL: Wanna help out the Skeptical Science team?UK: King Charles and Queen Camilla on secret Bengaluru trip for woo treatmentINTERNATIONAL: A little help to nurses in combatting vaccine misinformationNORWAY: Spouse of Norwegian princess, ‘shaman’ Durek Verrett, accused of sexual assaultUK: Religious hate crimes at record high levelsThe NHS in the UK has all but done away with homeopathy, but still funds a number of unproven nonsense treatments and for that the receive this week award for being Really Wrong. And then before we sign off, we go to Turkey for a Word of the Week.Enjoy!https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-452.htmlSegments:0:00:27 Intro0:00:50 Greetings0:06:01 TWISH0:11:19 News0:37:06 Really Wrong0:39:58 Word of the Week0:43:26 Quote0:48:38 Outro0:49:53 Outtakes

A longer episode this week, jampacked with interviews from QED! One of the marvelous things with conferences (don’t forget about the upcoming Skepticon XL in Sydney!) is that you meet so many fantastic people. We tried to capture a little of that feeling by recording a bunch of interviews, so tune in to hear from Clio Bellenis, Diana Barbosa, João Monteiro, Igor Stroev, David Glass, and Hayley Stevens! As if that is not enough we also have a longer interview with the winner of this year’s Ockham Award, Dr Flint Dibble!Enjoy!Segments:0:00:27 Intro0:00:52 Greetings0:11:57 Interviews:0:12:00 Clio Bellenis0:18:19 Diana Barbosa and João Monteiro0:27:58 Igor Stroev and David Glass0:31:51 Hayley Stevens0:36:05 Dr Flint Dibble1:09:04 Farewell1:12:27 Outro1:13:42 Outtakes

We celebrate our 450th episode (wow!) live at QED 2024 (wow!!!) with the help of Brian and Claire! We also get special greetings from Annika and Jay Novella, who unfortunately could not attend. A slightly different format due to the occasion, but of course we have the news, which this time has the (not so) cheerful theme of Russian disinformation:SWEDEN: An apparent news site focusing on the 2026 election is in fact an AI-generated propaganda tool that mixes real stories with fake news (Pontus)RUSSIA / EUROPE: Heritage Foundation and the Congress of Families (Claire)UK: MI5 chief warns of Russian disinformation campaigns targeting UK as report warns Western support for Ukraine at risk (Brian)INTERNATIONAL: Doppelganger, the Russian disinformation agency and its recently revealed documents (András)We end the show with a one-question quiz to find this weeks’ “Who’s Quacking?” candidate.Enjoy!Segments:0:00:00 Intro0:01:49 Greetings0:09:23 News0:40:25 Who's Quacking?0:43:07 Farewell0:43:37 Outro0:44:52 Outtakeshttps://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-450.html

Lot’s of listener feedback in this episode which is delightful! Pontus explains whether there was a scandal concerning the Sami peoples at the Gothenburg Book Fair and we prepare for this weekend’s QED! Speaking of which, this is what we also talk about in TWISH this week. Then, as always, the news:THE NETHERLANDS: Meester Kackadorisprijs awarded to the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organization (NVAO)FRANCE: Minister of Education and Research seems to be at odds with scienceSPAIN: Health Minister denounces homeopathyGERMANY / AUSTRIA: Das Goldene Brett Nominations now open (until 11 November)The Award for being Really Right goes to John Wiley & Sons for their decision to terminate the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, infamous for its terrible track record on retracted articles.Enjoy!https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-449.htmlSegments:0:00:27 Intro0:00:51 Greetings0:10:55 TWISH0:16:18 News0:36:03 Really Right0:40:01 Who's Quacking?0:46:55 Quote0:49:08 Outro0:50:23 Outtakes

In both Annika's and Pontus' absence, this week András interviews the "Fairy Godmother" of the show, psychic investigator & debunket, "master puppeteer" and tireless leader of the Secret Cabal (and the About Time Project) that is the international Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia Susan Gerbic. We talk about Mark Edward's legacy, how to start a SkeptiCamp in your local area, and what ways there are to help out the skeptical movement.Enjoy!Segments: Intro; Greetings & Interview; Outro; Outtakes0:00:33 INTRO0:01:02 GREETINGS & INTERVIEWSusan Gerbicthe About Time Project: https://www.abouttimeproject.org/find Susan Gerbic on Facebook0:41:03 OUTRO0:42:18 OUT-TAKES

András is back in good form and we start with a report from the Swedish Skeptics at the Gothenburg Book Fair – real life astronauts where involved! A little listener feed back and then we go to TWISH to hear about German R&B Singer and conspiracy theorist Xavier Naidoo. Then it’s time for the news:SWEDEN: Secret Service confirms State of Iran behind disinformation text messages re Quran burningsINTERNATIONAL: Social media moguls are a concern to most experts regarding misinformationBELGIUM: And the Pope is still a misogynistPORTUGAL: Public trust drives vaccine uptake regardless of ageTo round up we hand a Really Wrong Award to well-known homeopath Michael Frass, who keeps implying that homeopathy can treat cancer – but his arguments are based on falsified research…Enjoy!All show notes: https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-447.htmlSegments:0:00:27 Intro0:00:50 Greetings0:09:45 TWISH0:16:00 News0:45:10 Really Wrong0:50:34 Quote0:51:52 Outro0:53:07 Outtakes