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The European Skeptics Podcast - The ESP
TheESP – Ep. #520 – I Swear, it’s Adrienne Hill!
Ep. 520
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In a very special skeptical Canadian extravaganza, we are joined by the fabulous Adrienne Hill as guest host for the show. A very special treat! In TWISH we look into the fourth anniversary of Putins’ invasion of Ukraine, and how disinformation has been used as weapon in the war. Then, we dig into the news:
- UK: Racial Slurs shouted at the Bafta Awards by a guest who has Tourette Syndrome
- NORTHERN IRELEND: Getting closer to repeal blasphemy law
- HUNGARY: Pediatrician in custody after faking vaccination certificates
- ITALY: Crotchgate at the Olympics. Can injecting Hyaluronic Acid into genitals help ski jumpers’ distance?
- NETHERLANDS / SWEDEN: Dutch seller of bogus medicine uses AI deep fakes and Swedish bank for legitimacy
- INTERNATIONAL: Safe spaces or innovation killers? Macron’s AI showdown in Delhi
The Really Wrong Award goes to circumcision for non-medical reasons on children who cannot consent, after a baby dies of sepsis for no good reason.
Enjoy!
https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-520.html
Segments:
0:00:27 Intro
0:00:53 Greetings
0:12:20 TWISH
0:22:56 News
1:08:41 Really Wrong
1:14:57 Quote
1:16:05 Outro
1:17:27 Outtakes
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528. TheESP – Ep. #528 – Cupping Time!
53:37||Ep. 528Lots going on this week! It’s European Immunization Week, Pontus went to a spa and got ‘cupped’, and we have news about two skeptical events: the launch of Skeptival 2026 in Berlin and tickets for the European Skeptics Congress 2026 in Liverpool (ESC 2026) will be released on 6 May!In TWISH we take a look at the misinformation surrounding the Chernobyl disaster that happened 40 years ago this week. And then of course, we have the news:IRELAND: 12-year-old sex abuse victim locked up and punished for four years in a nunneryIRELAND / UK: UK survivor of Irish mother and baby home can’t afford to accept compensationGERMANY: Will homeopathy finally get what it deserves: nothing?SWEDEN: Tough-on-crime sentiments are polarizing SwedesThe Swedish government ignores science and all experts and has decided to push through sending children to prison and for that they are Really Wrong.Enjoy!https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-528.htmlSegments:0:00:27 Intro0:00:51 Greetings0:18:13 TWISH0:30:34 News0:47:46 Really Wrong0:50:13 Quote0:51:44 Outro0:53:07 Outtakes
527. TheESP – Ep. #527 – Spiritual Beliefs with Dr Kat Ford
59:36||Ep. 527This week we have a great interview with the fabulous Dr Kat Ford!Enjoy!Segments:0:00:34 Intro0:00:58 Greetings0:07:47 Interview0:55:33 Farewell0:57:19 Outro0:58:41 Outtakes
526. TheESP – Ep. #526 – Fat Banished!
49:09||Ep. 526Pontus is back and Brian steps in for András, as we discuss myths and disinformation. In TWISH we hear about three common myths regarding the sinking of Titanic, and then we get into the news:UK: Non-religion is the new normal: six in ten under-35s have no religion, new analysis findsINTERNATIONAL: ‘Stand with Science’ – World Health Day: People live longer today than ever before, even after cancer: here are the latest WHO data.UK: Eat tapeworm eggs, lose weight: The terrifying Victorian practice whose myth refuses to dieThe Really Wrong Award goes to the Finnish MP and former Minister of the Interior Päivi Räsänen, who was convicted of hate speech against gay people.Enjoy!https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-526.htmlSegments:0:00:27 Intro0:00:56 Greetings0:03:15 TWISH0:16:09 News0:38:24 Really Wrong0:44:04 Quote0:47:02 Outro0:48:24 Outtakes
525. TheESP – Ep. #525 – Reality Isn’t True Either
21:58||Ep. 525In Pontus’ absence, András carries the torch this week and tells about Italian electoral abstentions and in TWISH we here about Robert Bunsen, who knew how to burn things with scientific rigor. Then, it’s time for the news:UK: Polls shows public wants religion out of schoolsAUSTRIA / GERMANY: Florian Aigner’s new book out – ‘Die Wirklichkeit ist auch nicht wahr’INTERNATIONAL: Academic Freedom Index on decline worldwideINTERNATIONAL: Wikipedia bans AI-generated contentThe Really Right Award goes to the Ministry of the Interior in Hesse, Germany, for helping its citizens to fight conspiracy theories.Enjoy!https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-525.htmlSegments:0:00:27 Intro0:00:51 Greetings0:03:25 TWISH0:07:15 News0:16:48 Really Right0:18:52 Quote0:20:25 Outro0:21:47 Outtakes
524. TheESP – Ep. #524 – We are Against Idiocy
50:40||Ep. 524Despite the bleak outlook we see in the news, science and critical thinking is still a thing. In the UK, Sense about Science is recruiting and in Toulouse, France, there is a great festival coming up in April. In TWISH we revisit the legacy of Erik Weisz, aka Harry Houdini, and then we have a look at the news:INTERNATIONAL: Funeral rights for non-believersNETHERLANDS: Senior journalist’s fall over falling for AI hallucinationsEUROPE / USA: Europe actively recruits researchers struggling under Trump / Ig Nobel prizes moving to SwitzerlandGERMANY: Old tricks back on the rise as gas prices soarReform UK and the UK Conservative party are fueling disinformation regarding the general public's view on net zero emissions, and for that they are Really Wrong.Enjoy!https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-524.htmlSegments:0:00:27 Intro0:00:52 Greetings0:10:55 TWISH0:20:59 News0:43:58 Really Wrong0:47:18 Quote0:48:40 Outro0:50:02 Outtakes
523. TheESP – Ep. #523 – Germanic New Toothpaste?
58:51||Ep. 523General elections in Hungary are coming up and it’s going to be nasty. We get some listener feedback and we were on an video interview for Skeptical Inquirer. TWISH looks to Tesla’s famous “free energy” patent which was filed 126 years ago, and finds that in doesn’t promise free energy at all (chocker!). Then we look to the news:UK: Survivors of Ireland’s mother and baby homes face benefit cuts in UK after accepting compensationGERMANY: Campaign against fluoride in toothpaste seems to be a marketing strategy rather than citizen initiativeINTERNATIONAL: AIDS denialism on the riseGERMANY: Germanic New Medicine seems dangerously popularWho’s Quacking? this week looks to Norway and finds Anders Haakenstad, a clinical exercise physiologist and health expert who spreads unproven doubts about chemo therapy for cancer and vaccines.Enjoy!https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-523.htmlSegments:0:00:27 Intro0:00:51 Greetings0:13:49 TWISH0:25:06 News0:50:10 Who's Quacking?0:55:11 Quote0:56:56 Outro0:58:19 Outtakes
522. TheESP – Ep. #522 – Talking Nuclear, with Zion Lights
53:19||Ep. 522This week we have an interview with author and nuclear advocate Zion Lights.Enjoy!https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-522.htmlSegments:0:00:33 Intro0:00:56 Greetings0:07:05 Interview0:47:09 Farewell0:51:34 Outro0:52:57 Outtakes
521. TheESP – Ep. #521 – RFK jr. Does not Call the Shots
56:57||Ep. 521Even in a world on fire with yet another big war there are glimmers of light such as the upcoming Festival of Humanism in Bournemouth in June. In TWISH we hear about some of the most common myths about Michelangelo, and then we take a look at the news:EU: Vaccine update: EMA recommends approval of Moderna’s combined flu/covid vaccine and more good news regarding HPV vaccinationGERMANY: Fake vaccinations currently under investigationUK / WALES: Follow-up: Assisted dying in the UK and WalesINTERNATIONAL: Lessons from the latest Freedom of Thought ReportThe Really Wrong Award goes to unnecessary supplements for middle-aged men (they don’t do much for other people either…)Enjoy!https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-521.htmlSegments:0:00:27 Intro0:00:50 Greetings0:05:51 TWISH0:19:51 News0:45:46 Really Wrong0:50:03 Who's Quacking?0:53:44 Quote0:55:11 Outro0:56:34 Outtakes