The European Skeptics Podcast - The ESP

Hurry up to get the early bird price for ESC Liverpool! You have until 14 September!Isar Aerospace achieves first launch to orbit from continental Europe and in TWISH we celebrate the 60th anniversary of Star Trek, a show that brought humanism into science fiction. Then, it’s time for the news:SWEDEN: General elections update plus early voting screwupGERMANY: AfD wins in Saxony-AnhaltINTERNATIONAL: IgNobel prizes of 2026UK: Discrepancy between public perception of crime rates and actual statisticsThis week’s Who’s Quacking? award goes to Fredrik Paulún, self-proclaimed Swedish health guru.Enjoy!https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-548.htmlSegments:0:00:27 Intro0:00:50 Greetings0:06:14 TWISH0:16:44 News0:47:25 Who's Quacking?0:54:01 Quote0:55:20 Outro0:56:43 Outtakes

Nominate candidates both Das Goldene Brett and the Ockham Award (including the Rusty Razor!), links are in the show notes. In TWISH we hear about that Russian space visionary Konstantin Tsiolkovsky who over a 100 years ago established still valid theories about space rockets and more, needed for space flight. Then we have the news:INTERNATIONAL: Elsevier to ‘soon investigate’ two Macchiarini papers more than a year after retraction requestITALY: Unvaccinated child dies of diphteriaGermany has finally(!) removed funding for both homeopathic and anthroposophic remedies, and for that they deserve the Really Right Award!Enjoy!https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-547.htmlSegments:0:00:27 Intro0:00:50 Greetings0:07:49 TWISH0:14:55 News0:28:39 Really Right0:35:09 Quote0:38:32 Outro0:39:55 Outtakes

With András back in the saddle, we advice against climate doom and also encourage listeners to nominate for the Ockhams Awards. In TWISH we go back almost 2500 years for an example of how superstition can ruin your quite innocent Sicilian expedition, and then we head for the news:SWEDEN: Elections coming up fast, rife with AI fakes and populistic opportunismSPAIN / INTERNATIONAL: Investigation into the fake doctor industryFRANCE: End of Life law implementedGERMANY: Follow-up on Bavarian Study – Massive failureThe Channel 4 documentary ‘The Great ADHD Myth?‘ is loaded with pseudoscience and conspiracy theories and so is a worthy recepient of the Really Wrong Award.Enjoy!https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-546.htmlSegments:0:00:27 Intro0:00:50 Greetings0:13:31 TWISH0:22:56 News0:46:51 Really Wrong0:51:34 Quote0:54:22 Outro0:55:44 Outtakes

ESC Liverpool speakers announced, Wasp-watch big reveal and listener feedback about Triodos Bank. The bulk of the episode is a trip down memory lane with a rebroadcast of our interview with James the Amazing Randi from ten years ago. It’s really worth a listen!The Really Wrong Award goes to Richard Tice of Reform UK for saying people should “enjoy the heat” of the recent climate crisis.Enjoy!https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-545.htmlSegments:0:00:27 Intro0:00:54 Greetings0:14:30 Interview1:14:35 Really Wrong1:17:12 Quote1:18:15 Outro1:19:37 Outtakes

This week we have a special solar eclipse report (video available!) and two tips of UK free tourist tours relevant for skeptics. In TWISH we hear about Wilhelm Wundt, the founder of experimental psychology.Then, it’s time for the news:EUROPE: Warmest summer ever in Western Europe, warmest global sea temperatures on record – and the economy suffers tooHUNGARY: Fake AI ads exploit Semmelweis University to sell miracle weight loss patchesINTERNATIONAL: Scam targets film fans with fake streaming sitesROMANIA: TikTok hoax leads to violent ambulance attack in RomaniaThe Really Wrong Award goes to Google for its stupid idea of letting users create fake AI maps on Google Earth.https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-544.htmlSegments: 0:00:27 Intro0:00:50 Greetings0:16:48 TWISH0:28:40 News0:52:46 Really Wrong0:56:11 Quote0:58:40 Outro1:00:03 OuttakesEnjoy!

Super packed episode this week, with four of Annika’s Skepticon interviews and Brian Eggo sitting in for András. We talk about the upcoming SkeptiCamp in Liverpool, the on-going Edinburgh Fringe and its skeptical series of events, and next week’s solar eclipse in Europe. After interviews with Cara Santa Maria, Eran Segev, Lara Benham, Steve and Bob Novella, we get into TWISH where we hear about the unlikely adventures (and ultimately tragic end) of Lord Gordon Gordon, a man who almost made the US invade Canada. Then, we turn to the news:SWEDEN: Pontus Pokes the Politicians: Seven years later – chickenpox vaccination to finally be included in Swedish vaccination program – next yearEU / CHINA: AliExpress fined record €550m by EU for allowing sale of illegal goodsITALY: Con artist jailed for charging tourists to visit ‘world’s oldest and largest amphitheater’ – which he built himself, 20 years agoThis week’s Really Wrong Award goes to Princess Märtha Louise of Norway who cannot seem to stop using her royal title for esoteric nonsense.Enjoy!https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-543.htmlSegments:0:00:27 Intro0:00:56 Greetings0:09:05 Interviews0:09:09 Cara Santa Maria0:19:57 Eran Segev0:28:21 Lara Benham0:32:52 Steve and Bob Novella0:40:29 TWISH0:47:42 News1:06:19 Really Wrong1:13:42 Quote1:16:25 Outro1:17:47 Outtakes

This week we mention World Hepatitis Day (28 July) and new study that (again) finds no relationship between mobile cellphones and cancer. We also have two short interviews by Annika(!) from Skepticon Australia, with Richard Saunders and George Hrab! In TWISH we hear about John Tyndall, Irish physicist and great science communicator.Then we take a look at the news:SWEDEN: Quackery round-up: Frequency therapyAUSTRIA: Kneipp Therapy: Popular tradition, still very little evidenceFRANCE / SPAIN: Wildfires in France and SpainINTERNATIONAL: Snopes’ AI detection toolkitThe Really Wrong Award goes to the new phenomenon of ‘Agentic AI’.Enjoy!https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-542.htmlSegments:0:00:27 Intro0:00:51 Greetings0:12:04 Interviews0:21:19 TWISH0:29:38 News0:50:42 Really Wrong0:56:27 Quote0:58:53 Outro1:00:16 Outtakes

The heatwave continues and analysis finds that most news reporting fails to mention climate change. In TWISH we hear about the founding of Accademia del Cimento, in many ways the start of scientific experimentation during the enlightenment. Then we go into the news:UK / RUSSIA / US: Musk family foundation funded Tommy Robinson’s trip to MoscowGERMANY: IGeL Monitor rates osteopathy for non-specific low back pain as unclearSWEDEN / INTERNATIONAL: Quackery round-up: Excessive testosterone usage, and pointless IVF supplementsSo-called ‘pet whisperers’ are all around us, making money by pretending to talk to our dogs and cats. Of course, they are Really Wrong.Enjoy!https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-540.htmlSegments:0:00:27 Intro0:00:50 Greetings0:07:16 TWISH0:16:09 News0:33:03 Really Wrong0:42:03 Quote0:43:33 Outro0:44:56 Outtakes