Happy to be back again and we start by welcoming some new publications by Brian Eggo and Edzard Ernst. In TWISH we wonder if 13 January is Skeptics Day and then we dig into the news:

• FRANCE: Godfather of modern far-right movement Jean-Marie Le Pen dies aged 96
• UK / ESTONIA: Nurosym – an example of scam health device
• UK: Poll shows more than half of UK voters dislike Elon Musk and his meddling with UK politics

This week’s Really Wrong Award was just as hard to guess as the sun going up or down – Mark Zuckerberg and Meta are going full MAGA on us and it is terrible to see.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-462.html

Segments: 

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:50 Greetings

0:09:48 TWISH

0:13:26 News

0:42:37 Really Wrong

0:53:53 Quote

0:55:51 Outro

0:57:06 Outtakes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quite a few things to dive into this week: the Medici popes, some listener feedback, cool dinosaur tracks and some sad news from France. In TWISH we we have an epiphany and then we go through the news:

• NORWAY / UK: Who Believes in Alternative Medicine?
• RUSSIA: Cancer vaccine announced, with no published evidence
• UK: Over 40% of cancer patients use complementary and alternative medications while receiving anticancer treatment
• INTERNATIONAL: Another year of Retraction Watch being awesome! Want to work for and with them?
• INTERNATIONAL: Recent global temperature surge intensified by record-low planetary albedo
• HUNGARY: Viktor Orbán travels to India, posts photo with Ayurvedic guru
• 
  

Several Hungarian organizations close to the government signs up with IFTCC who claims that banning conversion therapy is a threat to human rights – can you be more Really Wrong?

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-461.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:51 Greetings

0:17:18 TWISH

0:27:54 News

0:57:21 Really Wrong

1:04:59 Quote

1:06:37 Outro

1:07:52 Outtakes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With András unavailable, we drag Annika out of retirement to launch the new year! In TWISH we hear about Martin Luther’s excommunication and while Pontus always enjoy seeing someone stand up to the Pope, Martin Luther himself was far from flawless. Then we have the news-round:

• SWEDEN / INTERNATIONAL: Multi supplements are at best unnecessary and at worst dangerous
• EU: Amalgam is history
• INTERNATIONAL: World endures ‘decade of deadly heat’ as 2024 caps hottest years on record

Elon Musk, already adorned with the shameful Rusty Razor Award of 2024, add this week’s Really Wrong Award to his collection, this time for supporting the German AfD party.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-460.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:52 Greetings

0:03:19 TWISH

0:13:46 News

0:29:18 Really Wrong

0:33:05 Quote

0:34:44 Outro

0:35:59 Outtakes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We close the year with some topical items related to the season.

Happy New Year!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-459.html

Segments:

0:00:25 Intro

0:00:49 Greetings

0:05:28 TWISH

0:21:13 Special segment

0:39:37 Quote

0:41:35 Outro

0:42:50 Outtakes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A little correction to start with, and then in TWISH we hear about the Jesuit and scientist Tommaso Ceva. Of course, we also have the news:

• SWEDEN: Private clinics on public contracts promoted nonsense cures, denied sick patients and cheated
• HUNGARY: Government’s own fact checkers cause for concern in Europe
• UK: Boycott against Arla for trying to reduce methane emissions
• INTERNATIONAL: New comprehensive review of homeopathy is actually BS
• UK: Follow up on Church of England scandal
• ROMANIA: Presidential elections called off after Russian meddling

The EU has a regulation stating that farmers have to prioritize homeopathy before real veterinary medicine to keep their “organic” label, and for that the EU is Really Wrong.

Enjoy!

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:51 Greetings

0:07:33 TWISH

0:11:56 News

0:39:36 Really Wrong

0:45:56 Quote

0:47:11 Outro

0:48:26 Outtakes

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-458.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We start with the sad news that this is Annika’s last episode as a regular host. Over the last four years she has brought her unique perspective and insights (and puns!) to the show. But being part of a weekly podcast is tough commitment while at the same time balancing a fulltime job, raising a family and participating in other skeptical activities. We will miss her! And we hope to see her back again from time to time for guest appearances.

In TWISH this week we celebrate the birth of Robert Koch, one of the ‘fathers of microbiology’ (together with Louis Pasteur). Then we have a look at the news:

• INTERNATIONAL: Adult skills in literacy and numeracy declining or stagnating in most OECD countries
• INTERNATIONAL: Online influencers in urgent need of factchecking tools
• INTERNATIONAL: How the far right is weaponising AI generated content in Europe
• UK: Update: Sentence announced for ‘slapping therapist’ Hongchi Xiao
• UK: Resignation at the Royal Society
• SWEDEN: Indian sect called ‘Oneness’ opens huge center
• RUSSIA: FSB raids international scamming organisation Milton Group

The Really Wrong Award for this week goes to ‘all politicians worldwide’ for their inability to address the climate crisis. Then we close out with a Word of the Week and a Quote.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-457.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:52 Greetings

0:04:15 TWISH

0:13:07 News

0:56:34 Really Wrong

1:00:36 Word of the Week

1:06:09 Quote

1:09:04 Outro

1:10:19 Outtakes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the usual pre-amble, we hear about the first prediction of a transit of Venus in TWISH. Calculated by Kepler himself you can only go go “Yay, science!”, and salute the guy. Then we get to the news:

• INTERNATIONAL: Company linked to cloned journals of major publishers denies cloning journals of major publishers
• AUSTRIA: The Golden Board in front of the head goes to… Healy
• UK: The UK ‘Assisted Dying Bill’ – reasons for concern?
• INTERNATIONAL: 20th translation of the Debunking Handbook now out!
• INTERNATIONAL: ‘Grey content’: how mainstream journalism accidentally fueled covid vaccine hesitancy
• 
  

Why is it that all celebrities go bonkers and want to sell nonsense products? We don’t know, but David Beckham is no exception and for that he is Really Wrong.

Enjoy!

Show notes: https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-456.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:52 Greetings

0:08:08 TWISH

0:13:45 News

0:43:47 Really Wrong

0:49:08 Quote

0:50:14 Outro

0:51:29 Outtakes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 surge
• GERMANY: Court ruling states that informed consent is important when using SCAM
• NORWAY: Update: true con artists – the Princess and the Shaman have not paid the suppliers for their wedding
• AUSTRIA: Finalists of the Golden Board announced
• SWITZERLAND: Deus in machina: Swiss church installs AI-powered Jesus

This 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 Intro

0:00:50 Greetings

0:11:56 TWISH

0:17:01 News

0:43:00 Really Wrong

0:46:48 Quote

0:48:32 Outro

0:49:47 Outtakes

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-455.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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°C
• INTERNATIONAL: Climate crisis to blame for dozens of ‘impossible’ heatwaves, studies reveal
• INTERNATIONAL: Retraction Watch is hiring!
• SPAIN: Video does not show ‘HAARP ship’ floating near Spain before floods
• INTERNATIONAL: WHO teams up with TikTok to combat misinformation on social media

The Really Wrong Award goes to the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam for making a chiropractor professor.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-454.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:50 Greetings

0:11:56 TWISH

0:16:37 News

0:36:14 Really Wrong

0:40:55 Quote

0:42:32 Outro

0:43:47 Outtakes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 online
• UK: Assisted dying bill’s ‘strict’ safeguards to include long jail terms for coercion
• SWEDEN: Warning regarding fake medicine online
• GERMANY: Who trusts science and who doesn’t?
• UK: The Archbishop of Canterbury resigns over Church abuse scandal

The 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.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:53 Greetings

0:04:54 TWISH

0:12:16 News

0:36:35 Really Wrong

0:40:13 Quote

0:42:08 Outro

0:43:23 Outtakes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 psychic
• INTERNATIONAL: Wanna help out the Skeptical Science team?
• UK: King Charles and Queen Camilla on secret Bengaluru trip for woo treatment
• INTERNATIONAL: A little help to nurses in combatting vaccine misinformation
• NORWAY: Spouse of Norwegian princess, ‘shaman’ Durek Verrett, accused of sexual assault
• UK: Religious hate crimes at record high levels

The 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.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:50 Greetings

0:06:01 TWISH

0:11:19 News

0:37:06 Really Wrong

0:39:58 Word of the Week

0:43:26 Quote

0:48:38 Outro

0:49:53 Outtakes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.