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 therapy
• AUSTRIA: Kneipp Therapy: Popular tradition, still very little evidence
• FRANCE / SPAIN: Wildfires in France and Spain
• INTERNATIONAL: Snopes’ AI detection toolkit

The Really Wrong Award goes to the new phenomenon of ‘Agentic AI’.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-542.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:51 Greetings

0:12:04 Interviews

0:21:19 TWISH

0:29:38 News

0:50:42 Really Wrong

0:56:27 Quote

0:58:53 Outro

1:00:16 Outtakes

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

We start with some listener feedback from Poland and a short follow-up regarding last week’s report on pet whisperers. In TWISH we hear about Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel, a German astronomer, physicist and mathematician whose way of thinking still influences both scientific rigor and skepticism today.

Then, we take a look at the news:

• INTERNATIONAL: New weather-related threat: Forecast prediction scams
• HUNGARY: Chief Medical Officer issues statement to warn against use of ivermectin and the like as cancer cure
• SCANDINAVIA: Forget the Vikings? Postdoctoral fellow critical of image portrayed by museums of the Viking era

The Really Wrong Award goes to BB Gårda, a so-called “Birth Center” in Sweden and the idea that such centers would be a positive development.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-541.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:50 Greetings

0:07:16 TWISH

0:16:09 News

0:33:03 Really Wrong

0:42:03 Quote

0:43:33 Outro

0:44:56 Outtakes

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

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 Moscow
• GERMANY: IGeL Monitor rates osteopathy for non-specific low back pain as unclear
• SWEDEN / INTERNATIONAL: Quackery round-up: Excessive testosterone usage, and pointless IVF supplements

So-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.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:50 Greetings

0:07:16 TWISH

0:16:09 News

0:33:03 Really Wrong

0:42:03 Quote

0:43:33 Outro

0:44:56 Outtakes

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

We received some listener feedback regarding Ricky Gervais, and the Hungarian state media apologizes for the lies during Orbán(!). In TWISH we hear about Robert Chambers, the anonymous publisher who helped pave the way for Darwin.

Then, it’s time for the news:

• SWEDEN / NORWAY: Resurgence of JW in Sweden and Norway
• AUSTRIA: Austrians seem to have lost confidence in homeopathy
• INTERNATIONAL: Quackery round-up: misused Alzheimer’s test, cancer treatment with bleach, and fake diabetes supplement
• GERMANY: Couple on trial for mistreatment of child’s illness

Self-appointed (is there any other kind?) psychic Christoffer Norén receives this week’s award for being Really Wrong, while Susan Gerbic gets the Really Right Award for her ‘Psychics Explained’ Youtube channel.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-539.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:51 Greetings

0:15:49 TWISH

0:22:16 News

0:41:06 Really Wrong / Really Right

0:46:17 Quote

0:47:41 Outro

0:49:04 Outtakes

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

Science shows that the heatwave in Europe was made much worse by climate crisis, and in TWISH we hear about an old but classic ‘UFO encounter’ in France. Naturally, we also take a look at the news:

• SWEDEN / INTERNATIONAL: Pontus Pokes the Politicians: Psychologist argues that politicians focus too much on values to explain crimes
• SPAIN / INTERNATIONAL: Boiron shifts to dietary supplements as market for homeopathy is shrinking
• INTERNATIONAL: Are AI tools left, right, or just plainly wrong?
• UK: Conversion practices ban introduced in three out of four parts

We celebrate the success of HPV vaccination program by handing a Really Right Award to – Science!

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-538.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:51 Greetings

0:07:55 TWISH

0:15:04 News

0:41:18 Really Right

0:45:12 Quote

0:46:32 Outro

0:47:54 Outtakes

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

The applications to talk at SkeptiCamp in October are now open, don’t be shy! In TWISH we hear about how the jesuit priest Angelo Secchi unwittingly became the origin of tales about green men on Mars. Then, it’s time for the news:

• EUROPE / WORLD: European heatwave / El Niño officially under way
• AUSTRIA: Study links authoritarian attitudes to belief in Anthroposophic medicine
• EUROPE / WORLD: Is EU falling for the great replacement theory?

The European Commission gets today’s award for being Really Right since they finally are easing the rules for CRISPR crops in the EU.

In Who’s Quacking? we feature Paulo Zampolli, sel-appointed “Envoy to Italy” who has tried to sneak Italy back into the World Cup, even though they clearly did not qualify.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-537.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:51 Greetings

0:03:25 TWISH

0:10:38 News

0:30:06 Really Right

0:33:48 Who's Quacking?

0:39:31 Quote

0:40:57 Outro

0:42:20 Outtakes

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

Some people still ignore the climate crises while there have been 200,000 preventable deaths due to heat only in Europe in the last four years. In TWISH we hear about the pope tried to strike back against Martin Luther with a papal bull (isn’t it all bull?) this week in 1520. Then, we turn to the news:

• NETHERLANDS: Freek Rikkerink of Suzan & Freek-fame is turning to paleo diet to combat terminal cancer
• NORTHERN IRELAND: Follow up on riots
• UK: UK to ban social media for under 16-year-olds
• EU: Humanists across Europe pushing for human-centred AI regulation in Europe

To finish off, the EU Commission gets this week’s Really Wrong Award for being too weak on conversion therapy.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-536.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:50 Greetings

0:07:10 TWISH

0:16:49 News

0:38:22 Really Wrong

0:43:41 Quote

0:44:50 Outro

0:46:13 Outtakes

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

Climate crisis reaches all the way up to Scandinavia and in TWISH we hear about Roger Bacon, an early advocate for investigative science.

Then we have the news:

• SCOTLAND / INTERNATIONAL: Research integrity and transparency in SCAM journals
• ENGLAND: Church of England spends a fortune on evangelism
• SWEDEN: Scandals and corruption as Sweden prepares for September elections
• UK: Doctors and NHS could be sued for mistakes caused by AI

Tommy Robinson cynically exploits tragic attack in Belfast which earns him this week’s Really Wrong Award.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-535.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:51 Greetings

0:03:42 TWISH

0:11:41 News

0:40:16 Really Wrong

0:44:10 Quote

0:45:00 Outro

0:46:23 Outtakes

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

These days even cognitive biases are automated. In TWISH we hear about the skeptical TV-series X-Aknák (X-Mines) that ran on Hungarian TV in the early 2000s. Then, it’s time for the news:

• UK / INTERNATIONAL: Canadian man admits sending ‘suicide packets’ to hundreds of people in the UK and around the world
• UK / INTERNATIONAL: John Maddox Prize open for nominations
• INTERNATIONAL: Online ads are becoming harder to spot – but we’re not powerless to stop it
• GERMANY: Interviews from SkepKon 2026 now available

The Conference of Deans of Faculties of Medicine in France aims to throw out alternative medicine from the universities and for that they are Really Right!

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-534.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:51 Greetings

0:06:54 TWISH

0:14:38 News

0:31:22 Really Right

0:36:13 Quote

0:38:03 Outro

0:39:25 Outtakes

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

Not even June and people are already dying from heatwave in Europe. Skepkon 2026 in Regensburg looks to have been a hit and speaking of conferences – don’t forget to plan your trip to ESC Liverpool in October! In TWISH we hear about the man behind the Watchmaker analogy and then it’s time for the news:

• NORWAY / SWEDEN: Assisted death pushed too far
• UK: Wellness coach dies of frog poison
• INTERNATIONAL: Smart phones are promoting populism
• GERMANY: Historical cryptozoological find has been elegantly debunked

A bunch of AI LLMs mislead voters before the Scottish election this month, and for that they share the Award for being Really Wrong.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-533.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:50 Greetings

0:08:36 TWISH

0:20:26 News

0:39:06 Really Wrong

0:43:13 Quote

0:44:48 Outro

0:46:11 Outtakes

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