This week we interview Marcel-Jan Krijgsman, Dutch amateur astronomer, data engineer and science communicator.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-465.html

Segments:

0:00:33 Intro

0:00:56 Greetings

0:11:04 Interview

0:45:58 Farewell

0:50:08 Outro

0:51:30 Outtakes

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After discussing Nazi salutes, placebo surgery, scientology follow-up, Massimo Polidoro’s new book and several recommendations for other podcasts, we eventually get down to the meat of the show. In TWISH we hear about Delta, the science TV program that aired 61 years ago on 31 of January. Then, we look to the news:

• SWEDEN: Swedish Skeptics Awards
• CENTRAL EUROPE: Disinformation and conspiracy beliefs in East-Central Europe show significant differences
• BALTIC SEA: Follow-up on the alleged cable sabotage in the Baltic Sea
• UK: Is Google actually gonna crack down on fake reviews?
• SWEDEN: Against scientific consensus, the age of criminal responsibility could be lowered to 14

Putin and Russia collect a yet another Really Wrong Award, this time for disinformation in schools.

Enjoy! (if that’s the word)

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-464.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:52 Greetings

0:20:46 TWISH

0:27:57 News

0:54:17 Really Wrong

0:58:59 Quote

1:00:50 Outro

1:02:05 Outtakes

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The ECDC has declared January cervical cancer awareness month which we support 100%. We also want encourage local skeptical actions such as speaking up when companies promote nonsense and Pontus gives us an example of how easy it can be, if you just take a few minutes and speak up. We also mention that the planets are lined up in a cool way at the moment, so turn your eyes to the skies! In TWISH we hear about Vladimir Bekhterev who was at least as significant in psychology as Pavlov was, but made the mistake to talk badly about Stalin and as a result was almost entirely written out of history. Then, we look at the news:

• INTERNATIONAL: It’s confirmed: 2024 was the first year with an average temperature 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels
• INTERNATIONAL: Pro-Russia disinformation pops up on BlueSky
• BALTIC SEA: Damaged cables in Baltic Sea not Russian sabotage?
• EU: X asked to disclose internal documents about algorithms over fears that far right gets boost
• UK: Meta and the scrapping of fact-checking

The Croatian deputy prime minister Josip Dabro confirms all our preconceived ideas regarding stupid populist politicians and gets the week’s award for being Really Wrong.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-463.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:50 Greetings

0:15:50 TWISH

0:25:46 News

0:45:49 Really Wrong

0:49:16 Quote

0:53:17 Outro

0:54:32 Outtakes

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

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

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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.