This week we first explore the magnetic properties of covid-19 vaccines and ponder the political meltdown of Alexander Lukashenko's Belarus. Then we celebrate the first publication of Bram Stoker's Dracula, published this week in 1897. We strongly recommend you check out Deborah Hyde's Dracula video on Youtube! After that it's time to check out the news:Portugese MD in need of help from skeptics around the globeHealing practicioner certificate was done on government levelThe problem with non replicable papers being cited more oftenCoViD denier makes songFor continuing to spread misinformation about COVID-19, Nobel Laureate Luc Montagnier gets today's prize for being Really Wrong.Enjoy!

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

This week Swedish vaccinations are not too well organised, András has debated homeopaths and the Swedish Skeptics have some cool events coming up. Ranga Yogeshwar (check him out!) celebrates his birthday and then we check out the news: - Looks like we’re very selfish after all… Personal benefit is better driver than greater good - Virtual exhibition in Nuremberg - Edzard Ernst strikes again: Paper on ‘energy medicine’ retracted after reader complaints - Hungarian Competition Authority fines snake oil salesman’s firm - Long-lost letter by Einstein reveals his special insight, making him the predictor of something cool - Accelerated climate change - What’s going on in Chernobyl?The Danish People’s Party think that mandatory prayers in schools and Danish meatballs are something that will “save Danish culture” and for that they are Really Wrong.Enjoy!

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

This week we wish Annika all the best in recovering from her first vaccine shot, we learn how to properly pronounce Cardinal ‘Becchiu’ and hear about this week’s birthday boy, Edward Jenner. Pope Francis tries to fight the pandemic with a totally pointless marathon and then we proceed on to check out the news:Instead of a Covid update: watch the latest episode of Last Week Tonight With John OliverCounterfeit covid-19 certificates – digitally signed without doctor’s knowledgeThe Heinz Oberhummer Award goes to…Facebook to warn you when you’re about to share something you haven’t readASA: Homeopaths are not suitably qualified health professionals and claims for homeopathy are improperBefore we go, we hand out an unusual Really Right to members of the German Catholic ‘Leibe Gewinnt’ initiative.Enjoy!

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

This week we get to hear Marie Curie’s birthname properly pronounced, curtesy of listener Max (thanks!). One more of us are getting the vaccine and so do pregnant women in Germany. We hear about Pope Francis’ battle against corrupt cardinals and then we get into the news: - Discussions about rules for vaccinated and vaccination jealousy - Ferngespräch – Shirt for charity! - Priest gives school lesson on “treating” homosexuals with electroshock therapy and more - The Risks of Thread Embedding Acupuncture - Whale penises behind sea monster stories?To wrap things up the ‘Schloss-Apotheke’ in Koblenz gets this week’s prize for being Really Wrong after marketing homeopathic Pfizer vaccine.Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; This Week; Pontus Pokes the Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takesThe Events Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe

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

This week we first chat a bit and celebrate that we finally have new dates for QED, the fantastic skeptical conference in Manchester, before we mark that it is 35 years this week since the Chernobyl disaster. We hear about Pope Francis’ impossible gig and then we have a Covid-19 update before we dig into the news: - Study explores AstraZeneca vaccine disinformation on Twitter - German actors protest against CoViD rules with weird satire - Pfizer confirms fake versions of vaccine in Poland and Mexico - First ever Flat Earth Award goes to… - Anthroblogger nominated for Grimme online award - Think like Da Vinci and understand the world’s problems betterThe Tobacco Industry gets this week's award for being Really Wrong for continuing to pay for fake science.Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; This Week; Pontus Pokes the Pope; Covid-19 Update; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takesThe Events Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe

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

This week we first celebrate the flight of Ingenuity on Mars, the first ever powered flight on another planet. In This week in Skepticism we hear about how Pierre and Marie Curie isolated radium for the first time and what a significant achievement that was. Then we have a Covid-19 update before we dig into the news:Adverse events in children linked to SCAMResearchers investigating AstraZeneca vaccine side effects had undisclosed ties to PfizerHerbal product behind Salmonella outbreak, three dead5G does not present “any new risks” according to ANSESThe Norwegian self-appointed “independent health researcher”, Hans Kristian Gaarder, gets the first ever posthumously award for being Really Wrong.Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; This Week; Covid-19 Update; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takesThe Events Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe

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

This week we start by reflecting on the death of Prince Philip and just can’t help mention languages again since a listener sent us sound files to help us with the pronunciations of last week’s Polish names. In This week in Skepticism we hear about the ancient astronaut fantasies of Erich von Däniken, followed by a Covid-19 update before we dig into the news:Popular marionette theatre targeted for COVID test explanation videoTendency to take up vaccine is really highWe are fucked – carbon-dioxide levels at all time high despite lockdownsECHR rules obligatory vaccination may be necessaryOnline hatred against Jews are upClare Relton, senior lecturer in clinical trials at Queen Mary University of London, teaches homeopaths how to cheat in randomized control trials. For that she gets this week’s prize for being Really Wrong.Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; This Week; Covid-19 Update; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; OutroThe Events Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe

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

This week we first continue to ponder the strange topic of language and we congratulate the Portuguese Skeptics on the anniversary of founding their organization ComCept. Then we have a Covid-19 update before we dig into the news:Analysis of excess mortality in Europe in 2020NEW BOOK: Missing Minimum DistanceSpooky Martian spider shapes explainedFirst helicopter on another planet to go on first mission soonThe 2020 Flying Unicorn Award goes to… Doctors for Truth (Nominations open for 2021)Nominations for the 2021 Maddox Prize now openThe success story of pharmacy students bringing vaccine science to classroomsThe veterinarian Geert Vanden Bossche gets a Really Wrong for discrediting covid-vaccines using pseudoscientific misinformation.Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; This Week; Covid-19 Update; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takesThe Events Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe

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

This week Pontus is still mad at English spelling but we hope our listeners will forgive him. In history René Descartes was born this week, the pope cuts the payroll for his cardinals and we have a Covid-19 update before we check out the news: - Court case against SCAM practitioner - NEW BOOK – the Cheaters, about Macchiarini and fraudulent research - NEW BOOK – The great bazaar of irrational - Cheap wine tastes better with a higher price tag - Old-growth forest effect in climate mitigation overestimatedThe Czech Cardinal and Archbishop of Prague Dominik Duka gets a Really Wrong this week using the pandemic as an excuse to peddle anti-abortion propaganda.Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; This Week; Pontus Pokes the Pope; Covid-19 Update; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takesThe Events Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe

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

Just a quick update to give you three extra news items: - Darwin was a misunderstood fantasy author - The famous drop bears in Austria not extinct after all - Skepticism has won and is no longer neededThanks for everything!

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