This week we we mention the Icelandic volcanic eruptions and then a bit randomly reflect upon languages and spelling. Pontus asks people to check out the VoF web site and András informs us about the Hungarian Skeptics’ Flat Earth-prize. In history Wilhelm Röntgen was born this week the pope gets poked for congratulating the Philippines for being so gloriously invaded and oppressed 500 years ago. We take a new look at the covid vaccine situation, before we check out the news: - Middlesex University gets rid of homeopathy training - Spain adopts euthanasia law despite conservative opposition - Follow-up: Doctor who facilitated death may lose his license, although he was aquitted - Russian scientists looking for the tiniest particles (from under Lake Baikal) - Adverse effects of low level mm wave radiations could not be found (5G) - Conspiracy theories in small print on soda bottles - New lawsuit against Facebook for being a hub of misinformation - New book (available online for free in Spanish): The Office of Doubt (about science and philosophy)We also hand out both a Really Wrong and and a Really Right award this week, to Turkey and a Polish writer, respectively.Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; This Week; Pontus Pokes the Pope; Covid-19 Update; News; Really Wrong / Really Right; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takesThe Events Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe

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This week we we start by checking out some science: travel faster than speed of light(?) and the wonderful 3D-model of the Antikythera mechanism. We look back at the birth of the Hungarian Skeptic Society and we poke the pope for being a bigot about gay marriage. We look at the covid vaccine situation and especially if the AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine appears safe, before we check out the news:New book: Fake news a threat to democracy?New tool to help students detect fake images and videosPeople with high emotional intelligence less susceptible to fake news?Water ‘vitalizer’ banned for possible interference with radio devicesSocial media watchdog: Instagram highly responsible for the spreading of misinformation?New book out: ‘Don’t get mixed up with food’Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; This Week; Pontus Pokes the Pope; Covid-19 Update; News; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takesThe Events Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe

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This week we geek out some more about space, mention the demonstrations in Stockholm and the upcoming Cologne virtual skeptics in the pub. Some German children’s stories from the past are absolutely horrible and then we celebrate the birthday of Yuri Gagarin, the first person in space. Pope Francis went to Iraq endangering the public and himself and reported back that there was “a woman on the plane”. Then we have a covid-19 update before we get into the news:Order of Physicians sanctions doctors who spread antivax misinformationNew book: Fact-checking vaccinationsFacebook struggles with checking non-English contentElectric cars do not produce more particle pollutantsLatest study reveals more about the placebo effectThe Good Magic Award 2021 winner announcedSkeptiker Schweiz changes name to Kritisch DenkenThe UK General Chiropractic Council gets the prize for being Really Wrong.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

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This week we first marvel at the on-going Mars missions, mention Germany’s need to get a new haircut and are fascinated by the Mount Etna eruptions. If you want to know where to find the French skeptics or the Observatoire Zététique, we tell you how, before we celebrate Brian Cox’ birthday. Pope Frances have double troubles with his trip to Iraq and that the Vatican finances are bleeding. Then, of course, we take look at the news: - COVID-19 – So, are we gonna win this?- -Cancer and cardiovascular diagnoses missed during pandemic - Wodarg (CoViD denier) is filing a lawsuit against Volksverpetzer - Vaccines scams emerge as rollout continues - Over 60% of Russians do not want the Sputnik vaccine – virus is created as biological weapon - Conspiracy theories start to take hold at age 14? - All the talks of ESC 2019 are now on YouTube - Freshwater fish in catastrophic decline - Swedish MD not charged for assisted death - Edzard Ernst shares some of the content from his latest book in EnglishGwyneth Paltrow claims she knows how to handle long-term covid effects which is Really Wrong. Luckily the NHS knows better and are Really Right.Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; This Week; Pontus Pokes the Pope; News; Really Wrong and Right; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takesThe Events Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe

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This week we geek out a bit about the landing of Perseverance on Mars, we (again) ponder the chances to become an ESA astronaut. Facebook stupidly believes Europe is a place in Australia and takes it out on this podcast. Idiots. (Speaking of Downunder, you should check out the Skeptic Zone and their logical fallacies series). We talk about Dolly the sheep who was presented to the public this week 24 years ago, and then Pontus reluctantly admits that the Pope did something good, sort of. Then, of course, we look at the news:Early results show an 85% drop in symptomatic cases after first vaccine doseExcess deaths in Sweden lower than European AverageStudy says: Everyone believes at least one conspiracy theoryViral video doesn’t show what it saysVitamin D-COVID-19 preprint removed from Lancet serverThe COVID Cube – to help you make the right decision about a COVID vaccineHomeopaths’ hardships aboundAre Extremists less able to do complex mental tasks?Fake medicine – New book outWell, Facebook definitely needs a geography lesson, and for that they are Really Wrong.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

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This week we are happy that the Covid-19 Communication Handbook have been translated into German. A Swedish translation is underway and hopefully many more. We then celebrate Copernicus birthday before we look at the news:Secret Facebook group of academics, researchers and opinion-formers spreads misinformation about Swedish corona responseResearchers study the link between practicing alternative medicine and attitude towards vaccinationsFacebook finally bans misinformation about all vaccinesMarketer of alkalizing drops could go to jail for potentially dangerous fraudGuy launches GoFundMe campaign to launch his flat-earther friend into spaceThe guy (Edzard Ernst) is not just sitting around – publishes a book every few months nowPolish women should have “a room to cry in” in Church after abortionApostolic remains lying in Rome?To round off the episode the Romanian Orthodox Church gets the Really Wrong Award for continuing to kill people in the name of religion.Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; This Week; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takesThe Events Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe

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This week we talk to Philipp Schmid about the COVID-19 Vaccine Communication Handbook. Philipp is a behavioural scientist at the Psychology and Infectious Diseases Lab at the University of Erfurt in Germany. He is also an Interim Lecturer for Statistics and Methods at the university’s Department of Psychology. Philipp is an expert in the psychological background of vaccine hesitancy, which is one of the hot topics for skeptics due to the ongoing pandemic. He has worked a lot with the World Health Organization and other intergovernmental institutions like the Robert Koch Institute. He recently took part of the international team behind the brilliant and extremely important booklet, The COVID-19 Vaccine Communication Handbook, but he also worked on the updated version of the Debunking Handbook.Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; Interview; Farewell; Outro; Out-takesEvents Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe

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This week we note that Martin Moder (see ep. #236) are making videos so well that anti-vaxxers want them taken down. The Swedish Skeptics has a great video up from their (English-speaking) Skeptics in the Pub on-line. Pope Francis keeps absolutely quiet regarding the abuse scandals in Spain and then we get a Covid-19 update before we look at the news:Facebook still making money out of anti-vax sitesNew book out in Portugal: ‘Caught by the virus’Eustoquio Molina award for standing up for scienceLargest global opinion poll yet shows great support for climate emergency actionsEurope created more energy from renewables than fossil fuels last yearThere might not be phosphene in Venus’ atmosphere after all…Dyatlov Pass incident put in new context thanks to latest snow dynamics studyTory MP Sir Desmond Swayne gets the Really Wrong Award for fueling sentiments against covid restriction .Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; This Week; Pontus Pokes the Pope; Covid Update; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takesThe Events Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe

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This week we get nostalgic about the days when we could travel. We marvel over the fact that some people still thinks it is okay to do so, since the Swedish ski resorts report they are as busy as ever. Nothing new about the pope today, we get a Covid-19 update and then it's time for us to look at the news:Study wants to show who is turning to the Covid-denying Querdenker movementBacklash for French Covid19 vaccinesThe Good Magic Awards are backStudy shows the neccessity of big visual signs to warn people about fake newsColloidal silver and other pseudoscientific therapies potentially dangerousHungarian media using a hoax about the NetherlandsStudy on the use and confidence in therapies not based on scienceIt has come to light that a Swedish company has sold fake covid-19 certificates to unknowing customers and of course that earns them a Really Wrong Award.Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; This Week; Covid Update; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takes

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This week Annika has got some real nutty advice in the mail. She has also made a cameo on the Skeptic Zone, check it out!. Things are flying in the air, in Norway it was a meteor (landing as a meteor-ite, thank you very much) and in Sweden it was a real(?) UFO!Rudolph II (“Holy Roman Emperor, Batman!”) died in 1612, but his contribution to our understanding of the universe lives on. Pope Francis’ bishops are dropping like flies as if God doesn’t exist, we get a Covid-19 update and then it’s time for us to look at the news:The COVID-19 Vaccine Communication Handbook by S. LewandowskyAntivaxxers minority but very loudThe journal Nature retracts paper linking BMI with honestyTalk to me – Corona Edition, App launched in English and GermanWikipedia just turned 20EFSA approves mealworms as human foodConsultation launched over gene edited food in EnglandOur forests on track to reaching a tipping pointFake doctor withdraws from lawsuitWe finish with a Really Wrong Award going to the Irish Commission to investigate the infamous Mother-and-Baby homes.Enjoy!Segments:Intro; Greetings; This Week; Pontus Pokes the Pope; Covid Update; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takesEvents Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe

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