The European Skeptics Podcast - The ESP

We’re back from ESC Liverpool and have a lot to catch up on! We report about the winners of the Ockham Award and the Rusty Razor and debunk some disinformation about the unrest in France. Instead of a TWISH we have a short interview with Lizzi Collinge, a skeptic and a UK MP(!). Then, we tackle the news:

• UKRAINE / RUSSIA: Did Ukraine’s strikes lead to a decline in Russian disinformation?
• EUROPE: European governments withdraw support for disinformation conference following US pressure
• FRANCE: A landmark legal victory for medical science and skepticism
• UKRAINE: Ukraine still uses polygraph machines
• DENMARK: Can you tell a real photograph from an AI-generated image? New research suggests you probably can’t.
• GERMANY: When conspiracy theories turn dangerous

The Really Wrong Award for this week goes to all religious schools that cannot stop indoctrinating their students. We also have a fun Word of the Week: ‘Escroc’.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-554.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:51 Greetings

0:15:28 Interview

0:25:53 News

0:52:13 Really Wrong

0:54:19 Word of the Week

0:57:27 Quote

0:58:41 Outro

1:00:04 Outtakes

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

Andrew Copson is the Chief Executive of Humanists UK, a former President and current Ambassador of Humanists International, and author of a number of books on humanism and secularism.

In this episode we have him back on the show to talk about his upcoming book: How to be a Happy Human: Seven Humanist Foundations for a Better Life. Not a self-help book, it still guides you on how to find meaning in life and come to terms with the fact that this is the one chance we get – and that that is good thing.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-553.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:54 Greetings

0:06:33 Interview

0:42:10 Farewell

0:45:01 Outro

0:46:23 Outtakes

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

The number curse is getting worse! The Dutch Meester Kakadoris Award has been awarded, Patreon is changing its rules (but please still subscribe!) and next week sees two big Skeptical events: Global Skeptics in the Pub and ESC Liverpool. Join one of them or both! In TWISH we hear about Henry Cavendish (no relation to bananas) and then we get to the news:

• ISRAEL / INTERNATIONAL: Conspiracy theories about Flydubai attack spread across social media
• RUSSIA / UKRAINE / GERMANY: Russian disinformation campaigns are getting more sophisticated
• SWEDEN: Reports of election fraud – are they real?

The Really Wrong Award goes to Barbara O’Neill, the Australian quack who is currently touring Europe (and the world).

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-552.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:51 Greetings

0:12:04 TWISH

0:23:57 News

0:41:11 Really Wrong

0:45:19 Quote

0:47:28 Outro

0:48:51 Outtakes

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

Pontus report back from the bookfair and András has apparently also been struck by the numbers curse. In TWISH we look back at the first TAM London conference in 2009 and find that it can been seen as a milestone for European Skepticism.

Then we take a look at the news:

• INTERNATIONAL: Rare pregnancy infections may triple the risk of autism
• NORTHERN IRELAND: What do 16-year-olds believe?
• UK: UK will set up a new agency to fight ‘information warfare’

Supplements for menopause are unreasonably expensive as well as ineffective and for that they deserve the Really Wrong Award.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-551.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:51 Greetings

0:08:07 TWISH

0:17:15 News

0:35:03 Really Wrong

0:40:30 Quote

0:41:53 Outro

0:43:16 Outtakes

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

We start by Pontus correcting himself on numbers he uttered, then we contemplate whether the recent Russian election results hold water. In TWISH we celebrate the real giant of science Michael Faraday commemorating his brilliant method to prove the ideomotor phenomenon. Then we turn to the news:

• INTERNATIONAL: a 'Godzilla level' el Niño coming up?
• UK: Meta deepfake safeguards deemed “fundamentally inadequate” by own Oversight Board
• UK: 'Blade runners': Conspiracy theorists are destroying traffic scanners

This week's Really Wrong Award goes to Kent Ekeroth of Sweden Democrats for blaming election defeat on 'voting cattle'

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-550.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:51 Greetings

0:15:52 TWISH

0:27:30 News

0:44:02 Really Wrong

0:51:32 Quote

0:53:30 Outro

0:54:45 Outtakes

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

For over a decade we have mispronounced a certain publisher’s name (duh!) but it’s never too late to learn… The Swedish election results are more or less in, and hopefully it’s a sign of reason that the party spreading the most disinformation lost almost 15% of their seats in parliament. In TWISH we hear the mesmerizing story about Jean Sylvain Bailly who was a French astronomer, mathematician, freemason, and political leader of the early part of the French Revolution.

Then we turn to the news:

• SWEDEN: Measles outbreak
• AUSTRIA: Michael Frass gets his retracted article re-published
• INTERNATIONAL: New site has started to measure imbalance in media

We then have a Who’s Quacking? from AfD in Germany and hand out a Really Wrong Award to the UK parliament.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-549.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:51 Greetings

0:08:18 TWISH

0:17:35 News

0:36:33 Who's Quacking?

0:41:14 Really Wrong

0:46:00 Quote

0:47:46 Outro

0:49:09 Outtakes

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

Hurry up to get the early bird price for ESC Liverpool! You have until 14 September!

Isar Aerospace achieves first launch to orbit from continental Europe and in TWISH we celebrate the 60th anniversary of Star Trek, a show that brought humanism into science fiction. Then, it’s time for the news:

• SWEDEN: General elections update plus early voting screwup
• GERMANY: AfD wins in Saxony-Anhalt
• INTERNATIONAL: IgNobel prizes of 2026
• UK: Discrepancy between public perception of crime rates and actual statistics

This week’s Who’s Quacking? award goes to Fredrik Paulún, self-proclaimed Swedish health guru.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-548.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:50 Greetings

0:06:14 TWISH

0:16:44 News

0:47:25 Who's Quacking?

0:54:01 Quote

0:55:20 Outro

0:56:43 Outtakes

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

Nominate candidates both Das Goldene Brett and the Ockham Award (including the Rusty Razor!), links are in the show notes. In TWISH we hear about that Russian space visionary Konstantin Tsiolkovsky who over a 100 years ago established still valid theories about space rockets and more, needed for space flight. Then we have the news:

• INTERNATIONAL: Elsevier to ‘soon investigate’ two Macchiarini papers more than a year after retraction request
• ITALY: Unvaccinated child dies of diphteria

Germany has finally(!) removed funding for both homeopathic and anthroposophic remedies, and for that they deserve the Really Right Award!

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-547.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:50 Greetings

0:07:49 TWISH

0:14:55 News

0:28:39 Really Right

0:35:09 Quote

0:38:32 Outro

0:39:55 Outtakes

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

With András back in the saddle, we advice against climate doom and also encourage listeners to nominate for the Ockhams Awards. In TWISH we go back almost 2500 years for an example of how superstition can ruin your quite innocent Sicilian expedition, and then we head for the news:

• SWEDEN: Elections coming up fast, rife with AI fakes and populistic opportunism
• SPAIN / INTERNATIONAL: Investigation into the fake doctor industry
• FRANCE: End of Life law implemented
• GERMANY: Follow-up on Bavarian Study – Massive failure

The Channel 4 documentary ‘The Great ADHD Myth?‘ is loaded with pseudoscience and conspiracy theories and so is a worthy recepient of the Really Wrong Award.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-546.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:50 Greetings

0:13:31 TWISH

0:22:56 News

0:46:51 Really Wrong

0:51:34 Quote

0:54:22 Outro

0:55:44 Outtakes

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

ESC Liverpool speakers announced, Wasp-watch big reveal and listener feedback about Triodos Bank. The bulk of the episode is a trip down memory lane with a rebroadcast of our interview with James the Amazing Randi from ten years ago. It’s really worth a listen!

The Really Wrong Award goes to Richard Tice of Reform UK for saying people should “enjoy the heat” of the recent climate crisis.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-545.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:54 Greetings

0:14:30 Interview

1:14:35 Really Wrong

1:17:12 Quote

1:18:15 Outro

1:19:37 Outtakes

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