To begin with with remember Jane Goodall and we mark that the Dutch Master Kackadoris Award has been awarded to the VU University of Amsterdam – serves them right! In TWISH we hear about the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1582 (in some places much later!) and then, we dig into the news:

• INTERNATIONAL: Shingles vaccination associated with lower risk of dementia
• VATICAN: Pope Leo stands up for science and humanity
• GERMANY / DENMARK / SWEDEN / EU: Drones, drones, drones
• UK: Nigel F Farage spreads nonsense as hardcore as his American counterpart
• UK: Cut your energy bills by a third with a gadget?
• INTERNATIONAL: Here’s the Snopes app!

The Really Wrong Award goes to Meta and the EU for their inability to handle political ads.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-501.html

Segments:

0:00:26 Intro

0:00:53 Greetings

0:11:23 TWISH

0:20:12 News

0:48:39 Really Wrong

0:53:26 Quote

0:54:31 Outro

0:55:53 Outtakes

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

It’s official boys and girls, we made it to Episode 500!

We celebrated this with a live recording and joining us from all over the world were a whole bunch of the best skeptics you can imagine: Michael Marshall, Chris French, Claire Klingenberg, Susan Gerbic, Deborah Hyde, Adrienne Hill and Richard Saunders. Good friends all! Annika Harrison and Brian Eggo unfortunately couldn’t make it, but went out of their way to record their greetings in advance. What a wonderful time!

Enjoy!

PS. The edited recording is available on our YouTube channel!

Show notes: https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-500.html

Segments:

0:00:29 INTRO

0:03:02 GUESTS

0:03:02: Michael Marshall

0:16:55: Chris French

0:33:02: Claire Klingenberg

0:48:26: Susan Gerbic

1:02:29: Deborah Hyde

1:19:11: Adrienne Hill

1:34:37: Richard Saunders

1:58:10: Annika Harrison

2:04:02: Brian Eggo

2:15:12 OUTRO

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

Next week we’ll livestream our 500th episode (but stick around for this one first!), and also we remind all non-UK QED participants to get their ETAs before they go to Manchester later this month. In TWISH we learn about Alice Stewart and her work for awareness of the risks with radiation. Then we go to the news:

• INTERNATIONAL: No longer any question: alcohol is bad for your body
• EU: EU transition to electromobility is better than many make it out to be
• MOLDOVA / RUSSIA: Moldova election results subject to Russian disinformation
• GERMANY: New podcast of GWUP launched
• DENMARK: Drones over Denmark – what are they?

Dick Erixon of the Sweden Democrats wants to investigate George Soros only because that’s what daddy Trump wants, and for that he is Really Wrong.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-499.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:50 Greetings

0:06:41 TWISH

0:16:16 News

0:45:26 Really Wrong

0:50:45 Quote

0:52:20 Outro

0:53:43 Outtakes

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

Swedish glaciers are disappearing and in TWISH we hear about the triumph for science when discovering Neptune. After that, it’s the news:

• INTERNATIONAL: This year’s Ig Nobel prizes
• FRANCE: Macrons finally push back on rumors regarding first lady’s gender
• UK / INTERNATIONAL: Does solving puzzles prevent dementia?
• EU: Meta and Google to block political ads under new regulations

RFK jr. (or little Bobby) claims that he has a ‘cure for autism’ and that’s such a face plant that he get’s a new Really Wrong Award, just two weeks after his previous.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-498.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:51 Greetings

0:05:56 TWISH

0:14:42 News

0:46:07 Really Wrong

0:50:15 Quote

0:51:19 Outro

0:52:41 Outtakes

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

Make sure to check out András' Skeptics in the Pub Online talk next week on 25 September! In TWISH we meet Ötzi the Ice Man, and a mystery death from 5300 years ago and a invaluable source of archeological science. Then we look to the news:

• ALBANIA: Albania appoints AI-created ‘minister’
• ITALY: Arson attack in Sardinia linked to climate misinformation
• SWEDEN: Princess Madeleine launches her brand of Weleda based cosmetics
• AUSTRIA: Nominations now open for the Golden Board 2025
• SWITZERLAND: Switzerland didn’t ban mammograms

Viktor Orbán has done it again, and gets his sixth(!) Really Wrong Award, this time for doubling down on crime information.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-497.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:52 Greetings

0:07:29 TWISH

0:21:06 News

0:51:22 Really Wrong

0:56:33 Quote

0:57:55 Outro

0:59:18 Outtakes

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

In the Netherlands, trust in science is increasing which is unexpected good news. We have some thoughts on the election results in Norway, plus you can now hear us on YouTube! In TWISH we hear about a close encounter in France and then it’s time for the news:

• INTERNATIONAL: Microdosing on weight loss drugs neither proven safe nor effective
• GERMANY: Mysterious deaths among AfD candidates prior to election?
• ITALY: Bad news for the Shroud of Turin
• UKRAINE: Europe’s largest paper mill identified?

RFK jr. may be American but the dangerous nonsense that “His Wrongness” is spreading reach us world wide. This time he has decided that paracetamol (aka Tylenol) is causing autism and for that he is Really Wrong.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-496.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:50 Greetings

0:09:15 TWISH

0:19:05 News

0:38:42 Really Wrong

0:42:58 Quote

0:44:01 Outro

0:45:24 Outtakes

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

After some listener feedback regarding green energy and Pontus reporting back from Lithuania, we go to TWISH where we hear about Wilhelm Ostwald, one of the fathers of physical chemistry. Then, we get to the news:

• UK: MHRA is cracking down on unlicensed anti-wrinkle products after spate of botulism
• IRELAND: Equal Memory Fallibility in ‘He Said, She Said’ Cases
• GERMANY: INH urges new government to ban homeopathy
• UK: Farage argues for withdrawal from Human Rights Convention

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of Spain is planning to tackle climate change straight on, and for that he is Really Right.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-495.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:49 Greetings

0:12:47 TWISH

0:22:42 News

0:46:48 Really Right

0:50:09 Quote

0:52:17 Outro

0:53:39 Outtakes

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

We’re already looking forward to QED and nominations for the Ockham Awards are still open – if you know someone who deserves it nominate them! After some listener feedback we go to TWISH and hear about the Swing Riots. Then, it’s time for the news:

• EUROPE: Spread of mosquitoes in Europe
• UK / EUROPE: Country on a bumpy road of climate U-turns…
• SWEDEN / INTERNATIONAL: Crying nurse goes viral and get tons of support – she doesn’t exist
• INTERNATIONAL: Duolingo calls JK Rowling mean, then backs down and apologises

The UK government has still not acknowledged their part in the tragedy of forced abortions from British ‘Mother and Baby homes’, and for that the get this week’s Award for being Really Wrong.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-494.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:51 Greetings

0:09:23 TWISH

0:19:07 News

0:50:48 Really Wrong

0:55:03 Quote

0:56:42 Outro

0:58:04 Outtakes

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

In TWISH this week we look into the achievements of James Watt who made a whole lot of things, despite not inventing the steam engine. Then of course, there’s the news:

• ITALY: Government reverses appointment of vaccine hesitant members to National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group
• ITALY: The Natural Trap: How Conspiracy Beliefs Shape Our Health Choices
• SWEDEN: Renewed warning – Insulin instead of Ozempic in online orders
• SWEDEN: Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson under fire for using AI in role
• EUROPE: Hot summer: Deaths, fires and evacuations

The Center for Trial and Error gets this week’s Really Right Award for encouraging the publishing of negative studies.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-493.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:51 Greetings

0:04:39 TWISH

0:13:26 News

0:41:18 Really Right

0:45:11 Quote

0:47:12 Outro

0:48:35 Outtakes

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

Ever realized that there are three types of conspiracy theorists and a clear link between them and terrorism? Catch the new book by Steen Svanholm and Claus Larsen and hear them talk about their findings in this week’s interview!

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-492.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:49 Greetings

0:02:56 Interview

0:52:40 Farewell

0:54:02 Outro

0:55:25 Outtakes

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