These days even cognitive biases are automated. In TWISH we hear about the skeptical TV-series X-Aknák (X-Mines) that ran on Hungarian TV in the early 2000s. Then, it’s time for the news:

• UK / INTERNATIONAL: Canadian man admits sending ‘suicide packets’ to hundreds of people in the UK and around the world
• UK / INTERNATIONAL: John Maddox Prize open for nominations
• INTERNATIONAL: Online ads are becoming harder to spot – but we’re not powerless to stop it
• GERMANY: Interviews from SkepKon 2026 now available

The Conference of Deans of Faculties of Medicine in France aims to throw out alternative medicine from the universities and for that they are Really Right!

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-534.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:51 Greetings

0:06:54 TWISH

0:14:38 News

0:31:22 Really Right

0:36:13 Quote

0:38:03 Outro

0:39:25 Outtakes

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

Not even June and people are already dying from heatwave in Europe. Skepkon 2026 in Regensburg looks to have been a hit and speaking of conferences – don’t forget to plan your trip to ESC Liverpool in October! In TWISH we hear about the man behind the Watchmaker analogy and then it’s time for the news:

• NORWAY / SWEDEN: Assisted death pushed too far
• UK: Wellness coach dies of frog poison
• INTERNATIONAL: Smart phones are promoting populism
• GERMANY: Historical cryptozoological find has been elegantly debunked

A bunch of AI LLMs mislead voters before the Scottish election this month, and for that they share the Award for being Really Wrong.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-533.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:50 Greetings

0:08:36 TWISH

0:20:26 News

0:39:06 Really Wrong

0:43:13 Quote

0:44:48 Outro

0:46:11 Outtakes

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

With the return of a super-El Niño it may be a hot year and in TWISH we hear about James Lind‘s famous scurvy experiment from 1747. Then we have the news:

• INTERNATIONAL: Antidepressants in pregnancy do not raise children’s risk of autism or ADHD
• BELGIUM / DENMARK: Attempted control and recommendations regarding meat consumption spark disinformation campaigns
• INTERNATIONAL: Hantavirus myths and facts
• UK: Halley’s comet named after the wrong person?

Swedish influencer Katrin Zytomierska claims her olive oil prevents cancer and for that she receives this week’s award for being Really Wrong.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-532.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:51 Greetings

0:07:00 TWISH

0:19:26 News

0:40:15 Really Wrong

0:43:31 Quote

0:48:09 Outro

0:49:31 Outtakes

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

The new Hungarian government are making all the right noises and we hope they will live up to it. Don’t forget to get your ESC Liverpool tickets, and in TWISH we here about Magnus Hirschfeld, a pioneer in fighting for what we today call LGBTQ rights. Then, we head for the news:

• NORWAY / EU: Warning to athletes: Do not buy dietary supplements online, even from within Europe
• ITALY: PM Georgia Meloni uses deepfake of herself to warn of misuse of AI
• INTERNATIONAL: AI fitness instructors selling unreal gains
• UK: AI platforms pushing Reform?

Endometriosis can be a debilitating condition but what the Bucharest Endometriosis Centre is doing to their patients seem terrible. For that they are Really Wrong.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-531.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:52 Greetings

0:10:46 TWISH

0:19:24 News

0:44:55 Really Wrong

0:54:55 Quote

0:58:32 Outro

0:59:54 Outtakes

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

ESC Liverpool 2026 tickets are now available! Get yours now! Chris French wrote a eulogy for Nick Pope, UFO profile who passed away, and in TWISH we hear about Gustave Le Bon who identified the mass psychology of crowds over 150 years ago. Then we head for the news:

• UK: Humanists UK celebrates 130th anniversary
• INTERNATIONAL: Haunted houses explained?
• INTERNATIONAL: Skeptical Science experiment results and lessons learned
• NETHERLANDS / SWEDEN: To meat or not to meat?
• SWITZERLAND: The endless loop of homeopathy finally broken?

Jehovah’s Witnesses’ ‘clarification’ regarding blood transfusions is still harmful and stupid, and for that they get this week’s award for being Really Wrong.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-530.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:52 Greetings

0:07:29 TWISH

0:15:30 News

0:37:54 Really Wrong

0:44:35 Quote

0:45:39 Outro

0:47:02 Outtakes

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

Next week on 6th May the tickets are released for ESC Liverpool. They may sell out fast, so be quick! In other news we note the demise of Desmond Morris and if you liked are interview with Kat Ford, a preprint of her Glastonbury article is now available online! In TWISH we learn about the Scottish polymath John Arbuthnot, and then, it’s time for the news:

• UK: GP struck off register for garlic oil cancer cure claims
• ROMANIA: Romania leads EU measles cases as vaccination rates collapse
• AUSTRIA: Doctor using fake therapies and bogus diagnostics now in court
• UK: Food intolerance tests have become a multimillion-pound industry
• BELGIUM: SKEPP handed out their yearly awards

Illegal peptide sales promise you the world, but are unproven, costly, and possibly dangerous. For that, they are Really Wrong

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-529.html

Segments:

0:00:26 Intro

0:00:51 Greetings

0:08:10 TWISH

0:15:04 News

0:37:21 Really Wrong

0:41:16 Quote

0:42:55 Outro

0:44:17 Outtakes

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

Lots going on this week! It’s European Immunization Week, Pontus went to a spa and got ‘cupped’, and we have news about two skeptical events: the launch of Skeptival 2026 in Berlin and tickets for the European Skeptics Congress 2026 in Liverpool (ESC 2026) will be released on 6 May!

In TWISH we take a look at the misinformation surrounding the Chernobyl disaster that happened 40 years ago this week. And then of course, we have the news:

• IRELAND: 12-year-old sex abuse victim locked up and punished for four years in a nunnery
• IRELAND / UK: UK survivor of Irish mother and baby home can’t afford to accept compensation
• GERMANY: Will homeopathy finally get what it deserves: nothing?
• SWEDEN: Tough-on-crime sentiments are polarizing Swedes

The Swedish government ignores science and all experts and has decided to push through sending children to prison and for that they are Really Wrong.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-528.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:51 Greetings

0:18:13 TWISH

0:30:34 News

0:47:46 Really Wrong

0:50:13 Quote

0:51:44 Outro

0:53:07 Outtakes

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

This week we have a great interview with the fabulous Dr Kat Ford!

Enjoy!

Segments:

0:00:34 Intro

0:00:58 Greetings

0:07:47 Interview

0:55:33 Farewell

0:57:19 Outro

0:58:41 Outtakes

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

Pontus is back and Brian steps in for András, as we discuss myths and disinformation. In TWISH we hear about three common myths regarding the sinking of Titanic, and then we get into the news:

• UK: Non-religion is the new normal: six in ten under-35s have no religion, new analysis finds
• INTERNATIONAL: ‘Stand with Science’ – World Health Day: People live longer today than ever before, even after cancer: here are the latest WHO data.
• UK: Eat tapeworm eggs, lose weight: The terrifying Victorian practice whose myth refuses to die

The Really Wrong Award goes to the Finnish MP and former Minister of the Interior Päivi Räsänen, who was convicted of hate speech against gay people.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-526.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:56 Greetings

0:03:15 TWISH

0:16:09 News

0:38:24 Really Wrong

0:44:04 Quote

0:47:02 Outro

0:48:24 Outtakes

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

In Pontus’ absence, András carries the torch this week and tells about Italian electoral abstentions and in TWISH we here about Robert Bunsen, who knew how to burn things with scientific rigor. Then, it’s time for the news:

• UK: Polls shows public wants religion out of schools
• AUSTRIA / GERMANY: Florian Aigner’s new book out – ‘Die Wirklichkeit ist auch nicht wahr’
• INTERNATIONAL: Academic Freedom Index on decline worldwide
• INTERNATIONAL: Wikipedia bans AI-generated content

The Really Right Award goes to the Ministry of the Interior in Hesse, Germany, for helping its citizens to fight conspiracy theories.

Enjoy!

https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-525.html

Segments:

0:00:27 Intro

0:00:51 Greetings

0:03:25 TWISH

0:07:15 News

0:16:48 Really Right

0:18:52 Quote

0:20:25 Outro

0:21:47 Outtakes

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