TheESP – Ep. #535 – Belfast Burning

Climate crisis reaches all the way up to Scandinavia and in TWISH we hear about Roger Bacon, an early advocate for investigative science.
Then we have the news:

• SCOTLAND / INTERNATIONAL: Research integrity and transparency in SCAM journals
• ENGLAND: Church of England spends a fortune on evangelism
• SWEDEN: Scandals and corruption as Sweden prepares for September elections
• UK: Doctors and NHS could be sued for mistakes caused by AI

Tommy Robinson cynically exploits tragic attack in Belfast which earns him this week’s Really Wrong Award.

Enjoy!
Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote; Outro; Outtakes
 
0:00:27 INTRO

0:00:51 GREETINGS

• Warmest spring in Sweden in 160 years: ‘Winters are getting shorter’
  • DN: https://www.dn.se/sverige/rekordvarm-var-i-sverige-vintrarna-blir-kortare/

0:03:42 TWISH – THIS WEEK IN SKEPTICAL HISTORY

• 11 June 1294(?): Detah of Roger Bacon
  • PubMed: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3705416/

0:11:41 NEWS

• SCOTLAND / INTERNATIONAL: Research integrity and transparency in SCAM journals
  • Edzard Ernst: https://edzardernst.com/2026/06/research-integrity-and-transparency-in-scam-journals/
  • Springer: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s41073-026-00221-2
• ENGLAND: Church of England spends a fortune on evangelism
  • Humanists UK: https://humanists.uk/2026/06/10/church-of-england-spends-35m-on-school-evangelism-projects/
• SWEDEN: Scandals and corruption as Sweden prepares for September elections
  • TV4: https://www.tv4.se/artikel/1XTZCCNe3OznCK3Opbr8ML/sd-s-fakturafiffel-kan-vara-korruption-en-varningsklocka
  • TV4: https://www.tv4.se/artikel/2QHB4OmRhuMrPuaOiT7OYy/oppositionen-rasar-verkar-som-om-man-moerklaegger-skattefiffel
  • TV4: https://www.tv4.se/artikel/49nhXmCAFIGWCviSWL6bhc/akesson-gjorde-privat-miljonaffaer-med-sitt-eget-parti
  • DN: https://www.dn.se/sverige/magdalena-andersson-korrupt-kristersson-kultur/
  • Omni: https://omni.se/kristersson-har-inget-engagemang-i-stiftelsen/a/n140ma
  • Omni: https://omni.se/fler-v-politiker-pekas-ut-som-terror-och-diktatorhyllare/a/9p6md5
• UK: Doctors and NHS could be sued for mistakes caused by AI
  • the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/09/doctors-nhs-could-be-sued-mistakes-ai-tools-medical-protection-society-report

0:40:16 REALLY WRONG

• Really Wrong: Tommy Robinson cynically exploits tragic attack in Northern Ireland
  • the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/10/do-not-use-our-tragedy-to-fuel-violence-family-of-belfast-attack-victim-say

0:44:10 QUOTE AND FAREWELL

“The strongest argument proves nothing so long as the conclusions are not verified by experience. Experimental science is the queen of sciences, and the goal of all speculation.”
/ Roger Bacon (c.1219/20 – c.1292/94), also known by the scholastic accolade Doctor Mirabilis, was a medieval English polymath, philosopher, scientist, theologian and Franciscan friar who placed considerable emphasis on the study of nature through empiricism. /

0:45:00 OUTRO

0:46:23 OUT-TAKES