TheESP – Ep. #254 – Council for Inclusive Capitalism

by


Download

This week we start by recommending a German Podcast Christmas Special, we report that Sucharit Bhaktdi won the Goldene Brett award and talk about the Saturn / Jupiter planetary conjunction. Pontus reports the his book “the Dooma” is slightly delayed and then we get into the news:

  • Our friend Martin Moder made a very good video about the safety of the new CoVid vaccine
  • Improved trust in science within Swedish public during 2020
  • Trust in media sources has risen
  • Comment by Swedish king about corona is so way off it’s not even wrong
  • Karaoke bar from Berlin trying to sue virologist Professor Drosten – surely that will stop CoViD?
  • ARP-SAPC publishes a monography on COVID-19 and critical thinking
  • Huge differences in Covid vaccine prizes, but all are cheaper than expected
  • 2020 on track to become one of three warmest years on record
  • Santa apparently is immune to CoViD! We are of course skeptical, not of WHO or CoViD, but of Santa – but the Christmas presents are safe!

Enjoy!

Segments:
Intro; Greetings; This Week; Covid Update; News; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takes

Events Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe

0:00:26 INTRO

0:00:51 GREETINGS

0:15:42 THIS WEEK IN SKEPTICISM

0:18:08 PONTUS POKES THE POPE

The Vatican is bleeding cash but Frankie has nothing to worry about.

0:25:36 COVID-19 UPDATE

0:35:31 NEWS

1:14:27 QUOTE AND FAREWELL
“To explain all nature is too difficult a task for any one man or even for any one age. ‘Tis much better to do a little with certainty, & leave the rest for others that come after you, than to explain all things by conjecture without making sure of any thing.”
/ Sir Isaac Newton (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726/27), English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, theologian, and author /

1:16:40 OUTRO

1:17:55 OUT-TAKES

TheESP – Ep. #253 – Big Dicks and Aliens

by


Download

This week we talk about that alt-med and antivaxxers have been visible on TV and how a town in Austria had to change its rather unfortunate name. We celebrate the anniversary of the Hungarian Skeptics and then we get into the news:

  • New Brexit craze – Vaccine approval sped up because no EU to hold us back
  • Bibliometric analysis of global research into SCAM and COVID-19
  • Former space security chief goes mental about alleged aliens
  • What’s with the phallic symbols everywhere?
  • Swedish health regions have spent 28 MEUR on weighted blankets
  • John Maddox prizes announced TODAY
  • Das Goldene Brett – finalists announced
  • Follow-up: Influencer selling fish oil as covid treatment found guilty
  • New series of videos: A scientist in the supermarket

Then the Really Wrong award goes to all the religious exemptions to covid restrictions.

Enjoy!

Segments:
Intro; Greetings; This Week; Covid Update; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takes

Events Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe

0:00:28 INTRO

0:00:54 GREETINGS

0:12:26 THIS WEEK IN SKEPTICISM

0:17:22 COVID-19 UPDATE

0:30:14 NEWS

1:04:27 REALLY WRONG

1:13:26 QUOTE AND FAREWELL
“As our own species is in the process of proving, one cannot have superior science and inferior morals. The combination is unstable and self-destroying.”
/ Arthur C. Clarke (16 December 1917 – 19 March 2008), English science-fiction writer, science writer, futurist, inventor, undersea explorer, and television series host /

1:16:19 OUTRO

1:17:34 OUT-TAKES

TheESP – Ep. #252 – Philosophy and Ethics w. Nikil Mukerji

by


Download

This week we talk to Nikil Mukerji, a German author, philosopher and skeptic. He has a position at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and academic director of philosophy, politics and economy.
He studied economy, philosophy and theory of science and wrote his PhD thesis about consequentialism. He is an academic instructor and teacher, as well as a researcher of philosophy and ethics.
He is also a very active skeptic, as he is head of the scientific board of GWUP (the German Skeptics) and a regular speaker at SkepKon. He also often writes for the German skeptics magazine “Skeptiker”

Enjoy!

Segments:
Intro; Greetings; Interview; Farewell; Outro; Out-takes

Events Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe

0:00:35 INTRO

0:01:01 GREETINGS

0:12:23 INTERVIEW WITH NIKIL MUKERJI

1:01:58 FAREWELL

1:04:01 OUTRO

1:05:15 OUT-TAKES

TheESP – Ep.#251 – 1st of the Next 250

by


Download

This week we reflect a on the new vaccines that are coming. Annika sings(!) to celebrate the quiz performance of Pontus, Brian and Claire last week and then she tells us about a memorial for fallen aliens, announced ten years ago this week. Pontus Pokes the Pope for a whole lot of serious things and for liking a sexy butt on his Instagram account. Then we get into the news:

  • Patriarch Irinej and his Darwin-Award worthy story
  • New book out about teaching biology in schools with health education and skepticism
  • The Debunking Handbook 2020 – German translation now available
  • French debate about making covid-vaccination mandatory
  • Darwin’s notebooks reported stolen from Cambridge University Library
  • German Green Party no longer backs homeopathy
  • World Wild Web – A new critical thinking game
  • Spanish Government to decide what is harmful fake news
  • Portuguese court rules based on misunderstanding science of covid tests
  • Surprisingly, acupuncture is useless for people recovering from breast surgery
  • No, Danish study doesn’t show masks are useless

Also, the stupid (and very expensive) “Qi-tech” devices get this week’s Really Wrong award.

Enjoy!

Segments:
Intro; Greetings; This Week; Pontus Pokes the Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takes

Events Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe

0:00:27 INTRO

0:00:52 GREETINGS

0:13:22 THIS WEEK IN SKEPTICISM

  • On 2 December 2010 the Ukrainian newspaper “Бердичiв дiловий” (“Business Berdichev”) announced that group of UFOlogists decided to build a memorial to fallen aliens

0:17:15 PONTUS POKES THE POPE

0:28:39 NEWS

1:02:23 REALLY WRONG

1:07:53 QUOTE AND FAREWELL
“False facts are highly injurious to the progress of science, for they often long endure; but false views, if supported by some evidence, do little harm, as every one takes a salutary pleasure in proving their falseness; and when this is done, one path towards error is closed and the road to truth is often at the same time opened.”
/ Charles Darwin (12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882), English naturalist, geologist and biologist /

1:09:50 OUTRO

1:11:04 OUT-TAKES

TheESP – Ep.#250 – United Federation of Skeptical Podcasts

by

Download

This week we celebrate 250 episodes and five years on the road with the ESP. We invited all guest hosts who ever have sat in for a show and they all joined us for our first ever live stream episode! With us we had Brian Eggo, Deborah Hyde, Claire Kroulik-Klingenberg, Jelena Levin, Jay Novella, Richard Saunders and of course our normal(?) hosts, András, Annika and Pontus.

There was also The Awesome Quiz of Europe, Skepticism and Everything Else, prepared by the one and only Annika Harrison!

Enjoy!

You can also enjoy the unedited live video version on our Youtube-channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJH065e1lnc

Segments:
Intro; Live stream; Outro

Events Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe

0:00:27 INTRO

0:00:58 LIVE STREAM

1:50:20 OUTRO

Live Stream of Ep. #250 – Tonight!

by

UPDATE!

The video stream is available on our Youtube-channel!

Tonight 22 November 8:00 pm CET

Live on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/theespeu/
Last week marked the 5th anniversary of releasing the first episode of the European Skeptics Podcast. Since then, we’ve conducted more than a 100 interviews and have had several people appearing on the show as guest hosts. We invited these lovely skeptics back for a reunion of hosts to do the first ever live broadcast of our show.
This will be our 250th episode and we would really like you to join us on our Facebook Page where meeting will be broadcast through Facebook Live.
Our panel lists will be:
– Claire Kroulik-Klingenberg
– Deborah Hyde
– Jelena Levin
– Brian Eggo
– Jay Novella
… of course joined by András, Annika and Pontus!
We’ll tell interesting stories and there’ll be a Europe-themed #trivia #quiz as well!
Tune in, comment, ask questions and do enjoy!
The broadcast starts at 8 pm CET on our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/theespeu/

TheESP – Ep. #249 – Homophobic Orbán

by


Download

This week Pontus is a bit under the weather so András and Annika send him their “thoughts and prayers” (don’t worry, he is fine). Then we mention an interesting documentary about SCAM practitioners and give a heads up for next weeks jubilee episode 250. And five years ago this week the ESP made its debut! Then we give a Covid update before we get into the news:

  • The new Pre-Bunking game: Breaking Harmony Square
  • Another science communicator and journalist charged for speaking out against frauds
  • Edzard Ernst’s challenge to all homeopaths in the world
  • Thermographic imaging – a risk to cancer patients
  • Newly emerging issues with climate change actions
  • Measles cases in 2019 at a record high in 23 years

To round off the show, Victor Orbán gets a Really Wrong award for using the pandemic as an excuse for homophobic nonsense.

Enjoy!

Segments:
Intro; Greetings; COVID Update; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takes

Events Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe

0:00:27 INTRO

0:00:51 GREETINGS

0:09:57 COVID UPDATE

0:28:59 NEWS

0:46:00 REALLY WRONG

0:54:50 QUOTE AND FAREWELL
“Science may be weird and incomprehensible – more weird and less comprehensible than any theology – but science works. It gets results. It can fly you to Saturn, slingshotting you around Venus and Jupiter on the way. We may not understand quantum theory (heaven knows, I don’t), but a theory that predicts the real world to ten decimal places cannot in any straightforward sense be wrong.”
/ Richard Dawkins (26 March 1941 – ), British ethologist, evolutionary biologist, and author. /

0:56:48 OUTRO

0:58:02 OUT-TAKES

TheESP – Ep. #248 – Skepti-baby Alert!

by


Download

This week we first chat a bit about Trump, having covid in your family and an opportunity to talk to Swedish MPs. We also mention the Vienna terror attacks and the Hay Winter Festival. Annika has an exciting announcement regarding increasing the number of skeptics in the world.

In history news we acknowledge the anniversary of the Night of Broken Glass and then Pontus Pokes the Pope for disciplining a Cardinal so old that he does not know what happened.

After a Covid-update we then get into the actual news:

  • Chiropractors don’t like informed consent
  • Does article 61 of Magna Charta allow citizens to disobey COVID-19 regulations?
  • Grandmothers sue government over climate challenge failure
  • How COVID-19 is reshaping the way people trust politicians
  • MedWatch wins federal Consumer Protection Award
  • Update on the last five years of RCTs about homeopathy

Enjoy!

Segments:
Intro; Greetings; Pontus Pokes the Pope; This Week; Covid update; News; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takes

Events Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe

0:00:27 INTRO

0:00:52 GREETINGS

0:25:09 THIS WEEK IN HISTORY

0:33:24 PONTUS POKES THE POPE

0:37:56 COVID UPDATE & NEWS

1:05:01 QUOTE AND FAREWELL
“The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.”
/ Isaac Asimov (2 January 1920 – 6 April 1992), American writer and professor of biochemistry /

1:06:51 OUTRO
1:08:05 OUT-TAKES

TheESP – Ep. #247 – Stephan Lewandowsky

by


Download

This week we talk to Stephan Lewandowsky, professor of cognitive psychology and one of the drivers behind the Debunking Handbook 2020, the recently published follow-up to the previous debunking handbook from 2011. A great resource for anyone, it summarises the current state of the science of misinformation and its debunking. It was written by a team of 22 prominent scholars of misinformation and its debunking, and it represents the current consensus on the science of debunking for engaged citizens, policymakers, journalists, and other practitioners.

Enjoy!

Segments:
Intro; Greetings; Interview; Farewell; Outro; Out-takes

Events Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe

0:00:35 INTRO

0:01:01 GREETINGS

0:03:40 INTERVIEW WITH STEPHAN LEWANDOWSKY

0:49:14 FAREWELL

0:51:44 OUTRO

0:52:59 OUT-TAKES

TheESP – Ep. #246 – RIP, James “the Amazing” Randi

by


Download

This week we remember James “the Amazing” Randi, a great skeptic and generous person who like no one else influenced the skeptic movement. His legacy lives on.

We also reflect a bit on daylight saving before we go further back in time than usual in this week in history and look into the importance of Emperor Constantine and the Battle of the Milvian Bridge for early Christianity. Then Pontus looks into if Pope Francis really has changed his and the Church’s position on gay rights, before we get into the news:

  • COVID-19 update
  • No evidence contact tracing helps tackle COVID
  • WHO and Wikipedia team up to combat pandemic misinformation
  • United Nations turns 75
  • Iris Hundertmark and her pharmacy – update
  • ARP-SAPC news
  • Patents on homeopathic products
  • IPSOS – Trust in news sources by country

Enjoy!

Segments:
Intro; Greetings; Pontus Pokes the Pope; This Week; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takes

Events Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe

0:00:29 INTRO

0:00:54 GREETINGS

0:17:15 THIS WEEK IN HISTORY

0:22:50 PONTUS POKES THE POPE

0:28:31 NEWS

1:01:14 REALLY WRONG

1:05:41 QUOTE AND FAREWELL
“Science helps us before all things in this, that it somewhat lightens the feeling of wonder with which Nature fills us; then, however, as life becomes more and more complex, it creates new facilities for the avoidance of what would do us harm and the promotion of what will do us good.”
/ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832), German writer and statesman /

1:06:54 OUTRO
1:08:09 OUT-TAKES