This week we geek out a bit about the landing of Perseverance on Mars, we (again) ponder the chances to become an ESA astronaut. Facebook stupidly believes Europe is a place in Australia and takes it out on this podcast. Idiots. (Speaking of Downunder, you should check out the Skeptic Zone and their logical fallacies series). We talk about Dolly the sheep who was presented to the public this week 24 years ago, and then Pontus reluctantly admits that the Pope did something good, sort of. Then, of course, we look at the news:

• Early results show an 85% drop in symptomatic cases after first vaccine dose
• Excess deaths in Sweden lower than European Average
• Study says: Everyone believes at least one conspiracy theory
• Viral video doesn’t show what it says
• Vitamin D-COVID-19 preprint removed from Lancet server
• The COVID Cube – to help you make the right decision about a COVID vaccine
• Homeopaths’ hardships abound
• Are Extremists less able to do complex mental tasks?
• Fake medicine – New book out

Well, Facebook definitely needs a geography lesson, and for that they are Really Wrong.

Enjoy!

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

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

0:00:27 INTRO

0:00:51 GREETINGS

• NASA Perseverance lands on MARS!
  • Live Science: https://www.livescience.com/perseverance-landing-success.html
  • BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-56133281
  • Space.com: https://www.space.com/mars-helicopter-ingenuity-okay-perseverance-rover-landing
• ESA recruiting astronauts
  • the Conversation: https://theconversation.com/europe-is-recruiting-astronauts-heres-what-it-takes-to-become-one-155413
• We’re banned from Facebook for being an Australian News Site!
  • the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/feb/23/facebook-reverses-australia-news-ban-after-government-makes-media-code-amendments
• Check out the Skeptic Zone Logical fallacies!
  • Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/logicalzone

0:10:31 THIS WEEK IN SKEPTICISM

• Presentation of Dolly to the press 22 February 1997
  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_(sheep)

0:16:11 PONTUS POKES THE POPE

• PONTUS PRAISES THE POPE (?!)
  • Vatican News: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2021-02/twenty-years-ago-jorge-mario-bergoglio-is-created-cardinal.html
  • Crux: https://cruxnow.com/news-analysis/2021/02/popes-move-for-womens-rights-anything-but-a-token-gesture/

0:20:20 NEWS

• ISRAEL: Lancet correspondence: early results show an 85% drop in symptomatic cases after first vaccine dose
  • Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-israel-vaccine/study-in-israel-shows-pfizer-vaccine-85-effective-after-first-dose-the-lancet-idUSL1N2KP00T
  • Bloomberg: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-21/pfizer-biontech-shot-stops-covid-s-spread-israeli-study-shows
• SWEDEN: Excess deaths in Sweden lower than European Average
  • Omni: https://tt.omni.se/sveriges-dodstal-bland-de-lagre-i-europa/a/LnjG91
• NORWAY: Study says: Everyone believes at least one conspiracy theory
  • Science Alert: https://www.sciencealert.com/all-of-us-believe-in-conspiracies-a-little-these-factors-predict-it-getting-out-of-control
• ISRAEL: Viral video doesn’t show what it says
  • Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-israel-vaccine/fact-check-video-does-not-show-man-dying-after-being-given-the-coronavirus-vaccine-idUSKBN2AM0T2
• UK: Vitamin D-COVID-19 preprint removed from Lancet server
  • Retraction Watch: https://retractionwatch.com/2021/02/19/widely-shared-vitamin-d-covid-19-preprint-removed-from-lancet-server/
• GERMANY: The COVID Cube – to help you make the right decision about a COVID vaccine
  • DNGK: https://dngk.de/covid-cube/
• AUSTRIA: Homeopaths’ hardships abound
  • Edzard Ernst: https://edzardernst.com/2021/02/first-britain-then-france-then-germany-and-now-austria-homeopathy-is-having-a-rough-time/
• UK: Are Extremists less able to do complex mental tasks?
  • the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/feb/22/people-with-extremist-views-less-able-to-do-complex-mental-tasks-research-suggests
• GERMANY: Fake medicine – New book out
  • GWUP: https://blog.gwup.net/2021/02/16/buchtipp-fakemedizin-falsche-heilversprechen-skrupelloser-aerzte-und-gerissener-gurus/

0:54:08 REALLY WRONG

• Facebook! for thinking the EUROPEAN Skeptics Podcast is an Australian news outlet
  • the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/feb/23/facebook-reverses-australia-news-ban-after-government-makes-media-code-amendments

0:57:09 QUOTE AND FAREWELL
“Science is unusual in that it is cumulative. It is a system built over time, wherein useful information is retained and ideas that simply don’t stand up are discarded, based on the confirmation of knowledge through testing.”

/ Derren Brown (27 February 1971 – ), English mentalist, illusionist, painter, and author. /

0:58:46 OUTRO

1:00:00 OUT-TAKES