TheESP – Ep. #484 – Mystery Moon

URGENT! The great podcast the Naked Scientists is in great danger of being cancelled by Cambridge University and we urge everyone to protest this! Information about how to do that is here: https://www.thenakedscientists.com/sos. In other news Pontus will be in Lithuania 29-30 August to participate in the Būtent festival. If you happen to be there too, let us know! In TWISH we hear about a mysterious moon observation from 1178, and then it’s time for the news:

• SWEDEN / FINLAND / NORWAY: ‘Life’ files for bankruptcy
• INTERNATIONAL: New toolkit makes post-publication peer-review available for everyone
• USA / SWEDEN: RFK jr. appoints Swedish vaccine advisor
• UK: Levels of cheating using AI in academic programs on the rise

Instead of a Really Wrong Award this week we have a Who’s Quacking? segment about Swedish ‘psychic’, Benny Rosenqvist.

Enjoy!

Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Who’s Quacking?; Quote; Outro; Outtakes
 
0:00:27 INTRO

0:00:53 GREETINGS

• Naked scientists podcast in danger!
  • The Naked Scientists: https://www.thenakedscientists.com/sos
• Pontus to participate in Lithuanian discussion festival Būtent, 29-30 Aug
  • Butent Festival: https://diskusijufestivalis.lt/programa/
• Skepticamp applications
  • SITP Online: https://sitp.online/skepticamp

0:12:16 TWISH – THIS WEEK IN SKEPTICAL HISTORY

• 18 June 1178: Mysterious moon observation by five monks in Canterbury
  • Space News: https://spacenews.com/the-mysterious-case-of-crater-giordano-bruno/

0:21:23 NEWS

• SWEDEN / FINLAND / NORWAY: ‘Life’ files for bankruptcy
  • Sveriges Radio: https://www.sverigesradio.se/artikel/halsokedjan-life-gar-i-konkurs
  • Aftonbladet: https://www.aftonbladet.se/minekonomi/a/8qdwg2/halsokostkedja-ansoker-om-konkurs
• INTERNATIONAL: New toolkit makes post-publication peer-review available for everyone
  • Retraction Watch: https://retractionwatch.com/2025/06/04/cosig-sleuths-publish-toolkit-post-publication-review/
• USA / SWEDEN: RFK jr. appoints Swedish vaccine advisor
  • Omni: https://tt.omni.se/svensk-blir-vaccinradgivare-utnamnd-av-kennedy/a/Jb9E1R
  • Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/06/11/rfk-cdc-vaccine-committee/
  • DN: https://www.dn.se/varlden/svensk-blir-vaccinradgivare-utnamnd-av-kennedy/
• UK: Levels of cheating using AI in academic programs on the rise
  • the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/jun/15/thousands-of-uk-university-students-caught-cheating-using-ai-artificial-intelligence-survey

0:43:29 WHO’S QUACKING?

• Sweden: Long-time medium Benny Rosenqvist
  • Sydsvenskan: https://www.sydsvenskan.se/artikel/kritik-efter-storseans-pa-limhamn-fa-fick-kontakt-med-andra-sidan/

0:50:35 QUOTE AND FAREWELL

“Fables should be taught as fables, myths as myths, and miracles as poetic fantasies. To teach superstitions as truths is a most terrible thing.”
/ Hypatia of Alexandria (c. 350–370 – March 415 AD), Neoplatonist philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician who lived in Alexandria, Egypt. /

0:52:19 OUTRO

0:53:42 OUT-TAKES