TheESP – Ep. #487 – Religion has no place in science

The heat wave in Europe is back, and in TWISH we learn about the Russell-Einstein Manifesto which was published 70 years ago this week, and we wonder why we haven’t come any further than we have. Then, it’s time for the news:

• SWEDEN: Scammers using fake AI videos of politicians and scientists
• DENMARK / INTERNATIONAL: Are ADHD diagnoses misleading millions?
• INTERNATIONAL: Several problems with viral paper on black plastic kitchen utensils
• NORWAY / EUROPE: How misinformation affects efficiency of energy transition
• INTERNATIONAL: Does AI make people stupid? It’s complicated
• HUNGARY: University disciplines three psychologists for claiming love is more important for children than the gender of their parents

Is it wise to filter your blood to get rid of microplastics? The Clarify Clinic in London does not wait for the science to find out, but instead turn it into an expensive product. Naturally, they receive this weeks award for being Really Wrong.

Enjoy!

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

0:00:52 GREETINGS

• More heat in Europe
  • the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/08/marseille-airport-cancels-all-flights-as-wildfire-encroaches-on-city

0:05:00 TWISH – THIS WEEK IN SKEPTICAL HISTORY

• 9 July 1955: 70th anniversary of the Russell-Einstein Manifesto
  • Nuclear Museum: https://ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/ahf/key-documents/russell-einstein-manifesto/

0:12:28 NEWS

• SWEDEN: Scammers using fake AI videos of politicians and scientists
  • DN: https://www.dn.se/ekonomi/bild-pa-statsministern-lockbete-i-falska-pensionsfilmer/
  • Folkhälsomyndigheten: https://www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se/nyheter-och-press/nyhetsarkiv/2025/juli/varning-for-falska-filmer/
• DENMARK / INTERNATIONAL: Are ADHD diagnoses misleading millions?
  • Science Daily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250701020645.htm
• INTERNATIONAL: Several problems with viral paper on black plastic kitchen utensils
  • Retraction Watch: https://retractionwatch.com/2025/07/06/viral-paper-black-plastic-kitchen-spatula-utensils-chemosphere-second-correction/
• NORWAY / EUROPE: How misinformation affects efficiency of energy transition
  • Snopes: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/norway-underwater-turbines/
  • Eurostat: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20250319-1
• INTERNATIONAL: Does AI make people stupid? It’s complicated
  • Skepchick: https://skepchick.org/2025/07/study-chatgpt-is-bad-for-your-brain/
  • ArXiv: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2506.08872
• HUNGARY: University disciplines three psychologists for claiming love is more important for children than the gender of their parents
  • 24 Hu: https://24.hu/belfold/2025/07/04/ppke-pszichologus-oktatok-fegyelmi-szeretet-elfogadottsag-velemenycikk/

0:45:09 REALLY WRONG

• Really Wrong: The Clarify Clinic in London offers expensive blood cleaning of microplastics and toxins. Benefits are not proven.
  • Wired: https://www.wired.com/story/this-startup-promises-to-clean-your-blood-of-microplastics-clarify-clinics/
  • the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/science/audio/2025/jul/08/why-did-orlando-bloom-get-his-blood-cleaned-podcast

0:50:10 QUOTE AND FAREWELL

“Religion has no more place in science than science has in religion.”
/ Louis Pasteur (27 December 1822 – 28 September 1895) was a French chemist, pharmacist, and microbiologist renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation, and pasteurization.
(The attribution of the quote is somewhat disputed) /

0:51:11 OUTRO

0:52:33 OUT-TAKES