This is the first “regular episode” for a while and of course we cannot help to mourn the stupid results of the US elections. But since this is a European show we cannot let that stop us, so after a TWISH story of how Charles Darwin, 130 years after his death, gained over 4000 votes in the elections in the US state of Georgia, it’s time for the news:
- BULGARIA / NORTH MACEDONIA: Baba Vanga (баба Ванга), the Bulgarian psychic
- INTERNATIONAL: Wanna help out the Skeptical Science team?
- UK: King Charles and Queen Camilla on secret Bengaluru trip for woo treatment
- INTERNATIONAL: A little help to nurses in combatting vaccine misinformation
- NORWAY: Spouse of Norwegian princess, ‘shaman’ Durek Verrett, accused of sexual assault
- UK: Religious hate crimes at record high levels
The NHS in the UK has all but done away with homeopathy, but still funds a number of unproven nonsense treatments and for that the receive this week award for being Really Wrong. And then before we sign off, we go to Turkey for a Word of the Week.
Enjoy!
Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Word of the Week; Quote; Outro; Outtakes
0:00:27 INTRO
0:00:50 GREETINGS
- Donald F. Trump wins…
- Correction re the Chupacabra
0:06:01 TWISH – THIS WEEK IN SKEPTICAL HISTORY
- 9 November 2012: Charles Darwin and his 4000 votes in the US elections
0:11:19 NEWS
- BULGARIA / NORTH MACEDONIA: Baba Vanga (баба Ванга), the Bulgarian psychic
- INTERNATIONAL: Wanna help out the Skeptical Science team?
- Skeptical Science: https://skepticalscience.com/volunteer-opportunity-GLLM-evaluation.html
- UK: King Charles and Queen Camilla on secret Bengaluru trip for woo treatment
- INTERNATIONAL: A little help to nurses in combatting vaccine misinformation
- NORWAY: Spouse of Norwegian princess, ‘shaman’ Durek Verrett, accused of sexual assault
- UK: Religious hate crimes at record high levels
0:37:06 REALLY WRONG
- Really Wrong: NHS hospitals spent a fortune on “quack” therapies such as reiki and foot massages last year
0:39:58 WORD OF THE WEEK
- TURKISH:
‘Keriz silkelemek’ (verb) – ‘shake the fool/gullible’
‘Keriz silkeleme’ (noun) – ‘the act of exploiting or scamming someone gullible’
0:43:26 QUOTE AND FAREWELL
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“
Science is unreasonably effective, it’s generated knowledge beyond all expectation. It’s also delivered perspective. Yes, we are an insignificant speck in an infinite universe, but we’re also rare. And because we’re rare, we’re valuable. So what are we to do to secure our future? Well, we must learn to value the acquisition of knowledge for its own sake, and not just because it grows our economy or allows us to build better bombs. We must also learn to value the human race and take responsibility for our own survival. Why? Because there’s nobody else out there to value us or to look after us. And finally, most important of all, we must educate the next generation in the great discoveries of science and we must teach them to use the light of reason to banish the darkness of superstition, because if we do that, then at least there’s a chance that this universe will remain a human one.”
/ Brian Cox (3 March 1968 – ), English physicist and musician who is a professor of particle physics in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Manchester. /
0:48:38 OUTRO
0:49:53 OUT-TAKES