AmerigoVespucci

… also, maybe “the Swedish Experiment” wasn’t such a bad idea after all
This week we start by acknowledging two skeptical initiatives: András is part of the new Hungarian podcast “Hogy is van ez?”, and SkepKon 2023 is coming up in Germany in May. Then we have two challenges for our listeners – please send in you contributions for the new segments “Word of the Week” and “Who’s Quacking?”. In TWISH we hear how “America” got its name via a cartographer born in 1451, and then Pontus wishes Pope Francis would put his money where his mouth is. After that, it’s time for the news:

• AUSTRIA: Politician’s move to selling snake-oil
• INTERNATIONAL: COVID-19 Origin still not known
• UK: Prince Harry and Gábor Máté team up to promote weird shit together
• SWEDEN / EUROPE: Sweden had the lowest excess mortality in Europe during the pandemic

Richard Wiseman gets this week’s Really Right Award for his new podcast “Richard Wiseman’s on your Mind”

Enjoy!

Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Right; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes
 
0:00:27 INTRO

0:00:52 GREETINGS

• Hogy is van ez? podcast is now officially released
  • Hogy is van ez: https://hogyisvanez.com
• SkepKon 2023 – registrations now open
  • GWUP: https://blog.gwup.net/2023/03/02/skepkon-2023-im-mai-in-frankfurt-jetzt-anmelden/
• Call for recordings – send us your Word of the Week and Who’s Quacking?

0:10:21 TWISH – THIS WEEK IN SKEPTICAL HISTORY

• 9 March 1451: Amerigo Vespucci was born
  • Mariners Museum: https://exploration.marinersmuseum.org/subject/amerigo-vespucci/
  • Cambridge.org: https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/144DB19440EA63B0273B6521AF7CECC7/S0373463300013680a.pdf/columbuss-method-of-determining-longitude-an-analytical-view.pdf
  • Journal of History iand Heritage: https://www.narit.or.th/files/JAHH/2020JAHHvol23/2020JAHH…23..495D.pdf

0:17:07 PONTUS POKES THE POPE

• A little less conversation – a little more action, please
  • Crux: https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2023/03/pope-francis-dedicates-march-to-praying-for-victims-of-abuse
  • Pontifex on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Pontifex/status/1631307874587791365

0:21:45 NEWS

• AUSTRIA: Politician’s move to selling snake-oil
  • Edzard Ernst: https://edzardernst.com/2023/03/when-politicians-become-snake-oil-salesmen/
  • Heute: https://www.heute.at/s/norbert-hofers-pille-ist-am-markt-das-steckt-drinnen-100258131
• INTERNATIONAL: COVID-19 Origin still not known
  • Skeptic UK: https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2023/03/did-a-lab-leak-cause-covid-19-despite-the-latest-headlines-its-still-not-very-likely/
  • Snopes: https://www.snopes.com/news/2023/03/03/fbi-doe-covid-origin/
  • Factcheck: https://www.factcheck.org/2023/03/scicheck-still-no-determination-on-covid-19-origin/
• UK: Prince Harry and Gábor Máté team up to promote weird shit together
  • Daily Mail: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11823943/Anti-drug-campaigners-blast-Prince-Harry-sending-worrying-message-young-people.html
• SWEDEN / EUROPE: Sweden had the lowest excess mortality in Europe during the pandemic
  • SVD: https://www.svd.se/a/JQvVnj/anders-tegnell-efter-pandemin-overdodlighet-ger-inte-hela-svaret

0:41:36 REALLY RIGHT

• Really Right: New podcast by one of our favorite people: ‘Richard Wiseman’s On Your Mind’
  • Link tree: https://linktr.ee/richardwisemanonyourmind

0:44:08 QUOTE AND FAREWELL

“Life constantly presents the greatest opportunity brilliantly disguised as the biggest disaster.”
/ David Icke (29 April 1952 – ), English conspiracy theorist and a former footballer and sports broadcaster. /

0:46:00 OUTRO

0:47:15 OUT-TAKES