covid_vaccine

This week we we start by checking out some science: travel faster than speed of light(?) and the wonderful 3D-model of the Antikythera mechanism. We look back at the birth of the Hungarian Skeptic Society and we poke the pope for being a bigot about gay marriage. We look at the covid vaccine situation and especially if the AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine appears safe, before we check out the news:

• New book: Fake news a threat to democracy?
• New tool to help students detect fake images and videos
• People with high emotional intelligence less susceptible to fake news?
• Water ‘vitalizer’ banned for possible interference with radio devices
• Social media watchdog: Instagram highly responsible for the spreading of misinformation?
• New book out: ‘Don’t get mixed up with food’

Enjoy!

Segments:
Intro; Greetings; This Week; Pontus Pokes the Pope; Covid-19 Update; News; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takes

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

0:00:27 INTRO

0:00:51 GREETINGS

• Faster than light travel might be possible after all?
  • Science Alert: https://www.sciencealert.com/faster-than-light-travel-is-possible-within-einstein-s-physics-astrophysicist-shows
• New 3D model of the Antikythera mechanism
  • Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-84310-w
  • BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-56377567

0:10:03 THIS WEEK IN SKEPTICISM

• Predecessor the Hungarian Skeptic Society, Tényeket Tisztelők Társasága was founded on 19th March 1992.
  • Wikipedia: https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tényeket_Tisztelők_Társasága

0:14:34 PONTUS POKES THE POPE

• NO BLESSING FOR THE SINFUL GAYS
  • Snopes: https://www.snopes.com/ap/2021/03/15/vatican-bars-gay-union-blessing-says-god-cant-bless-sin/
  • Crux: https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2021/03/gay-couples-blessing/
  • Crux: https://cruxnow.com/news-analysis/2021/02/will-the-vatican-investigate-a-cardinal-implicated-in-its-own-abuse-trial/

0:28:07 COVID-19 UPDATE

• EU Vaccine certificate proposed
  • the Conversation: https://theconversation.com/covid-19-vaccines-are-probably-less-effective-at-preventing-transmission-than-symptoms-heres-why-156611
  • Science Based Medicine: https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/covid-vaccines-probably-prevent-spread/
  • Brussels Times: https://www.brusselstimes.com/news/eu-affairs/160191/eu-vaccination-passports-for-travel-will-be-free-of-charge-digital-green-certificate-commission-von-der-leyen-draft-proposal-didier-reynders-qr-paper-test-de-croo-belgium/
• Is the Oxford vaccine safe?
  • the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/15/evidence-oxford-vaccine-blood-clots-data-causal-links
  • Le Monde: https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2021/03/16/apres-une-serie-d-alertes-l-allemagne-la-france-l-italie-et-l-espagne-suspendent-le-vaccin-astrazeneca-par-precaution_6073258_3244.html
  • Aftenposten: https://www.aftenposten.no/viten/uviten/i/OQWvn1/blodpropper-etter-vaksinering-kan-vaere-like-tilfeldig-som-at-verdal-er
  • Tages Schau: https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/corona-impfungen-astrazeneca-deutschland-101.html

0:37:58 NEWS

• GERMANY: New book: Fake news a threat to democracy?
  • GWUP: https://blog.gwup.net/2021/03/13/neues-buch-von-mimikama-autor-andre-wolf-falschmeldungen-und-mythen-als-gefahr-fuer-die-demokratie/
• SWEDEN: New tool to help students detect fake images and videos
  • Science Daily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/03/210309132557.htm
  • the News Evaluator: http://www.newsevaluator.com
• UK: People with high emotional intelligence less susceptible to fake news?
  • Science Daily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/03/210312121317.htm
  • NCBI (study): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6546921/
• GERMANY: Water ‘vitalizer’ banned for possible interference with radio devices
  • Snopes: https://www.snopes.com/ap/2021/03/12/germany-bans-water-vitalizer-over-radio-interference/
  • AP: https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-germany-989f0b5fd1630b5a18d5b56b7af0cf7a
• UK: Social media watchdog: Instagram highly responsible for the spreading of misinformation?
  • the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/mar/09/instagram-led-users-to-covid-misinformation-amid-pandemic-report
• SPAIN: New book out: ‘Don’t get mixed up with food’
  • Espacio: https://espacio.fundaciontelefonica.com/evento/que-no-te-lien-con-la-comida/

0:55:26 QUOTE AND FAREWELL

“The scientific world picture does not include … things that have not been constructed, that are not understood as artefacts … Instead of the final cause one starts to speak about purpose, which nature itself does not have. Only humans can set aims and achieve them by their activities if they know the laws of nature and set up various processes based on them and organise them purposively.”
 
/ Rein Vihalemm (9 December 1938 – 18 July 2015) Estonian chemist and philosopher of science. /

0:56:33 OUTRO

0:57:48 OUT-TAKES