Eurobarometer

We start by noting that COP30 was pretty disappointing although we are not too surprised. On another, more positive side, Michael Frass‘ terrible study claiming that homeopathy can help in cancer treatment finally has been retracted! Also, get your flu vaccines, everyone.

In TWISH we hear how António Egas Moniz invented lobotomy and was awarded one of the most controversial Nobel prizes for it, but also why it cannot be retracted. Then, we go to the news:

• SWEDEN: People die of breast cancer after choosing alternative treatments
• EUROPE: Eurobarometer Survey 2025: science, skepticism, and the battle against misinformation
• INTERNATIONAL: Freebirthing is a deadly scam and a grift
• HUNGARY: Political ads on Google and Facebook are over – or are they?

The Really Wrong Award goes to Steiner schools, that thankfully are in decline. A Really Right Award goes to the EU Court of Justice for affirming that also same-sex marriages have to be recognized throughout the union.

Enjoy!

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

0:00:51 GREETINGS

• COP30 – Yet another failure
  • the Conversation: https://theconversation.com/cop30-five-reasons-the-un-climate-conference-failed-to-deliver-on-its-peoples-summit-promise-269750
  • BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp84m16mdm1o
• Frass bites the dust! A long awaited retraction
  • Edzard Ernst: https://edzardernst.com/2025/11/finally-the-long-awaited-retraction-notice-of-the-infamous-study-by-frass-et-al-on-homeopathy-for-cancer-has-been-published/
  • Oxford Academic: https://academic.oup.com/oncolo/article/30/11/oyaf364/8340391
• Get your flu vaccine!
  • ECDC: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/news-events/ecdc-recommends-vaccinating-without-delay-due-early-flu-circulation

0:12:40 TWISH – THIS WEEK IN SKEPTICAL HISTORY

• 29 November 1874: Birth of António Egas Moniz, inventor of lobotomy
  • the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2004/aug/02/highereducation.comment
  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/António_Egas_Moniz

0:22:27 NEWS

• SWEDEN: People die of breast cancer after choosing alternative treatments
  • Läkartidningen: https://lakartidningen.se/nyheter/brostcancersjuka-nobbar-varden-ett-misslyckande/
  • Filter: https://magasinetfilter.se/granskning/statistik-cancervard/
• EUROPE: Eurobarometer Survey 2025: science, skepticism, and the battle against misinformation
  • EU: https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/3383
• INTERNATIONAL: Freebirthing is a deadly scam and a grift
  • the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2025/nov/22/free-birth-society-linked-to-babies-deaths-investigation
  • the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/nov/23/five-key-findings-from-our-investigation-into-the-free-birth-society
• HUNGARY: Political ads on Google and Facebook are over – or are they?
  • Lakmusz: https://lakmusz.hu/2025/11/24/mi-a-fene-van-a-politikai-hirdetesekkel-amiket-a-facebook-es-a-google-is-letiltott-megis-itt-maradtak-velunk

0:59:46 REALLY WRONG / REALLY RIGHT

• Really Wrong: Steiner / Waldorf schools in the UK are struggling – that’s not a bad thing
  • Quackometer: https://www.quackometer.net/blog/2025/11/the-irresistible-demise-of-bristol-waldorf-school.html
• Really Right: EU Court of Justice says same-sex marriage must be recognized throughout the union
  • Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eu-court-says-same-sex-marriage-should-be-recognised-throughout-bloc-2025-11-25/

1:03:33 QUOTE AND FAREWELL

“The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.”
/ Sir Winston Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (during the Second World War) and again from 1951 to 1955.
The quote is from a statement during a parliamentary debate on 17 May 1916. /

1:05:06 OUTRO

1:06:28 OUT-TAKES