phallic_symbols

This week we talk about that alt-med and antivaxxers have been visible on TV and how a town in Austria had to change its rather unfortunate name. We celebrate the anniversary of the Hungarian Skeptics and then we get into the news:

• New Brexit craze – Vaccine approval sped up because no EU to hold us back
• Bibliometric analysis of global research into SCAM and COVID-19
• Former space security chief goes mental about alleged aliens
• What’s with the phallic symbols everywhere?
• Swedish health regions have spent 28 MEUR on weighted blankets
• John Maddox prizes announced TODAY
• Das Goldene Brett – finalists announced
• Follow-up: Influencer selling fish oil as covid treatment found guilty
• New series of videos: A scientist in the supermarket

Then the Really Wrong award goes to all the religious exemptions to covid restrictions.

Enjoy!

Segments:
Intro; Greetings; This Week; Covid Update; News; Really Wrong; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takes

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

0:00:28 INTRO

0:00:54 GREETINGS

• Alt Med and antivaxx in TV and Austrian Village renamed
  • GWUP: https://blog.gwup.net/2020/12/12/galileo-spezial-am-sonntag-unterm-aluhut-warum-verschwoerungstheorien-boomen/
  • GWUP: https://blog.gwup.net/2020/12/03/video-tod-bei-homoeopathischer-ueberdosis-die-soko-stuttgart-ermittelt/
  • Dangens Samhälle: https://www.dagenssamhalle.se/kronika/svts-wallraffande-starker-antivaxxarnas-bunkermentalitet-34754
  • Snopes: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/fucking-austria-renamed-fugging/

0:12:26 THIS WEEK IN SKEPTICISM

• Happy Birthday, Hungarian Skeptic Society!
  • Hungarian Skeptics: https://szkeptikus.hu/en/
  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_Skeptic_Society

0:17:22 COVID-19 UPDATE

• Vaccines, V-day, concerns regarding other immunization programs
  • the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/dec/02/pfizer-biontech-covid-vaccine-wins-licence-for-use-in-the-uk
  • Science Based Medicine: https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/deciding-between-a-vaccine-and-an-infection/
  • Outbreak News: http://outbreaknewstoday.com/immunization-rates-dropping-dramatically-much-due-to-the-covid-19-pandemic-70084/
  • Full Fact: https://fullfact.org/health/vaccine-covid-fertility/
  • Snopes: https://www.snopes.com/ap/2020/12/09/uk-probing-if-allergic-reactions-linked-to-pfizer-vaccine/
  • Full Fact: https://fullfact.org/health/pfizer-vaccine-peg-ade/
  • Snopes: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/mrna-alter-dna/
  • Snopes: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/booze-sputnik-v/

0:30:14 NEWS

• UK: New Brexit craze – Vaccine approval sped up because no EU to hold us back
  • Full Fact: https://fullfact.org/health/coronavirus-vaccine-brexit/
• INTERNATIONAL: Bibliometric analysis of global research into SCAM and COVID-19
  • Edzard Ernst: https://edzardernst.com/2020/12/snakeoil-salesmen-are-out-in-force-and-view-covid-19-as-an-opportunity/
• ISRAEL: Former space security chief goes mental about alleged aliens
  • Snopes: https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/12/08/galactic-federation-nasa-aliens/
  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haim_Eshed
• GERMANY: What’s with the phallic symbols everywhere?
  • Snopes: https://www.snopes.com/ap/2020/12/01/german-police-probe-mystery-of-missing-giant-phallus-statue/
  • Snopes: https://www.snopes.com/ap/2020/12/03/new-phallus-sculpture-appears-in-bavarian-mountains/
  • GWUP: https://blog.gwup.net/2020/12/10/jetzt-auch-in-deutschland-monolithen-die-neuen-kornkreise/
  • Snopes: https://www.snopes.com/ap/2020/12/10/gone-olith-mystery-10-foot-pillar-in-germany-destroyed/
• SWEDEN: Swedish health regions have spent 28 MEUR on weighted blankets
  • Svenska Dagbladet: https://www.svd.se/regioner-har-kopt-tyngdtacken-for-miljoner
• UK/INTL: John Maddox prizes announced TODAY
  • Sense About Science: https://senseaboutscience.org/activities/maddox-prize-2020/
• AUSTRIA: Das Goldene Brett – finalists announced
  • GWUP: https://blog.gwup.net/2020/12/07/das-goldene-brett-2020-die-finalisten-stehen-fest/
• SWEDEN: Follow-up: Influencer selling fish oil as covid treatment found guilty
  • Aftonbladet: https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/wed0Pd/zytomierska-doms-for-reklam-for-fiskolja
  • E-handel: https://www.ehandel.se/clean-eating-klarade-inte-granskningen-kan-tvingas-lagga-ner
• SPAIN: New series of videos: A scientist in the supermarket
  • Escepticos: https://www.escepticos.es/node/7713

1:04:27 REALLY WRONG

• SPECIAL RELIGIOUS ALLOWANCES FOR CORONARESTRICTIONS (GERMANY AND SWEDEN AND ELSEWHERE)
  • DomRadio: https://www.domradio.de/themen/corona/2020-12-13/gottesdienste-erlaubt-maskenpflicht-und-gesangsverbot-regeln-fuer-gottesdienste-weihnachten
  • Die Welt: https://www.dw.com/en/german-lockdown-merkel-announces-tough-new-covid-curbs/a-55921912
  • Swedish Government: https://www.regeringen.se/artiklar/2020/03/andring-i-forordning-om-forbud-mot-att-halla-allmanna-sammankomster-och-offentliga-tillstallningar/
  • Swedish Parliament: https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-lagar/dokument/?dokumentid=H801FiU32
  • Swedish Parliament: https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-lagar/arende/betankande/utgiftsomrade-17-kultur-medier-trossamfund-och_H801KrU1
  • Danish Health Authorities: https://coronasmitte.dk/nationale-tiltag/religioese-handlinger
  • Church of England: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2020-12/COVID%2019%20advice%20for%20opening%20cathedral%20and%20church%20buildings%20v5.pdf
  • French Government: https://www.gouvernement.fr/en/coronavirus-covid-19

1:13:26 QUOTE AND FAREWELL
“As our own species is in the process of proving, one cannot have superior science and inferior morals. The combination is unstable and self-destroying.”
/ Arthur C. Clarke (16 December 1917 – 19 March 2008), English science-fiction writer, science writer, futurist, inventor, undersea explorer, and television series host /

1:16:19 OUTRO

1:17:34 OUT-TAKES