ToughOnCrime

Lots going on this week! It’s European Immunization Week, Pontus went to a spa and got ‘cupped’, and we have news about two skeptical events: the launch of Skeptival 2026 in Berlin and tickets for the European Skeptics Congress 2026 in Liverpool (ESC 2026) will be released on 6 May!
In TWISH we take a look at the misinformation surrounding the Chernobyl disaster that happened 40 years ago this week. And then of course, we have the news:

• IRELAND: 12-year-old sex abuse victim locked up and punished for four years in a nunnery
• IRELAND / UK: UK survivor of Irish mother and baby home can’t afford to accept compensation
• GERMANY: Will homeopathy finally get what it deserves: nothing?
• SWEDEN: Tough-on-crime sentiments are polarizing Swedes

The Swedish government ignores science and all experts and has decided to push through sending children to prison and for that they are Really Wrong.

Enjoy!

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

0:00:51 GREETINGS

• It’s European Immunization Week
  • ECDC: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/news-events/european-immunization-week-2026-every-generation-vaccines-work
  • ECDC: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/news-events/every-generation-vaccines-work-three-countries-reach-90-hpv-vaccination-target-europe
• Pontus went to a spa and got ‘cupped’
• New German skeptical event: Skeptival 2026
  • Skeptix: https://skeptix.org/2026/04/16/save-the-date-skeptival-2026/
• ESC Liverpool 2026: Early bird tickets go on sale 6th May 2026, 11am CET!
  • ESC Liverpool: https://escliverpool.org/

0:18:13 TWISH – THIS WEEK IN SKEPTICAL HISTORY

• 26 April 1986: The Chernobyl Nuclear disaster happened (and brought about a lot of myths)
  • IAEA: https://www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/chernobyl.pdf
  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster

0:30:34 NEWS

• IRELAND: 12-year-old sex abuse victim locked up and punished for four years in a nunnery
  • DN: https://www.dn.se/varlden/hon-sparrades-in-pa-kloster-nunnorna-slog-mig-mellan-revbenen-med-ett-krucifix/
• IRELAND / UK: UK survivor of Irish mother and baby home can’t afford to accept compensation
  • the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/12/uk-survivor-ireland-mother-baby-home-rosemary-adaser-compensation-benefit-penalty
• GERMANY: Will homeopathy finally get what it deserves: nothing?
  • Skeptix: https://skeptix.org/2026/04/08/finanzkommission-gesundheit-fliegt-die-homoeopathie-jetzt-endlich-aus-der-erstattung/
• SWEDEN: Tough-on-crime sentiments are polarizing Swedes
  • Sydsvenskan: https://www.sydsvenskan.se/opinion/fakta-och-vetenskap-far-sta-tillbaka-nar-nya-lagar-tas-fram/

0:47:46 REALLY WRONG

• Really Wrong: Swedish government dismisses own expert group, pushing law to send 13-year-olds to prison
  • DN: https://www.dn.se/sverige/regeringens-beslut-13-aringar-ska-kunna-sattas-i-fangelse/

0:50:13 QUOTE AND FAREWELL

“Mathematics is the queen of sciences and number theory is the queen of mathematics. She often condescends to render service to astronomy and other natural sciences, but in all relations she is entitled to the first rank.”
/ Carl Friedrich Gauss (30 April 1777 – 23 February 1855), German mathematician, astronomer, geodesist, and physicist, who contributed to many fields in mathematics and science. /

0:51:44 OUTRO

0:53:07 OUT-TAKES