This week we hear about free energy devices, about Pope Francis’ friend who stands accused of sex-abuse, and that Metro in Sweden is closing down taking with it their ‘Viral Examiner’ that has corrected and explained internet myths for almost five years.
We hear about the first publicly known (but certainly not only) victim of Gwyneth Paltrow’s ‘vagina steaming’, how to sign up for Shaman Summer School and of ‘Flygskam’, the Swedish flight shaming that now goes international.
We also do another deep dive into the disastrous measles epidemic, including publishing a unique spread sheet we have created to give an overview of the European situation as of the first six months of 2019.
Finally, we hand out a Really Right award to the Lancet for their efforts to fight gender bias in science.
Segments:
Intro; Greetings; This Week in Skepticism; Pontus Pokes the Pope; News; Really Right; Quote and Farewell; Outro; Out-takes
Events Calendar: https://theesp.eu/events_in_europe
00:00:27 Intro
00:00:52 Greetings
Pontus was interviewed by Richard Saunders on The Skeptic Zone this week, check it out: http://skepticzone.libsyn.com/the-skeptic-zone-564-11august2019
00:05:42 This Week in Skepticism
On 17 August 2006, the company Steorn published their claims on its ‘Orbo’ free energy device. They got financing to the tune of 23 million Euro, but strangely the device never materialized…
- http://dispatchesfromthefuture.com/images/steorn_economist_ad.jpg
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steorn#Jury_process
- https://fora.ie/steorn-shaun-mccarthy-liquidated-3097083-Nov2016/
00:11:18 Pontus Pokes the Pope – Close friend of Francis to stand trial for sexual abuse.
- https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/zanchetta-to-stand-trial-in-argentina-for-sexual-abuse-of-seminarians-83134
- https://cruxnow.com/cruxinargentina/2019/08/08/argentine-bishop-tapped-by-pope-for-vatican-job-faces-abuse-trial/
- https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-americas/2019/06/27/argentina-prosecutor-appeals-against-travel-by-bishop-in-abuse-case/
00:16:25 Skeptical News
SWEDEN: Metro folds, and the ‘Viral Examiner’ dies with it
- https://www.svt.se/kultur/nedlaggningsbeslut-for-metro-ar-klart
- https://www.metro.se/viralgranskaren/om-viralgranskaren-mQSfUeA9l
INTERNATIONAL: Woman burns herself during vagina steaming
FRANCE: Are you ready for Shaman Summer School?
- https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2019/08/02/le-boum-du-tourisme-chamanique_5495734_3232.html
- https://www.trimurti.fr/universite-dete-du-chamanisme-1239.html
EUROPE: ‘Flygskam’, the Swedish flight shaming, is the latest fad
- https://time.com/5641390/europe-train-air-travel/
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2019/07/09/europes-flight-shame-movement-doesnt-stand-chance-us/
MEASLES UPDATE EUROPE: Still bad and getting worse – we have compiled the numbers, you can download them in Excel or PDF-format.
- https://ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/monthly-measles-and-rubella-monitoring-report-august-2019
- https://www.slideshare.net/who_europe/measles-and-rubella-monthly-update-for-the-who-europen-region
- https://www.who.int/immunization/monitoring_surveillance/burden/vpd/surveillance_type/active/measles_monthlydata/en/
- https://cnscbt.ro/index.php/informari-saptamanale/rujeola-1
00:33:19 Really Right: To the Lancet Group for committing to gender equity and diversity
00:37:25 Quote and Goodbye
“You should never be ashamed to admit you have been wrong. It only proves you are wiser today than yesterday.”
/ Jonathan Swift, Anglo-Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for Whigs then for Tories), and poet, famous for works like Gulliver’s Travels /
00:38:41 Outro
00:39:56 Out-takes