TheESP – Ep. #233 – Homeomathematics

This week starts with the wonderful news that Annika is now a full time ESP member and co-host. We couldn’t be happier!

We start with a minor correction to a story from last week and then chat a bit about the latest astronomy news before we celebrate this week in history: Happy birthday to the great skeptic and parapsychology researcher Susan Blackmore! (Also see our episode #088 when we had her as a guest)

Giving the Pope more or less a pass this week, we then dive into the news:
– Covid-19 update
– Austrian Science Busters
– (Not so) scientific paper on covid and 5G is withdrawn
– Another misleading “letter from a doctor” regarding covid-19 is making the rounds
– How to engage conspiracy theorists
– Climate change CO2 sensitivity
– Heatwave in Siberia melts ice in the Arctic Ocean
– German homeopathy study criticized
– Orbán keeps winning the fight against Hungarian free press
– UK to fight obesity by banning junk food ads
The prize for being Really Wrong goes to the scientific journal “Journal of Public Health: From Theory to Practice”. They totally failed the peer review process on a study that claims there is “mathematical proof” that homeopathy is effective against covid-19.

Enjoy!

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

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

0:00:27 INTRO

0:00:56 GREETINGS

0:11:15 THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
Susan Blackmore, was born on 29 July 1951 and is a British writer, lecturer, skeptic, broadcaster, and a Visiting Professor at the University of Plymouth. Her fields of research include memetics, parapsychology, consciousness, and she is best known for her book The Meme Machine.

• • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Blackmore
  • Our interview with Susan on Episode #088: https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/episode-088-feat-dr-susan-blackmore.html

0:14:08 PONTUS POKES THE POPE
Not much to add this week, except be kind to your grandpa and grandma…

0:15:14 NEWS

• INTERNATIONAL: COVID-19 status update
  • Reuters UK: https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-global-cases/record-numbers-of-coronavirus-cases-in-every-global-region-reuters-tally-idUKKCN24Q08E
  • the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/27/coronavirus-world-map-which-countries-have-the-most-covid-19-cases-and-deaths
  • Science Magazine: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/07/controversial-human-challenge-trials-covid-19-vaccines-gain-support
  • WHO: https://www.who.int/ethics/publications/key-criteria-ethical-acceptability-of-covid-19-human-challenge/en/
  • Scoince Based Medicine: https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/covid-19-and-excess-deaths/
  • Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-spain-toll/spains-covid-19-death-toll-could-be-60-higher-than-official-count-says-el-pais-idUSKCN24R0GE
  • Omni.se: https://tt.omni.se/spaniens-dodstalsmiss-forvanar-inte-statistiker/a/wP7x74
• AUSTRIA: Science Busters
  • KupfTicket: https://amwasser.kupfticket.at/?s=science+Busters
  • GWUP: https://blog.gwup.net/2020/07/23/vier-mal-corona-spezial-der-science-busters-in-wien/
• ITALY: Paper blaming COVID-19 on 5G withdrawn
  • Retraction Watch: https://retractionwatch.com/2020/07/26/paper-blaming-covid-19-on-5g-technology-withdrawn/
  • Science Integrity Digest: https://scienceintegritydigest.com/2020/07/23/worst-paper-of-2020-5g-and-coronavirus-induction/
• UK: Another “letter” full of misleading claims circulating online
  • Full Fact: https://fullfact.org/health/letter-doctor-surrey/
• INTERNATIONAL: A psychologist’s six rules of engagement with conspiracy theorists
  • The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/ive-been-talking-to-conspiracy-theorists-for-20-years-here-are-my-six-rules-of-engagement-143132
• INTERNATIONAL: Update on climate sensitivity to carbon-dioxide
  • The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/just-how-sensitive-is-the-climate-to-increased-carbon-dioxide-scientists-are-narrowing-in-on-the-answer-143112
  • Science Daily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200722112648.htm
  • Climate Extremes: https://climateextremes.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/WCRP_ECS_Final_manuscript_2019RG000678R_FINAL_200720.pdf
• SIBERIA: Heatwave update from the UN
  • Time: https://time.com/5871298/siberia-heatwave-wildfires-arctic-circle/
• GERMANY: Homeopathy study criticized
  • GWUP: https://blog.gwup.net/2020/07/23/falscher-problematischer-weg-ethik-journal-kritisiert-bayerische-homoeopathie-studie/
• HUNGARY: Orbán wins yet another battle against free press
  • the BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-53531948
• UK: Ads for junk food may be banned or partially banned
  • the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jul/23/new-rules-on-junk-food-ads-could-threaten-uk-economic-recovery
  • the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jul/27/web-ads-for-junk-food-could-be-banned-uk

1:08:51 REALLY WRONG
“Journal of Public Health: From Theory to Practice” publishes study that promotes Homeopathy against covid-19

• • Retraction Watch: https://retractionwatch.com/2020/07/25/paper-urging-use-of-homeopathy-for-covid-19-appears-in-peer-reviewed-public-health-journal/
  • Edzard Ernst: https://edzardernst.com/2020/07/homeopathy-combat-against-coronavirus-disease-covid-19-no-sadly-its-not-a-hoax/

1:16:22 QUOTE AND FAREWELL
“Whenever a theory appears to you as the only possible one, take this as a sign that you have neither understood the theory nor the problem which it was intended to solve.”
/ Karl Popper, Austrian-born British philosopher, academic and social commentator, 28 July 1902 – 17 September 1994 /

1:19:19 OUTRO

1:20:32 OUT-TAKES