TheESP – Ep. #310 – Double Fault

Djokovic wrong again, and both popes get poked

We start with the fact that everyone and his uncle seems to have covid nowadays, and access to testing is hard. As mentioned last week, the episode of the Skeptic Zone with Pontus is now out. In other news anti-restriction demonstrations are all around and the Nazis somehow always seem to show up. In TWISH we learn about the birth in 1900 of Theodosius Dobzhansky, who was very important for the field of evolutionary biology. Double whammy for the popes this week, both Benedict and Francis have some explaining to do as Pontus Pokes the Popes. Then we look into the news:

• CZECH REPUBLIC: Folk singer Hana Horka dies after catching COVID intentionally
• UK: Link found between trust in public figures and vaccine hesitancy
• GERMANY: Many lost faith in God over pandemic
• UK: Prof Sir Paul Curran Award for Excellence in Academic Journalism 2021 goes to Caitjan Gainty

We end with another double hitter when Novak Djokovic gets the first ever twice-in-a-row Really Wrong Award. His friend Zlatan Ibrahimovic share in on the shame.

Enjoy!

Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Popes; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;
 
0:00:27 INTRO

0:00:54 GREETINGS

• The Skeptic Zone with Pontus as guest is now out
  • The Skeptic Zone, ep 694: https://skepticzone.libsyn.com/the-skeptic-zone-694-23january2022
• Demonstrations in Sweden – and of course the Nazis are there
  • DN: https://www.dn.se/sverige/demonstrationer-mot-vaccinbevis/

0:10:19 TWISH – THIS WEEK IN SKEPTICAL HISTORY

• Theodosius Dobzhansky, Ukrainian-American evolutionary biologist, was born on 25th January 1900
  • PNAS: https://www.pnas.org/content/94/15/7691

0:15:58 PONTUS POKES THE POPES

• Two popes for the price of one:
• Benedict did not tell the truth about his role in Munich abuse scandal
  • Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/01/24/pope-benedict-abuse-statement-germany/
• Francis call for day of prayer for Ukraine crisis – but again, he leaves out half the population
  • Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/pope-calls-an-international-day-prayer-peace-over-ukraine-crisis-2022-01-23/

0:23:31 NEWS

• CZECH REPUBLIC: Folk singer Hana Horka dies after catching COVID intentionally
  • BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60050996
• UK: Link found between trust in public figures and vaccine hesitancy
  • the Conversation: https://theconversation.com/lack-of-trust-in-public-figures-linked-to-covid-vaccine-hesitancy-new-research-172323
• GERMANY: Many lost faith in God over pandemic
  • New Atlas: https://newatlas.com/health-wellbeing/faith-religion-god-declined-pandemic-study/
• UK: Prof Sir Paul Curran Award for Excellence in Academic Journalism 2021 goes to Caitjan Gainty
  • the Conversation: https://theconversation.com/prof-sir-paul-curran-award-for-excellence-in-academic-journalism-2021-goes-to-caitjan-gainty-175125

0:41:14 REALLY WRONG

• Novac Djokovic revisited – Djokovic-owned company QuantBioRes likened to homeopathy.
  Zlatan Ibrahimovic gets a dishonorable mention for missing the point.
  • the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/jan/20/djokovic-backed-biotech-firms-approach-likened-to-homeopathy
  • Omni: https://omni.se/zlatan-forsvarar-vannen-novak-djokovics-vaccinbeslut/a/nWnlEn
  • Wisdom Of Chopra: http://wisdomofchopra.com/

0:46:58 QUOTE AND FAREWELL

“The main problem is that you are playing facts against emotions. Neurologically, facts will always lose, our brain is processing feelings much stronger than factual information.”
/ Lydia Benecke (1982 – ), German criminal psychologist and writer of popular science non-fiction. /

0:50:24 OUTRO

0:51:31 OUT-TAKES