TheESP – Ep. #328 – Erratic Boulders

Frankie appoints a carnival of Cardinals

András is back and tells us how not to stand on a volcano, we have some listener feedback about YouTube banning videos and the QED conference release their tickets on 13 June. Mark you calendars for 28-30 October! We then interview Jelena Lenka Příplatová from the Czech Skeptics (Český klub skeptiků Sisyfos) about their Erratic Boulders Awards that was announced on 27 May. In TWISH we celebrate the founding of the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences way back in 1739(!). Pope Frankie breaks the rules and elevates 21 of his closest cronies to be cardinals. Then, we look into the news:

• INTERNATIONAL: Is monkeypox a Covid vaccine side effect?
• POLAND: Country offers free vaccinations to Ukrainian refugees, but uptake is low
• GERMANY: More bad news for homeopaths
• INTERNATIONAL: Humanity faces a new era of risks
• GERMANY: Fake doctor sentenced to life in prison
• INTERNATIONAL: New tool: Retraction Watch Hijacked Journal Checker
• UK: Edzard Ernst appointed member of the Academy of Europe

We feel all positive for once and hand out a Really Right Award to the plans of reducing Sweden’s CO2 emissions by 3% by 2030.

Enjoy!

Segments: Intro; Greetings; Interview; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Right; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;
 
0:00:35 INTRO

0:01:02 GREETINGS

• Listener feedback: The dangers of social media banning fake videos and news
• QED!: QED tickets go on sale on 13 June!
  • QEDcon.org: https://qedcon.org/

0:10:47 INTERVIEW

• Jelena Lenka Příplatová tells all about the Czech Skeptic’s (Sisyfos) Erratic Boulders Awards
  • Sisyfos: https://www.sisyfos.cz/clanek/1553-stribrny-bludny-balvan-v-kategorii-druzstev-za-rok-2021-hnuti-pro-zivot

0:25:47 TWISH – THIS WEEK IN SKEPTICAL HISTORY

• 2 June 1739: the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences was established
  • Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences: https://kva.se/en/om-oss/historik/vetenskapsakademiens-historia-1700-talet

0:32:50 PONTUS POKES THE POPE

• Frankie is packing the court: 21 new cardinals announced and… that’s against the law
  • Crux: https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2022/05/pope-francis-announces-21-new-cardinals-including-key-allies
  • Crux: https://cruxnow.com/news-analysis/2022/05/new-cardinals-make-conclave-handicapping-easier-and-much-harder
  • Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/cardinal-angelo-sodano-vatican-power-broker-decades-dies-94-2022-05-28/

0:40:53 NEWS

• INTERNATIONAL: Is monkeypox a Covid vaccine side effect?
  • Full Fact: https://fullfact.org/health/no-evidence-covid-vaccines–monkeypox/
  • Health Feed Back: https://healthfeedback.org/claimreview/monkeypox-outbreak-conspiracy-theories-claiming-it-was-planned-linking-with-covid-19-vaccines/
• POLAND: Country offers free vaccinations to Ukrainian refugees, but uptake is low
  • Vaccines Today: https://www.vaccinestoday.eu/stories/poland-offers-free-vaccination-to-refugees-from-ukraine-but-uptake-remains-low/
• GERMANY: More bad news for homeopaths
  • Edzard Ernst: https://edzardernst.com/2022/05/more-bad-news-for-german-homeopaths/
• INTERNATIONAL: Humanity faces a new era of risks
  • SIPRI: https://www.sipri.org/media/press-release/2022/world-stumbling-new-era-risk-concludes-sipri-report
• GERMANY: Fake doctor sentenced to life in prison
  • Snopes: https://www.snopes.com/ap/2022/05/25/germany-fake-doctor-gets-life-in-prison-for-patient-deaths/
• INTERNATIONAL: New tool: Retraction Watch Hijacked Journal Checker
  • Retraction Watch: https://retractionwatch.com/2022/05/29/want-to-know-whether-that-journal-is-scamming-you-introducing-the-retraction-watch-hijacked-journal-checker/
• UK: Edzard Ernst appointed member of the Academy of Europe
  • Academy of Europe: https://www.ae-info.org/ae/Member/Ernst_Edzard

1:06:05 REALLY RIGHT

• Really Right: 1 billion Euro pledged to decrease Sweden’s CO2 emissions by 3%
  • Omni: https://tt.omni.se/cementa-gar-vidare-med-klimatsatsning/a/ALav5n

1:10:07 QUOTE AND FAREWELL

“When it comes to controlling human beings there is no better instrument than lies. Because, you see, humans live by beliefs. And beliefs can be manipulated. The power to manipulate beliefs is the only thing that counts.”
/ Michael Ende, (1929-1995), German author. The quote is from his book The Neverending Story /

1:12:37 OUTRO

1:13:52 OUT-TAKES

CHARITIES FOR UKRAINE

• Ukraine Humanitarian Fund
  • Ukraine Humanitarian Fund: https://crisisrelief.un.org/t/ukraine
• Razom For Ukraine
  • Razom For Ukraine: https://razomforukraine.humanitru.com/donate
• The Kyiv Independent
  • The Kyiv Independent : https://kyivindependent.com/
• UNICEF
  • UNICEF: https://www.unicef.org/emergencies/conflict-ukraine-pose-immediate-threat-children
• Migration Aid
  • Migration Aid: https://migrationaid.org/