TheESP – Ep. #349 – All about Skepticon Australia!

– and BTW, Elvis really has left the building – no matter what psychic mediums say

This week we first chat about a “psychic medium” who is friendly with Elvis and touch on the Tories in the UK who apparently is friendly with no one, not even themselves. Then Kevin Davies of the Canberra Skeptics joins us and tells all about the Australian Skeptics National Convention 2022 where we will be in December! In TWISH we hear about Tycho Brahe and his achievements and Pope Frankie is still infallible and does not take kindly to criticism. Then it’s time for the news:

• INTERNATIONAL: Edzard Ernst‘s blog just turned 10 years old
• GERMANY: Cybersecurity chief turns out to have Russian ties
• SWEDEN: Pontus Pokes the Politicians:
  – What the experts say would solve the murder cases
  – Danish warning about prison places abroad: Don’t!

Swedish MD Elsa Widding of the Sweden Democrats is an antivaxxer (and not a little stupid) so she gets the prize for being Really Wrong.

Enjoy!

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

0:00:52 GREETINGS

• Elvis is not happy about the film about him – says Swedish psychic medium
  • Sveriges Radio: https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/elvis-rasar-mot-filmen-om-sig-sjalv-via-mediumet-susanne-skrap
• UK shitshow AKA government
  • the Conversation: https://theconversation.com/liz-truss-resigns-as-prime-minister-the-five-causes-of-her-downfall-explained-192979

0:06:33 INTERVIEW

• Kevin Davies of the Canberra Skeptics! All you need to know about the Australian Skeptics National Convention 2022
  • Skepticon Australia: https://skepticon.org.au/

0:18:45 TWISH – THIS WEEK IN SKEPTICAL HISTORY

• 24 October 1601: Death of Danish astronomer, astrologer and alchemist, Tycho Brahe
  • History today: https://www.historytoday.com/archive/death-tycho-brahe

0:23:25 PONTUS POKES THE POPE

• Criticizing Frankie is “the work of the devil”
  • Crux: https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2022/10/top-vatican-diplomat-stresses-unity-with-pope-in-speech-to-ewtn

0:28:07 NEWS

• INTERNATIONAL: Edzard Ernst’s blog just turned 10 years old
  • Edzard Ernst: https://edzardernst.com/2022/10/i-almost-forgot-my-blog-has-just-had-its-10th-anniversary/
• GERMANY: Cybersecurity chief turns out to have Russian ties
  • the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/18/germany-cybersecurity-chief-sacked-russia-arne-schonbohm
• SWEDEN: Pontus Pokes the Politicians:
  – What the experts say would solve the murder cases
  – Danish warning about prison places abroad: Don’t!
  • DN: https://www.dn.se/sverige/mordutredarna-det-har-behovs-for-att-losa-gangmorden/
  • DN: https://www.dn.se/sverige/danska-varningen-om-fangelseplatser-utomlands-lat-bli/

0:37:18 REALLY WRONG

• Really Wrong: Swedish MD Elsa Widding (Sweden Democrats) is an antivaxxer, and a crazy one, too.
  • Aftonbladet: https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/dw5R3X/mejl-fran-elsa-widding-sd-visar-vaccinkritik

0:39:54 QUOTE AND FAREWELL

“Slowly but surely I became resigned to the fact that, for some alternative medicine zealots, no amount of explanation would ever suffice. To them, alternative medicine seemed to have mutated into a religion, a cult whose central creed must be defended at all costs against the infidel.”
/ Edzard Ernst, (30 January 1948 – ), retired British-German academic physician and researcher specializing in the study of complementary and alternative medicine. /

0:42:36 OUT-TAKES