TheESP – Ep. #437 – Just One Black Swan

Thirty-two years ago this week the Vatican tried to explain why discrimination against gay people is not really discrimination. That’s basically still their position today, which we hear about in this week’s TWISH. Then we have quite a few news items to go through:

• SWEDEN: Swedish telecom companies have blocked more than 50 million scam calls in 2024
• INTERNATIONAL: Global SCAM markets on the rise
• INTERNATIONAL: UV index apps used to get MORE sunburns
• DENMARK: Widespread practice among athletes might be truly harmful
• INTERNATIONAL: ‘Paleodiets’ can be harmful
• INTERNATIONAL: Snopes launches AI-based fact-checking tool

The UK ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) shows a bit of teeth and bans ads for supplement that claim to treat autism and other conditions. For that, they receive this week’s award for being Really Right. From the Netherlands we get a Who’s Quacking? segment about George van Houts, actor and comedian turned conspiracy nut.

Enjoy!

Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Right; Who’s Quacking?; Quote; Outro; Outtakes
 
0:00:25 INTRO

0:00:50 GREETINGS

• Join the ESP Discord thread
  • Discord Support: https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/sections/360008206871-Getting-Started
  • SITP Online Discord: https://discord.com/invite/VEt54zD
  • SITP Online: https://sitp.online/

0:05:22 TWISH – THIS WEEK IN SKEPTICAL HISTORY

• 23 July 1992: Vatican explains why it’s OK to discriminate against gay people
  • Vatican Observatory: https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19920724_homosexual-persons_en.html

0:12:03 NEWS

• SWEDEN: Swedish telecom companies have blocked more than 50 million scam calls in 2024
  • Sveriges Radio: https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/over-50-million-scam-calls-blocked-by-swedish-networks-this-year
• INTERNATIONAL: Global SCAM markets on the rise
  • Rupa Health: https://www.rupahealth.com/post/global-cam-market-poised-to-triple-by-2032
• INTERNATIONAL: UV index apps used to get MORE sunburns
  • DN: https://www.dn.se/sverige/trenden-sola-nar-stralningen-ar-som-starkast/
• DENMARK: Widespread practice among athletes might be truly harmful
  • Science Daily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240715103541.htm
• INTERNATIONAL: ‘Paleodiets’ can be harmful
  • Science Daily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240717121056.htm
• INTERNATIONAL: Snopes launches AI-based fact-checking tool
  • Snopes: https://www.snopes.com/2024/07/10/snopes-launches-factbot-ai-fact-checking/

0:33:51 REALLY RIGHT

• Really Right: The ASA bans ads for supplements against autism in the UK
  • Edzard Ernst: https://edzardernst.com/2024/07/adverts-for-supplements-claiming-to-treat-autism-were-banned/

0:36:59 WHO’S QUACKING?

• George van Houts: Dutch actor and comedian turned conspiracy theorist
  • Pepijn van Erp: https://www.pepijnvanerp.nl/2024/07/george-van-houts-the-unserious-dutch-conspiracy-theorist/
  • Wikipedia: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_van_Houts

0:41:34 QUOTE AND FAREWELL

“…no matter how many instances of white swans we may have observed, this does not justify the conclusion that all swans are white.”
/ Karl Popper (28 July 1902 – 17 September 1994) was an Austrian–British philosopher, academic and social commentator. /

0:44:49 OUTRO

0:46:04 OUT-TAKES