TheESP – Ep. #440 – It’s a spectrum, stupid!

We start with a follow-up on the UK riots and the disinformation that triggered them. Regardless of this we look forward to going to QED where the Ockham Awards will be announced. The nominations are now open! See link in the show notes.

In TWISH we hear about how it wasn’t that long ago that Joseph Lister performed the first antiseptic surgery – we sure are lucky that we we were not born back then. Then it is time for the news:

• RUSSIA: Russian textbook claims that Trump lost in 2020 due to election fraud
• INTERNATIONAL: Pseudoscientific answers to a medical and environmental mishap at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games
• EUROPE: Heat Caused Over 47,000 Deaths in Europe in 2023 – but it could have been much worse
• INTERNATIONAL: Alleged transgender issue stirs up controversy at the Olympics
• INTERNATIONAL: Chemtrails or not, aviation contrails contribute to the climate crises

Enjoy!

Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Quote; Outro; Outtakes
 
0:00:27 INTRO

0:00:50 GREETINGS

• Follow-up on riots across UK (anti-immigration vs anti-fascist demonstrations across the country)
  • Full Fact: https://fullfact.org/news/uk-riots-latest-southport-questions-answered/
• Nominations for the 2024 Ockham Awards now open!
  • the Skeptic UK: https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2024/08/the-ockham-awards-2024-recognising-the-best-in-skepticism-and-the-worst-in-pseudoscience/

0:12:36 TWISH – THIS WEEK IN SKEPTICAL HISTORY

• 12 August 1865: Joseph Lister performs first ever antiseptic surgical operation
  • Science Museum UK: https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/medicine/listers-antisepsis-system

0:21:14 NEWS

• RUSSIA: Russian textbook claims that Trump lost in 2020 due to election fraud
  • Snopes: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-2020-election-russian-textbook/
• INTERNATIONAL: Pseudoscientific answers to a medical and environmental mishap at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games
  • the Independent: https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/paris-2024-olympics-seine-dirty-coke-b2593723.html
  • Self: https://www.self.com/story/seine-swimming-water-quality-olympics
  • Pirula Kalauz: https://pirulakalauz.hu/2024/08/11/a-palinka-nem-ved-meg-a-hasmenestol/
• EUROPE: Heat Caused Over 47,000 Deaths in Europe in 2023 – but it could have been much worse
  • ISGlobal: https://www.isglobal.org/en/-/el-calor-causo-47.000-muertes-en-europa-en-2023
• INTERNATIONAL: Alleged transgender issue stirs up controversy at the Olympics
  • Snopes: https://www.snopes.com/news/2024/08/05/imane-khelif-not-trans/
  • Snopes: https://www.snopes.com/news/2024/08/06/khelif-father-birth-document/
  • the Neurologica Blog: https://theness.com/neurologicablog/the-gender-boxing-hubub/
• INTERNATIONAL: Chemtrails or not, aviation contrails contribute to the climate crises
  • Science Daily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/08/240807122857.htm

0:57:03 QUOTE AND FAREWELL

“Nature has no reverence towards life. Nature treats life as though it were the most valueless thing in the world…. Nature does not act by purposes.”
/ Erwin Schrödinger (12 August 1887 – 4 January 1961), Nobel Prize–winning Austrian and naturalized Irish physicist who developed fundamental results in quantum theory. /

0:58:25 OUTRO

0:59:40 OUT-TAKES