TheESP – Ep. #443 – Scammers in the Moonlight

In TWISH this week we hear about August Kekulé, the French organic chemist who redefined his disciplin in the mid 1800s. The we go into the news:

• INTERNATIONAL: Scammers in the Moonlight – Real vs. fake Tarot readers on social media
• FRANCE: Imane Khelif files lawsuit over cyber-harassment, names JK Rowling and Elon Musk
• AUSTRIA / THE NETHERLANDS: Climate communication works!
• ITALY: Shroud of Turin reloaded

The Award for being Really Wrong this week goes to Fleur Agema, Dutch Minister of Health and Deputy Prime Minister, who refuses to donate vaccines against mpox. We also follow up last week’s interview a Word of the Week in both Lithuanian and Russian.

Enjoy!

Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Word of the Week; Quote; Outro; Outtakes
 
0:00:27 INTRO

0:00:51 GREETINGS

0:05:23 TWISH – THIS WEEK IN SKEPTICAL HISTORY

• 7 September 1829: German organic chemist August Kekulé was born
  • MIT: https://web.mit.edu/redingtn/www/netadv/SP20151130.html
  • Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/465036a

0:16:33 NEWS

• INTERNATIONAL: Scammers in the Moonlight – Real vs. fake Tarot readers on social media
  • the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/aug/17/tarot-card-readers-impersonators-scammers
• FRANCE: Imane Khelif files lawsuit over cyber-harassment, names JK Rowling and Elon Musk
  • the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/aug/14/jk-rowling-and-elon-musk-named-in-imane-khelif-cyberbullying-lawsuit
• AUSTRIA / THE NETHERLANDS: Climate communication works!
  • Science Daily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/08/240826131219.htm
• ITALY: Shroud of Turin reloaded
  • the Independent: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/jesus-christ-shroud-of-turin-b2601565.html
  • the Catholic Herald: https://catholicherald.co.uk/shroud-of-turin-dates-from-time-of-christ-scientists-reveal/

0:39:05 REALLY WRONG

• Really Wrong: Fleur Agema, Dutch Minister of Health and Deputy Prime Minister, refuses to donate vaccines against mpox
  • Dutch News: https://www.dutchnews.nl/2024/09/mpox-vaccine-donation-is-backed-by-parliament-minister-says-no/

0:43:28 WORD OF THE WEEK

• LITHUANIAN:
  ‘Kabina makaronus ant ausų’ – ‘Hang macaroni on the ears’
  ‘Makaronų kabintojas’ – ‘Macaroni Hanger’
• RUSSIAN:
  ‘вешать лапшу на уши’ [vešatʹ lapšu na uši]- ‘Hang noodles on the ears’

0:48:33 QUOTE AND FAREWELL

“Let us learn to dream, gentlemen, and then perhaps we shall learn the truth… but let us beware of publishing our dreams before they have been put to the proof by the waking understanding.”
/ August Kekulé (7 September 1829 – 13 July 1896), German organic chemist. /

0:50:01 OUTRO

0:51:16 OUT-TAKES