TheESP – Ep. #471 – Without Sleep, Your Brain Doesn’t Work

Pontus is back from skiing, Orbán is worse than ever, and an astronaut will photograph the turtle that carries the Earth on its back – just a normal week in skepticism. In TWISH we hear about the successful ban on CFCs to save the ozone layer, and then it’s time for the news:

• EUROPE: Measles in Europe highest in 25 years
• ITALY: Higher levels of spirituality and CAM use increases likelyhood of vaccine skepticism
• UK: Psychological ‘booster shots’ can strengthen resistance to misinformation over time
• UK: Poor sleep could fuel belief in conspiracy theories
• INTERNATIONAL: Press freedom watchdog says Russia ‘stealing’ its identity
• RUSSIA: Russian network changes tactics to ‘groom’ AI bots with disinformation
• PORTUGAL: ComCept’s Flying Unicorn Awards are here again, voting is on!

The Really Wrong Award goes to Dutch minister for Asylum and Migration, Marjolein Faber, for ignoring expertise, and we send a Really Right to Sense About Science for their work to teach researchers how to communicate.

Enjoy!

Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong / Really Right; Quote; Outro; Outtakes
 
0:00:27 INTRO

0:00:51 GREETINGS

• Orbán at his lowest yet: he calls political opponents bugs and promises spring cleanup (whatever that’s supposed to mean)
  • Teuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/hungarys-orban-vows-fast-crackdown-media-ngos-over-foreign-funding-2025-03-15/
  • AP: https://apnews.com/article/hungary-pride-ban-orban-lgbtq-rights-e7a0318b09b902abfc306e3e975b52df
• Turtles in space!
  • NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/podcasts/houston-we-have-a-podcast/crew-10/

0:14:14 TWISH – THIS WEEK IN SKEPTICAL HISTORY

• 22 March 1985: The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer signed 40 years ago
  • UNEP: https://ozone.unep.org/treaties/vienna-convention

0:22:35 NEWS

• EUROPE: Measles in Europe highest in 25 years
  • UNICEF: https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/european-region-reports-highest-number-measles-cases-more-25-years-unicef-whoeurope
  • ECDC: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/news-events/measles-rise-again-europe-time-check-your-vaccination-status
• ITALY: Higher levels of spirituality and CAM use increases likelyhood of vaccine skepticism
  • MDPI: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/3/413
• UK: Psychological ‘booster shots’ can strengthen resistance to misinformation over time
  • Science Daily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250311121700.htm
• UK: Poor sleep could fuel belief in conspiracy theories
  • the Conversation: https://theconversation.com/how-poor-sleep-could-fuel-belief-in-conspiracy-theories-251669
• INTERNATIONAL: Press freedom watchdog says Russia ‘stealing’ its identity
  • RSF: https://rsf.org/en/here-s-how-russian-propaganda-keeps-stealing-identity-rsf-manipulate-public-debate
• RUSSIA: Russian network changes tactics to ‘groom’ AI bots with disinformation
  • NewsGuard: https://www.newsguardrealitycheck.com/p/a-well-funded-moscow-based-global
• PORTUGAL: ComCept’s Flying Unicorn Awards are here again, voting is on!
  • COMCEPT: https://comcept.org/2025/03/13/votacao-para-o-premio-unicornio-voador-2024/

0:49:53 REALLY WRONG / REALLY RIGHT

• Really Wrong: Dutch minister Marjolein Faber
  • NL Times: https://nltimes.nl/2025/03/07/cabinet-agrees-strict-asylum-rules-amid-legal-questions-will-cost-eu115-million-extra
  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schoof_cabinet_asylum_measures
  • RTL: https://www.rtl.nl/nieuws/onderzoek/artikel/5483752/experts-kritiek-op-grenscontroles-waarmee-faber-pvv-illegale
  • NU.nl: https://www.nu.nl/politiek/6345092/faber-wil-haar-asielwetten-niet-aanpassen-na-kritiek-hooguit-punt-of-komma.html
• Really Right: Sense about Science (with Elsevier) – Confidence in communicating research
  • Sense About Science: https://senseaboutscience.org/confidence-in-communicating-research/

0:56:55 QUOTE AND FAREWELL

“Science is the most real guide for civilisation, for life, for success in the world. To search for a guide other than science is absurdity, ignorance and heresy.”
/ Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (c. 1881 – 10 November 1938), Turkish field marshal and a founding father of the Republic of Turkey. /

0:58:57 OUTRO

1:00:19 OUT-TAKES