TheESP – Ep. #477 – AI gets high on shrooms

We start out with a few things from the world of skepticism – in Belgium, SKEPP turns 35 next week with special appearance by Chris French (don’t miss it!), and we link to an article about skeptic history in Hungary. Speaking of Hungary, in TWISH we talk about the prominent Hungarian skeptic and science communicator Aurél Ponori Thewrewk, who was born this week in 1921. Then we head for the news:

• VATICAN: The conclave begins on 7 May
• GERMANY: Prominent antivaxxer admits that covid vaccines had few side-effects, but he’s still completely wrong
• EU: European Commission launching new initiatives to tackle vaccine related mis- and disinformation
• SWEDEN: HPV vaccinations close to eliminate virus in Sweden
• UK: Unproven mushroom supplement – a report by Marsh

We then hand out no less than 1047 Really Right Awards to the Swedish scientists who fights back against politicians who keep dismissing their research as “opinion”.

Enjoy!

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

0:00:52 GREETINGS

• Belgian SKEPP turns 35 on 10th of May! (and Chris French will be there too)
  • SKEPP: https://skepp.be/kritisch-denken/skepp-wordt-35-en-dat-vieren-we
• Decades of skepticism in Hungary: A personal view by András G. Pintér
  • Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/two-decades-of-skepticism-in-hungary-a-personal-view/

0:09:22 TWISH – THIS WEEK IN SKEPTICAL HISTORY

• 2 May 1921: Hungarian skeptic and science communicator Aurél Ponori Thewrewk was born
  • Csillagászati Hírportál: https://www.csillagaszat.hu/hirek/egy-egyeb-temak/elhunyt-ponori-thewrewk-aurel/
  • Magyar Csillagászati Egyesület: https://www.mcse.hu/egyesulet/egyesuleti-hirek/egyesuleti-hirek-2021/hasznald-jora-mind-100-eve-szuletett-ponori-thewrewk-aurel/

0:18:05 NEWS

• VATICAN: The conclave begins on 7 May
  • the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/28/conclave-pope-vatican-cardinals
  • Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vy96pTqDUc
  • CNN: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/23/europe/cardinal-becciu-conclave-controversy-intl/index.html
  • SVT: https://www.svt.se/nyheter/granskning/svenska-gruppen-vill-stoppa-arborelius-i-pavevalet
• GERMANY: Prominent antivaxxer admits that covid vaccines had few side-effects, but he’s still completely wrong
  • Edzard Ernst: https://edzardernst.com/2025/04/germanys-anti-vaxer-in-chief-admits-there-were-few-side-effects/
• EU: European Commission launching new initiatives to tackle vaccine related mis- and disinformation
  • the Conversation: https://theconversation.com/how-a-small-vaccine-drop-could-see-measles-becoming-endemic-again-new-study-255327
  • Vaccines Today: https://www.vaccinestoday.eu/stories/eu-concerned-about-misinformation-amid-disease-outbreaks/
• SWEDEN: HPV vaccinations close to eliminate virus in Sweden
  • Sydsvenskan: https://www.sydsvenskan.se/artikel/slutspurt-for-hpv-vaccinet-kan-utrota-viruset/
• UK: Unproven mushroom supplement – a report by Marsh
  • The Skeptic UK: https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2025/04/googles-ai-promoted-unproven-mushroom-supplement-with-questionable-testimonials/

0:49:18 REALLY RIGHT

• Really Right: Over 1000 Swedish scientists demand that their research should not be dismissed as ‘opinion’
  • DN: https://www.dn.se/debatt/var-forskning-kan-inte-viftas-bort-som-asikter/

0:55:12 QUOTE AND FAREWELL

“I number believers of all sorts among my friends. Some of them are praying for me. I’m happy they wish to do this, I really am, but I think science may be a better bet.”
/ Terry Pratchett (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015), English author, humorist, and satirist, best known for the Discworld series. /

0:56:27 OUTRO

0:57:50 OUT-TAKES