Podcasts about twish

… also, maybe “the Swedish Experiment” wasn't such a bad idea after all This week we start by acknowledging two skeptical initiatives: András is part of the new Hungarian podcast “Hogy is van ez?”, and SkepKon 2023 is coming up in Germany in May. Then we have two challenges for our listeners – please send in you contributions for the new segments “Word of the Week” and “Who's Quacking?”. In TWISH we hear how “America” got its name via a cartographer born in 1451, and then Pontus wishes Pope Francis would put his money where his mouth is. After that, it's time for the news: AUSTRIA: Politician's move to selling snake-oil INTERNATIONAL: COVID-19 Origin still not known UK: Prince Harry and Gábor Máté team up to promote weird shit together SWEDEN / EUROPE: Sweden had the lowest excess mortality in Europe during the pandemic Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Right; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes

We start this episode with talking about why earthquakes can not be predicted then ponder on the issues of resigning female leaders, before we move on to TWISH where this week we commemorate the 152nd anniversary of the publication of Darwin's The Descent of Man. Because Pontus is away, Pàpa Francesco (AKA Frankie) gets another week off the hook. On the news this week: UK - The first woman appointed the government's chief science adviser UK - Treasury takes back £ 1.6 billion previously promised for science GERMANY - INH publishes new article on "the memory of water" INTERNATIONAL - Cranky Uncle translation project calls for contributors in various languages AUSTRIA - Massive HPV vaccination campaign on the way INTERNATIONAL - EDMO report "From the Pandemic to the War in Ukraine: One Year and a Half of Disinformation" comes out GERMANY - The Münster Circle publishes memorandum with call for pharmacies to drop Homeopathy ISRAEL - Disinformation squad revealed by international group of undercover investigative journalists This week's Really Wrong Price goes to the German Homeopathic Doctors Association for recommending alternative products as a solution to stock shortages of real medicine. Enjoy!

… and religious zealot insists he's needed at school This week we have some listener feedback and hear about Annika's WTF project before we dive into the history of planet X. No pope today, so then we get into news: INTERNATIONAL: Macchiarini earns “expressions of concern” from the Lancet TURKEY: False images of the earthquake shared online SWEDEN: No FOIA for free schools GERMANY: Money is more important than science communication Enoch Burke, aka the Irish school teacher zealot, comes back from prison and gets his second Really Wrong Award. Will it be his last? Stay tuned! Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

… and Francis strikes against the rebel nuns of Ravello This week Brian and Pontus takes the lead and talks about the Turkish-Syrian earthquake as well as looking forward to Annika's new WTF adventure (stay tuned!). In TWISH we look at the shenanigans of Elizabeth Holmes who was born this week in 1984, while pope Frankie is busy fighting rebels nuns(!). Then we also have the news: FRANCE: Naturopathy under fire TURKEY: Did someone on Twitter predict the earthquake? INTERNATIONAL: Do face masks work? AUSTRALIA / UK: Vitamin IV drips is an expensive SCAM UK: Brexit causes collapse in European research funding for Oxbridge TURKEY: Lausanne treaty conspiracy Lots of news outlets (Euronews, Skynews, and even CNN) reported that the Earth's core has stopped spinning and for that they share this week's the Really Wrong Award. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

Rob Cesternino is joined by Jordan Kalish and Survivor 42 stars Maryanne Oketch, Zach Wurternberger and Omar Zaheer to play This Week in Survivor History! The post TWISH: Ultimate Survivor Championship appeared first on RobHasAwebsite.com.

Rob Cesternino is joined by Jordan Kalish and Survivor 42 stars Maryanne Oketch, Zach Wurternberger and Omar Zaheer to play This Week in Survivor History! The post TWISH: Ultimate Survivor Championship appeared first on RobHasAwebsite.com.

… and Frankie stands firm: no sex for gay people This week the three hosts are finally back together. We start by congratulating Edzard Ernst on his 75th birthday, yippie! In TWISH we hear about the first tele-evangelist / remote healer of Hungary before diving into pope Francis' terrible take on gay sex which for some reason is being hailed as very progressive (it is not). Then we get into the news: UK: Medical tribunal ends with 9 months ban from practicing for doctor Sarah Myhill spreading falsehoods about COVID-19 UK: Hocus Pocus – Richard Wiseman‘s new book out SWEDEN / FINLAND: Different takes on burning the Quran INTERNATIONAL: Nominations for the John Maddox Prize 2023 now open INTERNATIONAL: Transparency International finds Hungary worst for corruption in all of EU, Denmark world's best The Bnois Jerusalem Girls School in North London gets this week's Really Wrong award for teaching creationism(!) and at the same time no sex education to its students. Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

– but all's well that ends Pell This week we start by recommending that you check out Annika's Skeptical Inquirer's article about our trip down under, we hear about the Swedish Skeptic's annual awards, the Hungarian Skeptics appearance on radio and a little bit about the fascinating art of art forensics. In TWISH it's all about the high flying ancestors of Jean Luc Piccard – August and Jean Felix Piccard and the invention of the bathyscaphe and then Pontus catches up with the state of affairs in the Vatican, including the death of Cardinal Pell. After all that, it's time for the news: POLAND: Internet hoax suggests country's territorial claims live on SWEDEN: Dangerous trend of unassisted home births (aka. “freebirthing”) UK: An institution in Oxford (?) starts veterinary chiropractic course SWEDEN: Linda Karlström, antivaxxer and Confounderer of the Year 2019, sues the Swedish Government A Really Right award goes out this week to the Norwegian Authorities that very sensibly declares that the Jehovah's Witnesses are not worthy of the label ‘religion' – not a day too early. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Right; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

... and someone please tell Prince Harry to act more responsibly. This week we start by lamenting over the launch failure of Virgin Orbit from Cornwall Spaceport, then praise Wikipedia that soon turns 22 and we also have a lot to thank Susan Gerbic, the "Wikipediatrician" for. Then in Pontus' absence we leave the pope alone and turn to the News: NETHERLANDS: Alleged nazi treasure map keeps people excited HUNGARY: Far right MP appears on the pseudodocumentary 'Died Suddenly' and antivaxers promote the movie ferociously UK: Information about weird shaped waves could be yet another nail in Nessie's coffin SPAIN: Researches find correlation between conspiratorial thinking and weird myths about the causes of cancer This weeks Really Wrong Prize goes to Prince Harry for actively promoting a questionable psychotherapy and consulting a psychic to help him cope with the loss of his mother, then advertising it on his autobiography. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes

– also, never think with your royal penis! This week start with some listener feedback regarding the new Swedish Spaceport Esrange, look at the value of New Year's resolutions and discuss the crazy weather situation. In this week in Skepticism we celebrate the birth of Isaac Asimov who was born on 2 January 1920 (or was he?) and then Pontus reflects on the life and death of Joseph Ratzinger, aka. Pope Benedict XVI, aka, Senator Palpatine. Then we go through the news: INTERNATIONAL: European Humanist Federation merges into Humanists International SWEDEN: The spread of rumors of Swedish authorities kidnapping babies from all over the world RUSSIA: Russia is afraid of western psychic attacks DENMARK / RUSSIA: Danish military intelligence suggests drug-induced megalomania may have influenced Putin to invade Ukraine The Swedish King, Gustav XVI Gustaf, gets a well earned Really Wrong Award for thinking that monarchs shall have a penis. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

– also be prepared for next year's Christmas! We start by reflecting on Putin's “war” against Ukraine now that he (by accident?) admitted that that is what it is. In TWISH we hear about Vlad the Impaler (aka Vlad III or Dracula) and to what extent Bram Stoker used him as inspiration for his famous book. Also, some recent pseudohistory is making the rounds about Vlad III “Dragulya”. Pope Frankie has a new legal issue now that the Italian Senate has grown tired of his lack of action in the Orlandi case. Then we take a look at the news: NETHERLANDS: No ritual satanic abuse in NL SWEDEN: Svante Pääbo gets strange criticism INTERNATIONAL: After Christmas is before Christmas: tips for recycling SWEDEN: The King to inaugurate Europe's first launchpad for satellites We end the year by issuing a big Really Right and our deep thanks to all our listeners, patrons and supporters on Paypal. A very happy new year to you all! Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Right; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

– however, the other 1063 predictions failed This week all the hosts are back from their adventures in foreign lands to record just before Christmas. We revisit the topic of Twitter and we hear about Pontus' trip to New Zealand. After a few short interviews with skeptics in Australia we go to TWISH for the birth of Uri Geller and to the Vatican for the latest mishaps of pope Frankie. Then we turn to the news: GERMANY: Fortune teller was right – the Queen passed away SWEDEN: Woman suffers paralysis and brain damage after seeing alternative quack masseur HUNGARY: Shops of health guru closing down SWEDEN: Prison for inventor of heater that supposedly generated more energy than was put in British politicians are notoriously nuts these days, and to illustrate this fact MP Andrew Bridgen receives this week's Really Wrong Award for his covid vaccine denial. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; Interviews; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote; Outro; Out-Takes;

- with the Bent Spoon Award & a happy birthday to VoF! We start by exploring the anthroposophic connections of the Griffins, the founders of Canberra, then move on to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Swedish skeptical organisation Vetenskap och Folkbildning. Then Pontus Pokes the Pope for all the mess his minions like Becciu have caused in the Vatican Bank before we turn to the news: GERMANY: Court prohibits homeopathic manufacturer from advertising product with false health claims RUSSIA: The Duma passes law banning ‘LGBT propaganda' among adults INTERNATIONAL: Witchcraft beliefs in Europe (and around the world) surprisingly high UK: Graham Hancock rages war against the whole field of archaeology INTERNATIONAL: With Twitter's end of enforcing policy against misinformation, EU raises prospect of big fines or ban INTERNATIONAL: Measles is ‘imminent threat' globally, WHO and CDC warn This week's Really Wrong prize goes to the NHS in the UK for supporting quackery in midwifery. Finally, you can listen to two of the interviews conducted at the convention with Executive Officer of Australian Skeptics In. Tim Mendham and chief organiser of SkeptiCon 2022 Kevin Davis. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote; Interviews; Farewell; Outro

– plus, the Princess who will never be Queen – and why that's a good thing Should we all abandon Twitter and move to Mastodon? Call us contrarians, but we'll wait and see! Preparing for our Australian trip to Skepticon we may need an umbrella or two due to the severe weather, but if you are based in Europe and like to go to a great conference, why not head down to Leiria in Portugal for ComceptCon 2022 that opens this weekend! In TWISH we hear about another great Hungarian skeptic, Mihály Beck, born this week in 1929. Pope Frankie is worried about those porn watching nuns, while we just move on to take a look at the news: INTERNATIONAL: How screwed are we – any results on COP27? GERMANY: The Golden Aluminium Hat awards ceremony now online NORWAY: The Shaman's Princess leaves all her royal commitments LISTENBURG: How a fictive country was born and became viral SWITZERLAND: Nathalie wasn't a victim of ritual satanic abuse SWEDEN: Pontus Pokes the Politicians: Environment budget a disaster The Russian TV host Andrei Norkin shows how to protest without saying anything and for that he is Really Right. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Right; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

– Czech / Slovak Skeptical TV-series ‘Investigátori' renewed for second season! The gang is reunited and there's so much to talk about – memories of QED, the Ockham Award, the Rusty Razor and our upcoming Australian Tour. With sadness we note the passing of Kendrick Frazier and then we talk to Claire Klingenberg and Peter Pokorný regarding the second season(!) of their skeptical TV series ‘Investigátori‘ (‘The Investogators'). In TWISH we remember the Hungarian scientific communicator and TV personality József Öveges and then Frankie gets a poking for the latest Cardinal scandal. Then it's time for the news: INTERNATIONAL: COP27 now on! UK: Earthshot Prize announced INTERNATIONAL: Is Google funding climate change disinformation? INTERNATIONAL: Public more likely to support climate action if other countries commit as well EUROPE: Europe's unvaccinated children GERMANY: INH press Release SWEDEN: New book out by Greta Thunberg FINLAND: Change to abortion laws in Finland POLAND: Tomasz Witkowski's new book Queen Consort Camilla goes to India to cleanse her chakras and for that she is Really Wrong. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; Interview; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

– and BTW, Elvis really has left the building – no matter what psychic mediums say This week we first chat about a “psychic medium” who is friendly with Elvis and touch on the Tories in the UK who apparently is friendly with no one, not even themselves. Then Kevin Davies of the Canberra Skeptics joins us and tells all about the Australian Skeptics National Convention 2022 where we will be in December! In TWISH we hear about Tycho Brahe and his achievements and Pope Frankie is still infallible and does not take kindly to criticism. Then it's time for the news: INTERNATIONAL: Edzard Ernst‘s blog just turned 10 years old GERMANY: Cybersecurity chief turns out to have Russian ties SWEDEN: Pontus Pokes the Politicians: – What the experts say would solve the murder cases – Danish warning about prison places abroad: Don't! Swedish MD Elsa Widding of the Sweden Democrats is an antivaxxer (and not a little stupid) so she gets the prize for being Really Wrong. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; Interview; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

– and get your flu shot, people! This week the full crew is back and we urge you to take the flu seriously. We recommend a video of a presentation by Germany skeptic Amardeo Sarma about critical thinking, find out how to pronounce ‘that town' in the Netherlands and feel sad that Robbie ‘Hagrid' Coltrane passed away. In TWISH we celebrate 100 years with the BBC, and then it's time for the news: RUSSIA: The online guide Russians use to escape Putin's war GERMANY: 75-year-old conspiracy theorist woman planned to kidnap Lauterbach SWEDEN: Pontus pokes the politicians – New Government lets Sweden Democrats dictate immigration SWEDEN: Study of media use and trust during the COVID-19 pandemic shows consistency of messages is key INTERNATIONAL: Survey shows even thought threat is getting worse, concern about climate change is shrinking RUSSIA / SWEDEN: Chamber of commerce bombarded with fake Russian mails To round off, Dutch MP Thierry Baudet gets a Really Wrong Award. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

– Lauterbach takes on pseudoscience Brian Eggo steps in to save the day as he covers for both András and Annika this week. We talk about listener reactions to last week's episode and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the last of this year's Nobel prizes in the natural sciences. In TWISH we reminisce about QED 2018 as we prepare attending the next one. Pontus Pokes the Pope for his failure to handle the relations to Russia but give's him a broken clock award for taking a stand for refugees. Then it is time to look at the news: EUROPE: ECDC gets extended mandate to tackle emerging future epidemics NETHERLANDS: Court rules that Twitter has done enough to stop conspiracy theory about satanic paedophiles SPAIN: No matter what social media giants promised, Spanish disinformation is rampant RUSSIA: Russia's financial monitoring agency adds Meta to list ‘terrorists and extremists' GERMANY: Münster Circle issues Memorandum Integrative Medicine German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach gets a Really Right Award together with Edzard Ernst and Nikil Mukerji for taking a stand against homeopathy. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Right; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

– we're back in the Dark Ages We start this week with commenting on the winners of the two first Nobel Prizes this year – Svante Pääbo who won the prize in Medicine or Physiology and the trio of Aspect, Clauser and Zeilinger who shares the Physics prize. We also celebrate the first ever female European commander of the ISS, Samantha Cristoforetti, before we travel back in time with our TWISH-machine and acknowledge this week's birthday bay, Denis Diderot. Then we dig into the news: UK: The dark side of social media? The Molly Russell case UK: Children's digital resilience to be approached as a collective effort to prepare young people for the future SWEDEN: MD who assisted man to die loses his license GERMANY: Voting now open for the ‘Heroes of Facts Awards‘ UKRAINE: Four regions of the country annexed by Russia following sham referendum POLAND: New-born babies are handed over through a hole in the wall The Prize for being Really Wrong goes to Jacob Rees-Mogg, British minister of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy who has no clue about the physics of energy. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

– don't listen to the fish and chips physician This week we have several things to get through before the actual show – the Swedish Skeptics at the international book fair in Gothenburg, the Hungarian Skeptics at the upcoming HungaroCon, the new book from the SGU (The Skeptic's Guide to the Future), a listener question about organic farming and reactions to the Italian elections. In TWISH (This Week in Skeptical History) we hear about the Voronezh UFO incident. Then it's time for the news: CONFLICT IN EUROPE: Sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines – watch out for the conspiracy theories GERMANY: SkepKon 2023 – Call for papers UK / GERMANY: UK and German politicans behind American counterparts in tweeting misinformation GERMANY: Eurocom press release for the promotion of quackery SWEDEN: Pontus Pokes the Politicians: The new second vice speaker of the parliament is a science denier – do we need to name her party? UK: As was expected: government lifted ban on fracking The Award for being Really Wrong goes to German-Swedish head physician Ute Krüger, who ‘feels' that covid vaccines cause ‘turbo cancer' and the head of the medicinal region, Johan Rosenqvist, who thinks that's quite OK. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

– but at least the bees were informed of the death of their queen We're back from ESC in Vienna! Thanks to all who came up and said hi to us, that was a blast! This week we reflect on what Charles III, the king of SCAM, may mean for skepticism and what there is to say about the Swedish election results. For TWISH we get to learn about Foucault and his pendulum, a simple but brilliant demonstration of the rotation of the Earth. We leave the poking-of-the-Pope for next week and dig into the news: GERMANY: Prominent figure of New Germanic Medicine Helmut Pilhar dies UK / INTERNATIONAL: Madness around the Queen's death UK: Celebrity Russel Brand admits spreading falsehoods EUROPE: Europe's hottest summer on record RUSSIA: Anti-censorship tool lets Russians read Blocked News GERMANY: Study shows behavioral studies got the sampling all wrong FRANCE: Didier Raoult‘s lab under investigation German party FDP and airlines get the Really Wrong Award for campaigning against masks on planes. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

– and Francis flips the bird András is back and we chat about next week's upcoming European Skeptics' Congress in Vienna – the ESC, and we're looking forward to go! Mikhail Gorbachev died and we comment a bit on what he meant for Russia and the contrast Putin is compared to him. Going back to the autumns events there is also QED where the winners of the Ockham Award and the Rusty Razor will be announced. Listeners can now put in their nominations for the best Skeptical activism and the most prominent promoter of unscientific ideas, respectively. There is more developments in to last week's Really Wrong Award to cover, and breaking news! Annika has got a book out of short stories for children! (in German). In TWISH (This Week in Skeptical History) Pontus is in for a surprise, and Pope Frankie seems to have had it with Kirill's shenanigans. Then it's time for the news: ISRAEL: Antivax doctor's medical licence gets revoked SLOVAKIA: Study shows 41% of students cannot tell true online health information from fake UK: Researchers trying series of videos for inoculation against misinformation on YouTube INTERNATIONAL: Google airbrushes out emissions from flying German Green Party leader in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Lena Schwelling, thinks that homeopathy is the subject to a ‘Crusade' which makes her Really Wrong. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

– speaking of cults, Mother Teresa wasn't much of a saint Turns out the “hunger stones” found in Elbe is neither from Elbe nor this year. It's almost like you cannot trust the internet any more… Climate change is here to stay, regardless. In TWISH (This Week in Skeptical History) we hear about Mother Teresa, probably the best known modern saints of all, and we learn that she was in fact pretty mean and cruel. The guy who made her a saint (Francis) gets a poking for messing with the on-going “trial of the century” when he suddenly makes up with the main suspect Cardinal Becciu – or did he? Not even the Vatican seems to know. Also, Pontus predicts that Kirill may back out of meeting with Frankie. (BREAKING NEWS! Confirmed by orthodox official the day after the recording). Then it's time for the skeptical news: INTERNATIONAL: The cult of Ivermectin refuses to die SWEDEN: More science denial from Sweden Democrats UK: NHS Fund looking for Reiki healers RUSSIA / UK: The assassination of Darya Dugina: Which conspiracy theory to believe? The Hungarian government is at it again and their Innovation minister, Laszlo Palkovics, gets a Really Wrong Award for sacking weather chief over a storm that didn't happen. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

– nepotism, bribes and orgies in the Vatican! We start the episode with some listener feedback that led us to look a bit deeper into Mindfulness and find that it's worse than we thought. We share the sad news that the great Italian science communicator and skeptic super hero, Piero Angela, has passed away at the respectable age of 93. In TWISH we take a look at pope Alexander VI who was an intriguing figure and who also has a legacy that pope Francis has to deal with to this day. Speaking of Frankie, he really demonstrates appalling lack of leadership when it comes to the ongoing scandal in the Archdiocese of Cologne. Then we have the news: UK / US: Polio in London (and New York) POLAND / CZECHIA / GERMANY: What is killing the fish in river Oder? SWEDEN: Sweden Democrats wants to rename The Prison and Probation Service to “the Agency for Punishment” FRANCE: Homeopathy in France is in steep decline Anthroposophs in Germany gets today Prize for being Really Wrong after trying to sue critics and taking them to court. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

– a look into the Vatican's hidden finances We start by revisiting last week's sad news about Dr Kellermayr and explore the reactions of other skeptical activists. In TWISH we learn about Peter Atkins, professor extraordinaire in physical chemistry. A deep dive this week in the busines of Pope Francis, both regarding his recent apology and trip to the indigenous peoples of Canada (did he do enough?), and also then into the hidden finances of the Vatican which we suddenly know much more about than before. Then we have a look at the news: US / UK: Harriet Hall‘s children's book promotes critical thinking (with illustrations by a fan from the UK) UK / US / AUSTRALIA: Olivia Newton-John dies at age 73 – another victim of SCAM? UK: School-based Mindfulness training proves not beneficial compared to teaching-as-usual RUSSIA / UKRAINE: Anti-vax Twitter accounts pushing food crisis disinformation To round off, Viktor Orbán and his regime gets the Really Wrong Award for allowing clear-cutting of native forests in Hungary. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

– with special guests Alice and Marsh This week we have celebrity company in the form of Alice Howarth and Michael “Marsh” Marshall of Skeptics with a K fame! Before they tell all about QED in October, we chat a bit about the LHC firing up again, EU law suits against Hungary, homeopathy against the heath wave and the brand new interview with Claire Klingenberg on Skeptical Inquirer conducted by Annika. In TWISH we here about Sir Richard Owen and his role in in founding the Natural History Museum in London. Pope Frankie is going to Canada next week to make his apologies, but we suggest he bring a big bag of money as well. Then it's time for the news: INTERNATIONAL: Record child vaccinations setback, due to covid INTERNATIONAL: Stronger democracies have seen fewer excess deaths SWEDEN: Anti-vaxxer site publishes names of 800 covid-vaccinated children GERMANY: The ‘Europol ploy' that scammed thousands of Germans UK: Tory leadership contestant supporter of homeopathy SPACE: More info on space collaboration between Russia and the US Some geniuses in Switzerland called “Safe Blood” have started a campaign for people that want access to “unvaccinated blood” and for that they are Really Wrong. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; Interview; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

– propaganda is for petty dictators This week we celebrate the news of the return of QED Skepticamp, courtesy the lovely SITP online team. Space is fascinating as demonstrated by the new images from the James Webb telescope. In TWISH we also talk about space and the Apollo – Soyuz Test Project, which launched this week 47 years ago. It made us think that space was out-of-bounds for politics (ah, we were naïve…). Pope Frankie cannot help hinting that he may resign some day while still being busier than ever. Then we take a look at the news: GERMANY: Freilerner group are opening illegal schools SWEDEN / INTERNATIONAL: Conversion therapy promoted by religious global network SPAIN: Research shows that gender identity is not something that you choose UK: Nature's true value is overlooked UK: Recycling plastic doesn't work UK: BMJ article issues Vitamin D overdose warning Germanic New Medicine is both pseudoscientific and antisemitic and for that its practitioners get the week's Really Wrong Award. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

How was your day, fellow Skeptic? We're half-way to hell (666), but not only is Pontus back, but we also have that lovely Queen of European Skeptics Claire Klingenberg with us, so what's to complain about? Pontus explains why he has been absent lately and Claire talks about a very disconcerting incidence at a recent science fair. In TWISH we celebrate Newton's ‘Principia' which lay the ground for much of modern science, over three hundred years ago. The Pope gets a poking for not knowing his DNA from his ABC and then we have a look at the news: UK: One in six adults doubt human link to climate change GERMANY: Thousands could have died because of heat waves in Germany UK: Legislation aims to shield UK internet users from state-backed online disinformation NORWAY: Steep decline in the trust towards alternative medicine SWEDEN: Macchiarini gets off scot-free. Prosecution has appealed INTERNATIONAL: ECDC and WHO team up to tackle the public communication and engagement tasks related to monkeypox for health authorities Three cosmonauts get the Really Wrong Award for waving the Donetsk flag on the ISS, which should be about science and not about stupid and bloody human conflicts. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

Nope. But he gets a Really Right! We have a rare third host today! Luna is part of this episode. Starting with sad news about the Oslo shooting, we then talk about Scotland's discussion about independence. This week's TWISH congratulates Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz to his birthday on the 1st of July 1646. They discuss what a Staffelwalze is (aptly named Leibniz wheel) and András mentions important facts about the mathematician's life. The news this week were the following: GERMANY: Could Sucharit Bakhdi's professorship be revoked? INTERNATIONAL: ECDC launches online course into how to address online vaccine misinformation UK: New study into why people hear voices of the dead Today's prize for being Really Wrong would go to the US Supreme Court if we were US-based, but instead we keep up the good mood and give out a Really Right- award! Pope Francis ordered for Pope Pius XII.'s archive to be made accessible online. Pius is often referred to as the "War Era Pope" and was reluctant to interfere on behalf of persecuted people. So, for doing the right thing for once, Frankie receives this week's prize for being Really Right. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes

What is humour allowed to do? Despite us still missing a cheery Hejsan Hejsan, we are back with a new episode! We talk about Nikil Mukerji (interviewed in Episode 252), who wrote a paper about Bullshit with his colleague Adriano Mannino. If you want to meet skeptics like Nikil Mukerji, then European Skeptics Congress in Vienna is the right place for you. Early bird prices still apply until the 30th of June! Another ESC we talk about is the Eurovision Song Contest, which will not take place in Ukraine in 2023 after all. This week's TWISH celebrates Ricky Gervais' birthday on the 25th of June 1961. András and Annika discuss what jokes and humour can do to not discriminate against minorities without being censored and hence talk about the comedian's jokes in particular. (Picture credit: Wikimedia Commons; Raph_PH 2019). The news this week were the following: INTERNATIONAL: European researchers are critical about UN sustainable development goals INTERNATIONAL: Only 1 in 20 medical treatments have clear benefits supported by evidence ITALY: Weird consequence of climate change: stuff emerging from the depth of Po River HUNGARY: Former performer, who sells food supplements gets investigated by Competition Authority We have criticized Prince Charles before. For his blatant promotion of So Called Alternative Medicine, he receives this week's prize for being  Really Wrong. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes

András and Annika are back and tell us all about upcoming events! The European Skeptics Congress in September in Vienna is sure exciting to go to, as is QED in October in Manchester! To round our number of conferences up, we have also been invited to go to Australia! Check your drop bears! To celebrate this momentous chain of events, we issue a competition: If you can meet us at all three conferences, we will give you a beer (or beverage of your choice)! Come see us! In TWISH András tells us all about Padre Pio (Picture credit: Manfrediona // After Elia Stelluto), who got canonised on 16th of June 2002. Then, we hop over to the news: UKRAINE: A polio outbreak further threatens the war-stricken country INTERNATIONAL: EP fails to pass key climate proposal INTERNATIONAL: Covid-19 conspiracy theories associated with depression INTERNATIONAL: Documenting and responding to climate dis- and misinformation at COP26 UNITED KINGDOM: Scotland and UK government split over GM food AUSTRIA: The real dangers of homeopathy - a case study! To talk more about So Called Alternative Medicine we talk about lobbying for quackery and hand out a Really Wrong Award to EUROCAM. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes

Frankie appoints a carnival of Cardinals András is back and tells us not how to stand on a volcano, we have some listener feedback about YouTube banning videos and the QED conference release their tickets on 13 June. Mark you calendars for 28-30 October! We then interview Jelena Lenka Příplatová from the Czech Skeptics (Český klub skeptiků Sisyfos) about their Erratic Boulders Awards the was announced on 27 May. In TWISH we celebrate the founding of the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences way back in 1739(!). Pope Frankie breaks the rules and elevates 21 of his closest cronies to be cardinals. Then, we look into the news: INTERNATIONAL: Is monkeypox a Covid vaccine side effect? POLAND: Country offers free vaccinations to Ukrainian refugees, but uptake is low GERMANY: More bad news for homeopaths INTERNATIONAL: Humanity faces a new era of risks GERMANY: Fake doctor sentenced to life in prison INTERNATIONAL: New tool: Retraction Watch Hijacked Journal Checker UK: Edzard Ernst appointed member of the Academy of Europe We feel all positive for once and hand out a Really Right Award to the plans of reducing Sweden's CO2 emissions by 3% by 2030. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; Interview; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Right; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

Nessie is back – unless the camera is on Ukraine wins the Eurovision Song Contest and Putin is not happy about it. On the other hand the other ESC – the European Skeptics Congress – should make everybody happy! Register now! Guerilla Skepticism on Wikipedia, GSOW, is a great thing and Annika celebrates five years on the team. In TWISH we learn about Heinz Oberhummer who was born this week in 1941 and the Pope has a bunch of cardinals in trouble so he has replaced the communion wine with tequila. We instead stay sober and check out the news: UK: Wanna expose liars? Get them distracted SCOTLAND: Daily Mail report on the latest ‘sighting' of Nessie? GERMANY: Hygiene Museum in Dresden dedicates exhibition to Fake News SL, the Stockholm local train service, is in cahoots with Scientology and for that they are Really Wrong. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

Covid death toll is more likely 15 million according to WHO Annika is back! and after discussing stupid Putin and his failed war a little, we turn our focus to space. We look towards the black hole in the Milky Way to get as far away as possible and yes, Norway really has this very special space programme about fish in space. In TWISH (This Week in Skeptical History) we revisit the legend of the Apparitions of Our Lady of Fàtima since it all started this week in 1917. No pope today, so instead we travel on right into the news: INTERNATIONAL: European populism linked to vaccine hesitancy, but more research is needed INTERNATIONAL: Almost 15 million excess deaths due to covid HUNGARY / V4: Coordinated online troll activity detected in relation to the war in Ukraine HUNGARY: Fidesz supporters prefer Putin to western political leaders – Survey EUROPE: WHO to bring the Europe region closer to a cervical cancer-free future – with HPV vaccines UK: Why girls don't necessarily choose to pursue studies into physics This weeks Really Wrong Award goes to ‘Antroposophian' Harad Matthes who went on television claiming to ‘prove' severe risks with covid vaccines when in fact he is just a crank. The TV network MDR also gets a prize for giving him a platform. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes

Russia takes post-truth to new levels Mostly bad news this week, but on the bright side we have The Skeptic's Guide soon to come out with their new book The Skeptic's Guide to the Future (pre-order it now!) and the upcoming European Skeptics Congress in Vienna. See you there! This week we celebrate Sir David Attenborough‘s 96th birthday and we take a look at Pope Francis and his dealings with the other “Pope”, Patriarch Kirill, also known as Putin's altar boy. Then we go through some news: RUSSIA: Russian long-term recruitment programme disguised as education INTERNATIONAL: Measles is the new-old threat UKRAINE: The fake news factory on this side of the fence… SPAIN: Families in despair over IM Academy: ‘The crypto-sect has kidnapped our children' INTERNATIONAL: Hepatitis cases cause for concern – and the disinformation factory keeps rolling SWEDEN: Macchiarini trial started this week – Procecution says surgery was experimental, cruel, and against all science and evidence UK: GCSE in Natural History announced and brings hope for environmentalism Pontus gets really angry with Putin's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov this week and hands him a hard Really Wrong Award. There's also a “Bonus Bad Award” to the Russian propaganda machine that implies that Swedes are Nazis. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

In other news, don't leave a mark on your pyjamas In Hungary they are busy preparing for the flat Earth awards and András will be one of many excellent speakers at SkeptiCal in California. Here in Europe you should still sign up for the European Skeptics Congress! This week sees the birthday of “the Iceman”, Wim Hof. Don't fall for his pseudo-nonsense. Nonsense is also rampant in the Archdiocese in Cologne but Pope Frankie is saying ‘la-la-la' and looking the other way. Then, of course we have the news: GERMANY: Radical covid antivaxxers planned to kidnap German health minister GERMANY: EU survey of attitudes towards vaccination UKRAINE: So, what happened to ‘the Moskva'? UK / ITALY: Guy doesn't believe shroud of Turin is forged, willing to pay £1 million for proof INTERNATIONAL: Boiron sued by the Center for Inquiry Danish so-called ‘politician' Rasmus Paludan stirs up riots in Sweden by burning the Quran and for that he, as well as the rioters, are Really Wrong. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

Zelensky is not Soros' cousin We remind you again to sign up for the European Skeptics Congress! It's going to be great! In other news, Darwin's iconic ‘evolution as a tree'-notebook has been mysteriously returned which is good news in a pink bag. Our notes on conversion therapy last week got some terfs really upset on Twitter, but of course they get it all wrong. For TWISH we celebrate the birth of Christiaan Huygens, a true spirit of the enlightenment already in the 17th century. No poking this week, so we then dive into the news: INTERNATIONAL: Homeopathy Awareness Week UKRAINE: Zelensky not related to Soros INTERNATIONAL: Pinterest to ban climate misinformation UK: Anglo-European College of Chiropractic offering MSc course To round off, the charity organisation ‘Thinking Autism' promotes CEASE therapy and anti-vaxx nonsense and so they get his week's Really Wrong award. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

Tickets released for the European Skeptics Congress! Sign up! The Hungarian elections did not go well and that's not a political statement but a skeptical one. Propaganda is everywhere, but we put our hopes in the European Skeptics Congress in Vienna in September. We will be there and we count on all of you to be there too! Chris French is the topic for TWISH (happy birthday, Chris!) and the Flat Earth award is coming up in Hungary. Pope Francis makes a decent apology but the legal stuff is yet to come. Then we have a look at the news: UKRAINE: Russia ‘allegedly' guilty of massacre in Bucha? RUSSIA: Does Putin use alt med? INTERNATIONAL: Study – mitigating climate change wouldn't hurt economies UKRAINE: Chernobyl – Russian troops on a suicidal mission? PORTUGAL: And the Flying Unicorn flies to… PORTUGAL: Nominations for next year's award are now open UK: Conversion therapy in the UK banned – but not for all INTERNATIONAL: Snopes' plans for the year ahead Meta seems to be out to collect as many Really Wrong Awards they can get theirs hands on and we are here to please. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Charities For Ukraine; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

Blast from the past: Nobody Silences Simon Singh! The Hungarian election is coming up, with a lot of Russian propaganda polarizing the public. In TWISH we remember the legal decision that cleared up how “happily promoting bogus claim” was a fair statement by Simon Singh against the British Chiropractic Association. Pope Francis will finally meet up with Canadian Indigenous delegations this week, but will they finally get their apology? Then we have the news: RUSSIA: Country's scientists are to stay put HUNGARY: Pre-election state propaganda worsened by anti-Ukrainian sentiment INTERNATIONAL: Low vaccine uptake in Ukrainian population might be risk factor with refugees RUSSIA: People turning to VPNs to access band websites and content on the internet RUSSIA: New developments in support of accident theory regarding Dyatlov Pass Incident GERMANY: Homeopathy contracts cancelled in Bremen The Heilpraktiker system in Germany gets this week's Really Wrong award. Come on, Karl Lauterbach, you can fix this! Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

Don't stare into the Sun! Both of the Earth's poles are going through extreme weather at the moment. Does that mean the end of the planet is already here? In TWISH we hear about Mussolini's rise to power and potential parallels to current world events. Pope Francis is said to take a stand against Russia, but we are not convinced. Then we have the news: EUROPE / SPACE: Russian cosmonauts dressed in colours of Ukrainian flag? – European Mars mission on hold as a result of cutting ties with Roscosmos – OneWeb turns towards Space-X RUSSIA: TikTok directs users to fake news about Ukraine war RUSSIA: Putin's war propaganda becomes ‘patriotic' lessons in Russian schools SCOTLAND: Late apology for witch-hunt cases PORTUGAL: Voting is open for the Flying Unicorn Awards INTERNATIONAL: BMJ paper assesses publication bias in Homeopathy-related articles There are a lot of anti-abortion nuts in Poland ready to harass Ukrainian refugees and all of them share this week's Really Wrong award. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

Don't lose yourself in the bad news Lots of bad news out there at the moment but try to not let it get to you. A Ukrainian drone flies all over Hungary undetected, some European leaders take the train to Kyiv and even in space, tension is mounting. This week is the celebration of the Hungarian revolution of 1848 but there's a lot of misconceptions about it. Francis tries to do good but fails to impress. After that, we take a look at the news: INTERNATIONAL: Doomscrolling is becoming a serious concern RUSSIA: The power of state-controlled media RUSSIA: TV employee's attempt to let people know the truth RUSSIA: Family members go head to head over different views on war against Ukraine RUSSIA: What do Russians think of the war? INTERNATIONAL: Estimating excess mortality from COVID-19 UK: Homeopathy as protection from radioactivity? INTERNATIONAL: The biggest increase in CO2 emissions ever FRANCE: French skeptics' questionnaire to presidential candidates answered The Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill thinks “Ukrainian Nazis” deserve what they get because they do not discriminate enough, and for that he is Really Wrong. Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

War and anti-vaxxers We comment on some aspects of the war and also how you can best send help. In TWISH we celebrate good skeptic Massimo Polidoro and then we poke Pope Francis, whose buddy was just sent to jail for sex abuse. After that, we have the news: UKRAINE: The latest disinformation trends RUSSIA: Why has the letter Z become the symbol of war for Russia? RUSSIA: Lawmakers approve decision to imprison anyone contradicting government propaganda UKRAINE: Putin's denazification campaign ends up destroying holocaust memorial INTERNATIONAL: Lancet study of 300 million administered doses: mRNA vaccines are safe and side effects mild HUNGARY: Centre for Social Research – Study on vaccinated vs unvaccinated population reveals interesting facts HUNGARY: New study estimates just how profitable being and anti-vaxxer can be Danderyd Hospital in Sweden gets this week's Really Wrong Award for allowing nonsense in their post-covid treatment program. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

Also, Benedict works in mysterious ways We talk about the great new CFI fellows announced, wonder what happens to Ukraine (please note that we recorded this episode one day before the invasion…) and welcome the fact that the Philippines plan to roll out production of Golden Rice. In TWISH we hear about Gutenberg and his bible that was published this week way back in 1455. Pontus pokes both popes and then we look at the news: FRANCE: Djokovic keeps being wrong… GERMANY: Association of Catholic Doctors and homeopathic conversion therapy INTERNATIONAL: Scientists call for science collaboration to be put before politics INTERNATIONAL: New study: The Einstein Effect – how people believe weird shit if they think it was said by scientists EUROPE: Black death not as devastating all over Europe as previously thought? UPDATE FROM LAST WEEK: Great response to call for skeptical translators! Join them! Meta gets today's Really Wrong Award for keep saying that they don't allow misinformation when in fact they promote it, and the Swedish authorities gets a Really Right for regulating health claims on supplements and food. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Popes; News; Really Wrong / Really Right; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

Edzard Ernst joins us to tell all about his new book. Before we get into the interview with Edzard Ernst we are a bit nostalgic about hearing that the end of the ISS is getting closer. András has an update to the Favipiravir controverse from last week and then we get to hear from the horses mouth how Prince Charles became the ‘Alternative Prince'. IN TWISH we learn about Dmitri Mendeleev and his periodic table. After that, we get into the news: SWEDEN: Agency to tackle foreign misinformation re-established ROMANIA: 2/3 people believe COVID was imposed on the world by global elite for control, 1/3 thinks microchips are being implanted with vaccination SWITZERLAND: Man in Geneva hears God after antibiotic treatment INTERNATIONAL: Cranky Uncle game now available in Dutch and German Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; Interview; TWISH; News; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

We are all animals Annika is back in Europe and for unclear reasons we may all move to an uninhabited island in Sweden (don't hold your breath). The German Informations­-Netzwerk Homöopathie (INH) is sending an open letter to the new German health minister Karl Lauterback – we should all retweet about this to make sure he reads it! In TWISH we hear about how one of the worst fraudulent scientific(?) papers ever, authored by Andrew Wakefield, was finally retracted in 2010. No pope to poke today, so we then head for the news: EUROPE: WHO – 732 days in 15 figures EUROPE: WHO – End of pandemic in sight? FINLAND: Biodiversity-loss denial is the new craze? HUNGARY: The Hungarian Medicines Agency files official complaint over misleading claims about Favipiravir GERMANY: The bright side of having pseudosciences around? UK: Measles warning for children as jab rate falls in England UK: People's preference for honesty is key for a working democracy Several awards to hand out today: Eric Clapton gets a dishonorable mention, the Polish PiS-party get a repeat prize and the German Catholic Church gets a brand new Really Wrong Award for persecuting and harassing their own people for their sexual orientation. Journalist Hajo Seppelt gets a Really Right Award Award for his documentary “Wie Gott uns Schuf”. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; News; Really Wrong / Really Right; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

Djokovic wrong again, and both popes get poked We start with the fact that everyone and his uncle seems to have covid nowadays, and access to testing is hard. As mentioned last week, the episode of the Skeptic Zone with Pontus is now out. In other news anti-restriction demonstrations are all around and the Nazis somehow always seem to show up. In TWISH we learn about the birth in 1900 of Theodosius Dobzhansky, who was very important for the field of evolutionary biology. Double whammy for the popes this week, both Benedict and Francis have some explaining to do as Pontus Pokes the Popes. Then we look into the news: CZECH REPUBLIC: Folk singer Hana Horka dies after catching COVID intentionally UK: Link found between trust in public figures and vaccine hesitancy GERMANY: Many lost faith in God over pandemic UK: Prof Sir Paul Curran Award for Excellence in Academic Journalism 2021 goes to Caitjan Gainty We end with another double hitter when Novak Djokovic gets the first ever twice-in-a-row Really Wrong Award. His friend Zlatan Ibrahimovic share in on the shame. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Popes; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;

No mercy for No-vaxx Djokovic Sweden had some unusual northern lights last weekend (which Pontus missed) and the Tonga volcanic eruption had an impact on Annika's plans. Don't miss Pontus on next week's Skeptic Zone with Richard Saunders! In TWISH we hear about Baron d'Holbach who created an important encyclopedia and organised great Skeptics in the Pub meetings back in the 1700s. Pope Francis hates that people are getting pets instead of generating new baby Catholics, totally missing the irony of himself opting out of parenthood. Then we take a look at the news: EUROPE: Increase in attacks against journalists for reporting on COVID ITALY: Nurse in Palermo arrested for administering fake jabs WORLD: 2021 was the fifth warmest year on record INTERNATIONAL: YouTube called on by factcheckers to tackle misinformation INTERNATIONAL: Homeopaths urging WHO to begin training homeopaths SWEDEN: Tik Tok – Children get bombarded with news of imminent Russian invasion SWITZERLAND: Publisher Frontier in crisis? UK: Edzard Ernst did it again… new book coming! Novak Djokovic is this week's Really Wrong Award winner for his covid pass shenanigans and anti-vaxx nonsense. Enjoy! Segments: Intro; Greetings; TWISH; Pontus Pokes The Pope; News; Really Wrong; Quote And Farewell; Outro; Out-Takes;