On our pre-holidays show we welcome Jelena back after a bit of a hiatus, then Pontus corrects himself before we turn our skeptical ears towards fellow skeptics Dr. Gleb Tsipursky and David Fitzgerald who talk about the Pro-Truth Pledge and why Jesus probably never existed, respectively. We then finish with possibly the most relevant song about Christmas, written and performed by George Hrab.Hope you'll enjoy the show. Happy holidays, everyone! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more info...
Dec 22, 2017•1 hr 22 min•Transcript available on Metacast We start with some corrections this week before we turn towards things like Nostradamus, vaccination rates in Romania, Peter Boghossian touring Europe, German Minister of Agriculture getting threats over glyphosate, the John Maddox Prize going to HPV vaccine promoter and what happens if Portugal loses net neutrality.Unfortunately, this week's Really Wrong goes to Nobel laureate Luc Montagnier for turning antivax... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 14, 2017•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast We could not possibly fit everything into epsiode #100, so here come some more interviews from those recordings: We talk to Andreas Kyriacou, Antonia de Oñate and João Monteiro! As always, make sure you check out our event page at http://theesp.eu/events_in_europe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 07, 2017•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode:The brilliant Brian Eggo ("Eggman") joins us from Glasgow as guest host and tells all about the Skeptics in the Pub movement in the world.Then we dig into Belgian UFOs, dowsing in the UK, and how to combat fake news in Italian schools. Before we end, the "King of Germany" gets the Goldenes Bretts award, Macchiarini avoids prosecution and Italian anti-vaccers spread lies about a perfectly healthy child. Plus András goes all political.Check out Glasgow Skeptics at http://glasgowske...
Nov 30, 2017•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast This is our 100th episode!!!To celebrate, we interviewed some of the superheroes of skepticism who have already been on the show and could accept our invitation to come back for a quick update.Our guests were Gábor Hraskó, who was our guest on episode #001, Natalie Grams whose new book is out, Michael Marshall who talked about some new achievements of the Good Thinking Society, Liubomir Baburov and what's planned for the future of Ratio, Sean Slater and what to expect from Skeptics on the Fringe...
Nov 23, 2017•2 hr 40 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we talk about Massimo Polidoro’s new book, the latest Heinz Oberhummer Award and the origins of the Spanish skeptic movement, then move on to discuss Prince Charles who celebrated his birthday this week. On our news segment you’ll hear about the Advertising Standards Authority and their list of claims that chiropractors can actually make, the statement by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons condemning homeopathy while still leaving a few doors open for quackery, Spanish skeptics s...
Nov 16, 2017•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast We check out Skepticism in Latvia with an interview with Austra Muizniece who talks about the Rigvir scam. We xalso get two shorter interviews from the Ratio Conference in Bulgaria: One with Prof. Chris French who talks about his latest research on sleep paralysis and exploding head syndrom, and one with Dr Steven Goldfarb at the ATLAS Experiment at CERN and his part in the discovery of the Higgs Boson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Nov 08, 2017•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, while DenkFest and Ratio are both on, we release two interviews that Andras recorded in Zürich when they stopped there during the About Time Tour 2017 with Susan Gerbic, Mark Edward and Liubomir Baburov. But finally, we have a regular episode for you with Harry Houdini, who died on the nigth of Halloween, ComCeptCon being in the making, Norwegian TV selling prayers, deaths from chiropractic treatments miscommunicated, Natalie Grams’ new book out with the title “Gesundheit!”, a beauty ...
Nov 03, 2017•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast First we give a massive shout-out to Richard Saunders for dedicating such a great chunk of the Skeptic Zone to us winning the Ockham Awards 2017. Then you can listen to some of the interviews András recorded at CICAPfest in Cesena, Italy, while on the 'About Time Tour' with Susan Gerbic and Mark Edward.Francesco Grassi is an expert on crop circles (actually makes them) and an author of a book on the topic, Francesco Paolo de Ceglia is a science historian talking about the 'blood miracle' of Sain...
Oct 25, 2017•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast We go bonkers and enjoy QED 2017 in Manchester!www.theESP.euRüdiger Ludwig GWUP (German Skeptics) https://www.gwup.org/James Williams Email: james@talfuin.com Facebook: http://fb.me/talfuinNatalie Newell Science Moms movie: http://www.sciencemomsdoc.com/the-film.html Science Enthusiast podcast: https://www.facebook.com/ScienceEnthusiastPodcast/Geoff WhelanGreater Manchester Skeptics: http://www.gmss.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 18, 2017•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast This episode is a post-congress show that features interviews with Eran Segev, president of Australian Skeptics Inc. and Martin Mahner, who runs the office of the German skeptical organisation, GWuP.If you want to have more information on Denkfest, please check it out here: https://denkfest.ch/de/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 12, 2017•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast We have a guest on this show, Claire Klingenberg, who was the chief organiser of ECS 2017 and is the newly elected chair of ECSO.Than we talk about Marie Stopes and eugenics, the UK eliminating measles, EASAC's statement on Homeopathy and a new cancer treatment from Latvia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 07, 2017•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast We are checking in from Wroclaw, where we attended the 17th European Skeptics Congress and recorded a show sitting in a hotel room together.You can listen to a couple of our short interviews recorded during this wonderful international event with Lasek, Deborah and Daniella. More to be released with upcoming episodes.András is now on the road with Susan Gerbic, Mark Edward and Liubomir Baburov, networking across Europe with the "About Time Tour". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...
Sep 27, 2017•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Before we head out to the 17th European Skeptics Congress, we bring you news from Germany, Denmark, Italy and the UK, talk about Sigmun Freud and his weird theories. We try to find out if the world is coming to an end (again) and how fact checking can prevent elections from going off track.Also, after the Congress, Andras is going on the About Time Tour with Susan Gerbic, Mark Edward and Liubo Baburov to do some skeptical networking in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia and Hungary. Feel free...
Sep 19, 2017•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode:We tell you all about the fantastic 17th European Skeptics Congress coming up in Wroclaw in less than two weeks. Our guest is Claire Klingenberg, event manager extraordinaire from Sisyfos, the Czech Skeptics' Club.Please help funding the About Time Tour 2017 with Susan Gerbic and Mark Edward! https://fundly.com/about-time-tour-skeptical-networking-across-europeAlso, make sure you check out our event page at http://theesp.eu/events_in_europeSegmentsIntro; Greetings; Claire Kilngen...
Sep 11, 2017•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week talk about the inspiration for Mel Gibson’s the Passion of the Christ, alternative treatments in Valencia, the Heilpraktiker system in Germany, whether Down’s syndrome has been eradicated in Iceland and the new Full Fact tool. Then we dive deep into the measles epidemic in Europe and the problem of crowdfunding for cancer trips to Mexico.Segments:Intro; Greetings & Feedback; This Week in Skepticism; Skeptical News; Analysis; Really Wrong; Quote Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy fo...
Sep 04, 2017•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we start our episode with Editor-in-Chief of The Skeptic magazine, Deborah Hyde, who tells us about this year's Ockham Awards, the nominations for which are still open.https://www.skeptic.org.uk/ockham-awards-2017/vote/Then we have an interview with Prof. Susan Blackmore, who tells us about her fascinating journey from being a believer in paranormal explanations of out-of-body experiences and the like to becoming a skeptic and a popular author telling the world about the tricks of the ...
Aug 30, 2017•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast This week we're back with a regular episode and joined by Chris Higgins, who talks about SkeptiCamp Manchester. Charles Richet is our special mention on 'This Week in Skepticism'.Then we go on talking about Comité Para, bleach enema treatment on young children, how Sweden's churches are losing their peole, El Esceptico and the great organisation behind it, and how the use of alternative medicine makes you more likely to die of cancer.We also talk about the failed PSI-tests conducted in Germany b...
Aug 24, 2017•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast In anticipation of the upcoming 17th European Skeptics Congress, this week we interview philosopher and cognitive scientist Konrad Talmont-Kaminski, who will be among the speakers at this international event.Ha talks about his research into how our rational and irrational ways of thinking are all part of the same cognitive system and therefore are possible to understand.You can also hear the new ad for the other upcoming international convention: QED - Question. Explore. Discover. Hosted on Acas...
Aug 15, 2017•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week Pontus and Jelena talks about news and have an interview with the humanist Leo Igwe, speaker at the upcoming European Skeptcis Congress in Poland. Nicola Throp of the Measeyside Skeptics also comes on to tell us all about QED in Manchester in October.Leo Igwe is a skeptic and a Nigerian human rights advocate who has played leading roles in the Nigerian Humanist Movement, Atheist Alliance International and the Center For Inquiry - Nigeria. For many years he represented IHEU (Internation...
Aug 06, 2017•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode our guest was Holm Gero Hümmler, nuclear physicist, management consultant and author of the book ‘Relativer Quantenquark’. He blogs at quantenquark.com and he is one of the speakers on the upcoming 17th European Skeptics Congress in Poland in September. We discuss how ‘relativity’ and ‘quantum’ and other scientific words are misused by charlatans and the importance of proper science communication.SegmentsIntro; Greetings & Feedback; Interview with Holm Gero Hümmler; Farewell; Out...
Jul 31, 2017•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week Pontus and András are joined by Brian Eggo who sits in for Jelena while she's on a European motorbike trip.We talked about Karl Popper's philosophical system of scientific discovery, how much of what we think of suicide is actually true, why simplicity is not the ultimate goal in understanding science, how the Tories in the UK just sent a crackpot to the EP, why news regarding the dangers of chemotherapy are probably untrue, how much of the Italian demonstrations against the new vaccin...
Jul 25, 2017•1 hr 10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Unfortunately, due to all three of us hosts being otherwise engaged, we could not provide you with a show this week. But there are a few things we had to mention. Sorry and hope to have your ears next week when we're back to normal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 18, 2017•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week Jelena and Andras explore the world of skeptical conferences like CICAPFest, the European Skeptics Congress and Skeptics on the Fringe in Edinburgh.The Loch Ness Monster, the death of Ryke Geerd Hamer (NGM) are also talked about, as well as another country joining the compulsory vaccination club, cancer quack in action again in Hungary, the Familiarity Backfire Effect revised and evolution forced out of Turkey schools.Also, don't forget that nominations for the Maddox Prize 2017 are st...
Jul 11, 2017•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode our guest was Diego Fontanive, who's the founder of the EOF Project (End of Fear) that aims to understand our epistemic acceptances and apply meta-cognition in order to achieve a better understanding of our flaws, memetic choices and ways of getting it all wrong. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 03, 2017•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we talk about Swedish Skeptics treating their members to 15 tickets to the European Skeptics Congress and how we were interviewed by Skeptical Inquiry before we talk about the famous Oxford Evolution debate. Then we dive into skeptical news around Europe talking about homeopathy being debunked (which does not impress the Homeopathic World Congress), The Good Thinking Society, antivax-sentiments in Italy and Switzerland, mistletoe therapy in Austria, Chinese medicine in Hungary, 30 year...
Jun 25, 2017•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode is dedicated to our interview with Italian chemist, skeptic and paranormal investigator Luigi Garlaschelli.Andras also announces a road trip between the 17th European Skeptics Congress in Wroclaw, Poland and CICAPfest2017 in Cesena, Italy in September 2017. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 19, 2017•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we are coming back with our regular segments featuring topics like the 17th European Skeptics Congress, CICAPfest2017, James Randi's appearances in Europe, the BMJ being infiltrated by quackery, the harm in using homeopathy (for encephalitis), the latest in the fight against the anti-vaccination movement in Germany and Italy, Spanish skeptics launching a course on how to tackle pseudoscience in the information age, Portuguese skeptics launching a book on how not to be fooled, parents k...
Jun 11, 2017•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode is dedicated to our latest interview with Susan Gerbic, the Wikipediatrician, who's the leader of the international project called Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia. We talked about what's new, how people can join and help the movement and what public engagements Susan has in the coming months. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jun 04, 2017•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode brings you a lot of news and interesting topics from the world of skepticism across Europe.Firstly, please, consider helping Hayley Stevens raise money to help others attend QED 2017. Then listen to what we have to say about the Charity Commissions consultations, Evidence Matters EU, Pontus being acquainted to someone with the potential to become pope one day, a fishy vaccine study that circulates widely, Wikipedia Founder Jimmy Wales fighting fake news in his own way, All Tr...
May 27, 2017•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
