As Eggman (Brian Eggo) sits in for Andras we examine the latest news which includes Psychic Sally's taxes, the end to NHS funded homeopathy in England, Russian attitudes to conspiracy theories, the latest measles situation and more.Also the Pope gets poked about his upcoming Irish visit and Brian gets on bus 666 to Hel (sic).Segments:Intro; Greetings; This Week in Skepticism; News; Pontus Pokes the Pope: Really Wrong; Radio Ad; Farewell and Quote; Outro; Out-takes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/...
Aug 16, 2018•1 hr 10 min•Transcript available on Metacast We have good news from Ukraine, when we talk to Malek Tohme, who is starting up the Ukraine Humanist, Rationalist, Skeptic Modernists in the city of L'viv!And a special shout out to James The Amazing Randi who turned 90 on 7 August! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 08, 2018•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode you'll hear some updates on the Hungarian government's attack on science, how the antivax movement causes a lot of trouble in different countries and what we can do to counter them. We also talk about the educational projects that Spanish skeptics run, the NHS landing credit to bogus treatments, a new study showing the negative effects of taking alternative therapies, the journal Homeopathy gaining on their impact factor and the UK parliament aiming to see clearly with regards to...
Jul 31, 2018•1 hr 1 min•Transcript available on Metacast We talk with the fabulous and twice Ockham's Award winning Edinburgh Skeptics Society!Heather Pentler and Sean Slater tell us all about the upcoming Skeptics on the Fringe when there will be 23 skeptical events, every day, starting 4 August. If you have chance you should go! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 19, 2018•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we bring you stuff to think about like Eugenics, plus news and updates on the Hungarian government's attack on the freedom of science, GSoW reaching a new level of activism, legislative changes to occur in Germany regarding Heilpraktiker, Humanist weddings getting a green light in Ireland, Facebook shutting down Hungarian fake news sites, homeopaths offering their "solutions" to the problem of antibiotic resistance, nominations open for John Maddox Prize at Sense about Science, CICAPfe...
Jul 13, 2018•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast We talk to leading science and medical reporter Amina Manzoor at the largest Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter (DN). Amina Manzoor fights the good fight in the media to spread an objective and fair view on health myths, alternative "medicine" and she reports on new scientific studies in a popular way. And it works! The readers are interacting and interested!Together with her colleague Maria Gunther, Amina recieved the Swedish Skeptics' "Enlightener of the Year" award for 2016.Segments:Intro; Gree...
Jul 03, 2018•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this one we talk to Norbert Aust about the GWUP and Homeopathy Information Network 50K€ Challange. We also have lots of Skeptical news from around Europe and the Pope gets Poked (naturally), James Braid and Climate Therapy for those who feels the Climate Change is a bit depressing.Segments:Intro; Greetings; Interview with Norbert Aust; This Week in Skepticism; News; Pontus Pokes the Pope: Really Wrong; Quote; Outro; Out-takes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jun 26, 2018•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we interviewed Annika Merkelbach, who told us what’s new in Germany, how the greatest German skeptical convention SkepKon went and why the country need native speakers to join Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 21, 2018•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast We're getting our release schedule back on track, just two days after the previous episode(!).We talk about Worlds in Collision, how the infamous Andrew Wakefield study has had consequences for a whole generation borne in the late nineties / early 2000s, plus how treating cancer with homeopathy is criminal and that Hans Rosling is commemorated with an annual day.We also introduce "Pontus Pokes the Pope" as a new segment and hand out both a Really Wrong and a Really Right award.Segments:Intro; Gr...
Jun 10, 2018•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we interviewed Dutch mathematician and skeptical activist Pepijn van Erp to talk about his blog, his work at Stichting Skepsis and the Dutch skeptical magazine Skepter and all the topics that he likes to blog about. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 08, 2018•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode we start by talking mediums and frauds through the example of Colin Fry, then move on to our news items, including:- Full Fact's survey into how and why people fact-checking- A new book in Portugal to equip readers against the antivax movement- EU actions on vaccine preventable diseases- NHS West Midlands asking parents to vaccinate- The Hungarian Academy of Sciences finally taking a stand against pseudoscience- The new nonsense of intravaginal manipulations done by osteopaths- A...
May 28, 2018•1 hr 12 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we interviewed Italian skeptic and podcaster Enrico Zabeo, who's one of the founders and hosts of Radio CICAP, the official podcast for the Italian skeptical organisation CICAP. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 15, 2018•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast Andras is back to talk about CICAPfest and Massimo Polidoro's book, then Jelena brings on the topic of the Illuminati before we move on to news items including: CEASE, a collection of therapies offered by homeopaths to "cure" autism, bad journalism raising new issues with vaccination, the European Commission's proposed actions to fight preventable diseases, how dog's can not get autism, but are in danger of falling ill due to their owners' actions, Ukraine having more than 9000 measles cases in ...
May 04, 2018•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast We talk to Swedish renowned Psychologist and skeptic, Dan Katz. Dan specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and has a very cool book out which is on its way to be translated into several languages: "The Lizard in Your Head". He is also a member of the Swedish Skeptics (aka VoF)Please also check out our event page at http://theesp.eu/events_in_europemember of the Swedish Skeptics (aka VoF)Please also check out our event page at http://theesp.eu/events_in_europeSegments:Intro; Greetings;...
Apr 26, 2018•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast It was Homeopathy (and Chiropractic) Awareness Week, but wee had a lot of other stuff like anniversaries and awards to talk about on this episode, including 2 years of Information Netzwerk Homeopathie with Natalie Grams, 6 years of both ComCept running skeptical activism in Portugal and Spanish Skeptics running the show Pensando Críticamente.Also, ComCept just announced their Flying Unicorn Awards, whilst CICAP has announced that there would be a CICAPfest held this year in Padova. In France, ph...
Apr 20, 2018•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week Brian Eggo sits in for Jelena as we talk about Hungarian elections, a medium who is shocked to discover that people someimes lie, HIV deniers in Russia, Hans Rosling's last book and how Swedish authorities have been using bullshit data for years without having a clue.And of course the Pope gets a mention for getting rid of hell (or did he?).Plus, we celebrate that QED in Manchester is announced for October with The Skeptics Guide to the Universe crew, George Hrab and Helen Arney!Please...
Apr 08, 2018•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we talk to Marko Kovic, social science researcher and former President of Skeptiker Schweiz. We discuss his recent blog post "Some problems of the skeptic movement" and talk about possible ways of addressing these issues.See the show notes at:http://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/episode-118-marko-kovic.html Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 02, 2018•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we are talking about how our website got attacked by Russian users, then touch on politics before we get on to discuss great minds like the late Stephen Hawking and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.News items include those about MMS and how the Netherlands banned it, a Dutch company offering bogus bioresonance diagnostics and therapy, religion losing ground all across Europe, Doctor of Homeopathy requested to be made obsolete in Germany by Edzard Ernst et al, Spanish quacks promoting apither...
Mar 28, 2018•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Diana Barbosa is back to the show after two years to bring us up to date with skepticism related issues in Portugal. She talks about regulations regarding alternative medicine, the advance of the antivax movement, the upcoming Flying Unicorn Awards and a lot more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 21, 2018•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Pontus is finally back and goes on a rant about Lawrence Krauss' reported behaviours then we turn towards the much happier topic of new books coming out for skeptics (Steven Novella and the SGU rogues' 'The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe' and a book in Portugal bearing the title 'Science and Its Enemies'). Jelena brings up yet another woman in science before we move on to Deborah Hyde's article on a rising exorcism. Also, Information Netzwerk Homöopatie goes international thanks to Edzard Ernst...
Mar 12, 2018•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we had Ovidiu Covaciu back on the show to talk about his assessment of the situation in Romania regarding vaccinations and the spread of vaccine preventable diseases as well as things we can do to educate people into vaccinating. He also talks about his massive hit of a Facebook group where they spread correct information on vaccinations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 06, 2018•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast With guest host Claire Klingenberg sitting in for Pontus, who's on a skiing vacation, this episode brings you updates on ECSO, women in science and skepticism, how Andrew Wakefield's unveiled fraud did not stop the antivaccination movement, why fake news work and debunkings usually don't, what it would be like to have a flat Earth, Massimo Polidoro launching a YouTube series, Susan Gerbic's adventures in Europe written up as a series of articles on CSI and Albert Szent-Györgyi praising science. ...
Feb 26, 2018•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast This episode features Slovenian skeptics Maja, Nejc and Mark who run the monthly Ljubljana Skeptics in the Pub and the website skeptik.si. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 20, 2018•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast With this week's episode we bring you Sharon Hill's new book 'Scientifical Americans' and give you more information on Radio CICAP, the new podcast out there for Italian speaking listeners.You can also find that Skeptics in the Pub started 19 years ago and Poland now has a so-called 'Holocaust bill', surpressing open discussion about sensitive topics, Michael Marshall and Prof. Chris French writing about Facilitated communication on The Guardian, and you can also find out that there might be a c...
Feb 11, 2018•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Lots of news this week, the Devil's Footprints Legend and a new take on the Backfire Effect. Plus as usual a priest has been Really Wrong Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 03, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we bring you some good news about Britt Hermes' crowd funding campaign run by the Australian Skeptics, a bit of an update on LSD and what a good trip is then move on to news from Hungary, Sweden, the Ukraine, Spain and Germany with a food supplement producer being fined for false advertisement, a major anti-vaxxer and flat-earther being prosecuted for letting his own child die, measles spreading wildly both in Sweden and in the Ukraine, the launch of a project called "Science in the Pa...
Jan 28, 2018•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we bring you an interview with Britt Marie Hermes and Eran Segev regarding the lawsuit against Britt Marie. Britt Marie has been taken to court in Germany by US-based naturopath ‘Dr’ Colleen Huber, claiming that Britt has defamed her. This concerns statements Britt Marie made in a blog, in which she was critical of the medical and fundraising practices of the Naturopathic Cancer Society and the Nature Works Best Cancer Clinic (Huber is associated with both).Please also check out our ev...
Jan 17, 2018•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we make predictions regarding upcoming books by Edzard Ernst, talk about the future of fact-checking, discuss the works of Peter Boghosian, remember the father of LSD Albert Hofmann, then go on to our news items including the wrong-doings of Paolo Macchiarini, the measles epidemic in Sweden, the latest Swedish Skeptic Awards, how Facebook could be used to prevent disease outbreaks, the ‘Turmeric story’, Psiram the German wiki of irrational believes turns 10, year review of Retraction W...
Jan 12, 2018•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we are happy to bring you an interview with Brian Dunning, who's been the producer and host of the massively successful Skeptoid podcast and is currently busy with lots of different projects in skepticism, including a book in the making and the crowdfunded project of showing how media usually distorts the opinions of experts they ask and doing a documentary about that. Find out more on http://sciencefriction.tv and please consider contributing! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy fo...
Jan 05, 2018•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast In our final episode for 2017 we look back at a skeptical year in Europe. We talk about smallpox, how measles continues to spread and how a prominent skeptic becomes head of the Swedish Royal Academy of Science. We also look into Facebook's new attempt to fight fake news, how peer review punishes poor research and how Christmas decorations being removed in Italy has nothing to do with muslims.Lastly the Taoiseach in Ireland failes to take a stand against Scientology, and for that he is Really Wr...
Dec 29, 2017•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
