This is the first “regular episode” for a while and of course we cannot help to mourn  the stupid results of the US elections . But since this is a European show we cannot let that stop us, so after a  TWISH  story of how  Charles Darwin , 130 years after his death, gained over 4000 votes in the elections in the  US state of Georgia , it’s time for the news: BULGARIA / NOR...

A longer episode this week, jampacked with  interviews from QED!  One of the marvelous things with conferences (don’t forget about the upcoming  Skepticon XL in Sydney !) is that you meet so many fantastic people. We tried to capture a little of that feeling by recording a bunch of interviews, so tune in to hear from  Clio Bellenis, Diana Barbosa, João Monteiro, Igor Stroev, Da...

We celebrate our  450th episode  (wow!)  live at QED 2024  (wow!!!) with the help of  Brian  and  Claire ! We also get special greetings from  Annika  and  Jay Novella , who unfortunately could not attend. A slightly different format due to the occasion, but of course we have the news, which this time has the (not so) cheerful theme of  R...

Lot’s of  listener feedback  in this episode which is delightful! Pontus explains whether there was a scandal concerning  the Sami peoples  at  the Gothenburg Book Fair  and we prepare for this weekend’s  QED ! Speaking of which, this is what we also talk about in  TWISH  this week. Then, as always, the news: THE NETHERLANDS : Meester Kackadorisprijs aw...

In both Annika's and Pontus' absence, this week András interviews the "Fairy Godmother" of the show, psychic investigator & debunket, "master puppeteer" and tireless leader of the Secret Cabal (and the About Time Project) that is the international Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia  Susan Gerbic.  We talk about Mark Edward's legacy, how to start a SkeptiCamp in your local area, and wh...

András is back in good form and we start with a report from the  Swedish Skeptics  at the  Gothenburg Book Fair  – real life  astronauts  where involved! A little  listener feed back  and then we go to  TWISH  to hear about German R&B Singer and conspiracy theorist  Xavier Naidoo . Then it’s time for the news: SWEDEN : Secret Service confi...

This week we interview good friend and podcast colleague  Richard Saunders . We talk about  skeptical activism  in general and Richard’s podcast  the Skeptic Zone . We also hear all about the upcoming  Skepticon XL in Sydney 23 -24 November . Enjoy! Segments : 0:00:27 Intro 0:00:50 Greetings 0:00:53 Interview 0:27:25 Farewell 0:31:11 Outro 0:32:25 Outtakes https://theesp.e...

We start with some follow up from last week –  Edward Bach  is pronounced [batch], and we have some more thoughts on if  plants can really appreciate music . In  TWISH  we celebrate(?) the birthday of  Sally Morgan (‘Psychic Sally’)  and find her neither convincing nor a nice person. Then we dig into the news: INTERNATIONAL : Ig Nobel prize winners 2024 FRANCE :...

With an episode number like this, we have to start out with some  numerology .  Annika  will be more off than on for a while and the promised  record heat in Sweden  actually delivered. In  TWISH  we hear about the sci-fi / philosophical writer  Stanisław Lem  who was born this week in 1921. Then we head for the news: SWEDEN : Music makes cucumbers happ...

In TWISH this week we hear about August Kekulé, the French organic chemist who redefined his disciplin in the mid 1800s. The we go into the news: INTERNATIONAL : Scammers in the Moonlight – Real vs. fake Tarot readers on social media FRANCE : Imane Khelif files lawsuit over cyber-harassment, names JK Rowling and Elon Musk AUSTRIA / THE NETHERLANDS : Climate communication works! ITALY : Shroud of T...

Before we go into today’s interview, we elaborate a little on last week’s TWISH about the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, adding a bit more details. Then we have a great chat with  Algimantas Kvecys  who is the chair of  Lietuvos skeptikų draugija , the  Society of Lithuanian Skeptics . Enjoy! https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-442.html Segments: 0:00:31 Intro 0:00:55 Greeti...

QED  is getting a little bit closer and a really good idea is to  sign up as a volunteer ! Not only will you help creating the skeptical event of the year, it is also a great way to make new friends and become a little “VIP” at the same time. This week saw a “ full true blue supermoon ” – check out which part of this is nonsense and which parts that are real astronomy. In  TWISH&nbs...

We start with a follow-up on the  UK riots  and the disinformation that triggered them. Regardless of this we look forward to going to  QED  where the  Ockham Awards  will be announced.  The nominations are now open!  See link in the show notes. In  TWISH  we hear about how it wasn’t that long ago that  Joseph Lister  performed the first&...

We start out with the sad news that  Mark Edward  has passed away. Mark was a mentalist, an author, and an active skeptic. Mark, sometimes with with his partner (and good friend of the show)  Susan Gerbic , investigated many paranormal claims and exposed psychic frauds. He will be long remembered and missed by the skeptics movement. After some listener feedback and catching up, we g...

The three of us are (sort of) together again, so after the customary greetings, András joins us with  Adrienne Hill  all the way from Canada (Sparky studios?!) for a prerecorded chat. In  TWISH  we hear about how  Adolf Hitler  secured his  position as Führer , which is scary since the tactics of modern would-be-dictators have not changed that much. Then we take...

Thirty-two years ago this week  the Vatican  tried to explain why  discrimination against gay people  is not  really discrimination. That's basically still their position today, which we hear about in this week's  TWISH . Then we have quite a few news items to go through: SWEDEN : Swedish telecom companies have blocked more than 50 million scam calls in 2024 INTERNATI...

Just the boys this week and we have a lot to talk about –  climate change  (András needs a new job),  Türkiye vs. Turkey ,  Dutch vacations ,  homeopathy ,  Skeptical Science , and even some politics. In  TWISH  we hear about the skeptical priest  Giuseppe Piazzi  who discovered  Ceres , the first asteroid ever detected. Also, if you catch thi...

Some listeners have started to join our  Discord  – why don’t you do that do! In the news today: TURKEY : Turkey revokes radio station’s license for discussing Armenian genocide UK : Ultra-processed food fear – simply the next big nutritional moral panic? SPAIN : HIV patients often take other SCAM that interfere with their treatments The Church of England  has plans to  evangel...

To start out we nerd out a bit about how to say  ‘hello’ in Hungarian , launch the  new ESP Discord thread  and give a shout-out to  Malmö Pride  where people can team up with Pontus to fight against prejudices at Malmö Pride. In  TWISH  we for once hop across the pond to explain the origin of so-called  Barnum statements . Then it’s time for the news: EU :...

The band is back together for the first time in months! First we mention an important (but likely depressing) new book documenting  Catholic child sex abuse . In  TWISH  we look back at  the Brexit referendum  and analyze why it went so terribly wrong, and then it’s time for the news: SWEDEN : Swedish EU election trends were a bit different GERMANY : New publication out on...

Annika and András talk a bit about the  EP elections  again, mostly reacting to listener feedback. We also mention the Belgian skeptical organisation SKEPP's Skeptical Awards and in  TWISH  we commemorate evolutionary biologist, humanist, eugenicist and internationalist extraordinaire  Sir Julian Huxley . Then in the news: SCOTLAND : Parliament votes to implement abortion...

In Pontus' absence we talk a bit about  EP elections  and in  TWISH  we commemorate the Italian heroine of science and skepticism  Margherita Hack . Then it is time to check out the news: UK : Zero hour for climate action NORTHERN IRELAND : NI Assembly passes motion to ban conversion therapies INTERNATIONAL : Edzard Ernst finds SCAM research to be in decline INTERNATIONAL...

Pontus comes back from the  European Skeptics Congress  with  a new title , applications to talk at  Skepticamp QED  is now open and  Evidence Week  is postponed by  UK elections . In  TWISH  we hear about  James Hutton , the father of modern geology, and then it is time to check out the news: INTERNATIONAL : The Catholic church’s first ‘mille...

We start with some  listener feedback  and also worry if  Neil DeGrasse Tyson  and his  Star Talk  show are falling for some alternative medicine. On the good side  Skeptical Science , led by  John Cook , is continuing their quest for science literacy and has a  new online quiz  you can take to check your “bullshit detector”. In  TWISH  w...

In Pontus' absence Annika is back for a quick visit before her planned return next month. We mention the terrible assassination attempt against Slovakian prime minister  Robert Fico  and how it's a new source of fake news. On  TWISH you can hear about  Franz Anton Mesmer,  who was the foremost proponent of "animal magnetism". Then, we look at the news: GERMANY:  GWUP...