2025  was the  third hottest year on record , but that hardly even makes the news. In  TWISH  we hear about the science communicator  Jacob Bronowski , and then it’s time for the news: VATICAN / RUSSIA / USA : The Vatican offered Maduro safe way to Russia SWITZERLAND : Erich von Däniken dead at 90 AI : Followup from last week: Google removes some AI overviews EU : Authorit...

We have to rant about  Trump and Venezuela  for a bit, but to take our minds off that, we turn to  TWISH  and hear about the  discovery of the Galilean moons , found by (who could have guessed?)  Galileo . Then it’s time for the news: UK : Google AI Overviews put people at risk of harm with misleading health advice HUNGARY : University of Pécs course on gene therapies...

Welcome to the new year!  Obviously we start with some  reflections on 2025  and we also give a shout-out to  Haley Stevens  and her article about  Wikipedia  in  the Skeptic UK . In  TWISH  we learn that the practice of  New Year’s resolutions  is ancient although each resolution seldom lasts longer than a week or two. Then we look...

Merry Christmas everyone!  This is an episode unlike any other in the ESP history, hope you will enjoy it! See you again in 2026! Segments : 0:00:27 INTRO 0:00:50 GREETINGS 0:05:11 FACT CHECKERS 0:08:39 REASON TELLS 0:12:11 FAREWELL 0:14:11 OUTRO  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s  TWISH  we take a look at the most skeptical saint,  Doubting Thomas  – not that we feel that he got everything right. In the news today we take a look at the following: INTERNATIONAL / SWEDEN : Rising nicotine addiction in teens HUNGARY : GP about to leave practice due to harassment from antivaxxers SWEDEN : Breast cancer patients turn away from conventional tre...

Rage bait  is the  Oxford Word of the Year  and that cannot be a a good sign of the times we live in. In  TWISH  we acknowledge the genius of  Ada Lovelace  while recognizing that she had some flaws as well, especially when it came to  phrenology  and  mesmerism … Then we take a look at the news: EU : Proposal to allow plants modified using CRISPR...

We discuss  science communication  by the  ECDC  re  vaccinations  and have some  listener feedback about Dr Who , before with dive into  TWISH  which this week is about a pioneer of modern chemistry,  Martin Heinrich Klaproth . Then of course, there’s the news: INTERNATIONAL : E-trade via dropshipping – the scam has many levels UK : ChatGPT’s dang...

We start by noting that  COP30  was pretty disappointing although we are not too surprised. On another, more positive side,  Michael Frass ‘ terrible study claiming that homeopathy can help in cancer treatment  finally has been retracted!  Also, get your  flu vaccines , everyone. In  TWISH  we hear how  António Egas Moniz  invented lobotomy and was...

This week celebrates the launch of  Dr Who  way back in 1963, the longest running TV-show in history, and a special favourite for many skeptics. For the news we look into the following: INTERNATIONAL : Updated evidence for Covid-19, RSV, and influenza vaccines HUNGARY : Parliament votes to issue general ban on artificial meat products RUSSIA / UKRAINE : Every fifth Russian believes the s...

James Watson  died, and brilliant as his contribution to science was, he also had some very  problematic views  on race and women. The  Church of Scientology  seems to be in decline even if they try their best to deny it, claiming huge (but questionable) numbers on their  recent big conference . We are happily surprised to see a  very nice article  about our...

We’re back home after  QED  and boy was it great! Last one, we know, but next year will see  the European Skeptics Congress in Liverpool  and it will largely be following the template of QED.  Save the dates, 16-18 October 2026! We note the lessons learned from  hurricane Melissa  and in  TWISH  we hear about two milestones of European history,  th...

Note!  You can find the video of this live recording  here  on our Youtube channel! (special thanks to the fantastic SitPO team for the video!) We were  live from QED!  Best time ever! Joining us for the recording were the fabulous  Claire Klingenberg ,  Deborah Hyde  and  Brian Eggo , as well as huge crowd of happy QED attendees. We had a  TWISH &...

Warming up for  QED , we dive directly in to  TWISH  and talk about – QED(!) and how this weekend will be an historic event as the last one of them all. We’re going to make the most of it! But before we pack our bags, we have some news to talk about: UK : The Conversation seems to endorse spiritual psychic meetings AUSTRIA : Finalists of the Golden Board in Front of the Head announc...

To begin with with remember  Jane Goodall  and we mark that the Dutch  Master Kackadoris Award  has been awarded to the  VU University of Amsterdam  – serves them right! In  TWISH  we hear about the adoption of  the Gregorian calendar  in 1582 (in some places much later!) and then, we dig into the news: INTERNATIONAL : Shingles vaccination associat...

It’s official boys and girls, we made it to  Episode 500 ! We celebrated this with a live recording and joining us  from all over the world  were a whole bunch of the best skeptics you can imagine:  Michael Marshall, Chris French, Claire Klingenberg, Susan Gerbic, Deborah Hyde, Adrienne Hill  and  Richard Saunders . Good friends all!  Annika Harrison  and&nb...

Next week  we’ll livestream our 500th episode  (but stick around for this one first!), and also we remind all  non-UK QED participants  to  get their ETAs  before they go to Manchester later this month. In  TWISH  we learn about  Alice Stewart  and her work for awareness of the  risks with radiation . Then we go to the news: INTERNATIONAL : No...

Swedish glaciers are disappearing  and in  TWISH  we hear about the triumph for science when  discovering Neptune . After that, it’s the news: INTERNATIONAL : This year’s Ig Nobel prizes FRANCE : Macrons finally push back on rumors regarding first lady’s gender UK / INTERNATIONAL : Does solving puzzles prevent dementia? EU : Meta and Google to block political ads under new regu...

Make sure to check out  András' Skeptics in the Pub Online talk  next week on 25 September! In TWISH we meet  Ötzi the Ice Man , and a mystery death from 5300 years ago and a invaluable source of archeological science. Then we look to the news: ALBANIA : Albania appoints AI-created ‘minister’ ITALY : Arson attack in Sardinia linked to climate misinformation SWEDEN : Princess Madelei...

In the Netherlands ,  trust in science is increasing  which is unexpected good news. We have some thoughts on the  election results in Norway , plus you can now hear us  on YouTube ! In  TWISH  we hear about a  close encounter in France  and then it’s time for the news: INTERNATIONAL : Microdosing on weight loss drugs neither proven safe nor effective GERMAN...

After some  listener feedback  regarding  green energy  and Pontus reporting back from Lithuania, we go to  TWISH  where we hear about  Wilhelm Ostwald , one of the fathers of physical chemistry. Then, we get to the news: UK : MHRA is cracking down on unlicensed anti-wrinkle products after spate of botulism IRELAND : Equal Memory Fallibility in ‘He Said, She Said...

We’re already looking forward to QED and nominations for  the Ockham Awards  are still open – if you know someone who deserves it nominate them! After some  listener feedback  we go to  TWISH  and hear about the  Swing Riots . Then, it’s time for the news: EUROPE : Spread of mosquitoes in Europe UK / EUROPE : Country on a bumpy road of climate U-turns… SWEDEN / I...

In  TWISH  this week we look into the achievements of  James Watt  who made  a whole lot of things , despite  not inventing the steam engine . Then of course, there’s the news: ITALY : Government reverses appointment of vaccine hesitant members to National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group ITALY : The Natural Trap: How Conspiracy Beliefs Shape Our Health Choices S...

Ever realized that there are  three types of conspiracy theorists  and a  clear link between them and terrorism ? Catch the new book by  Steen Svanholm  and  Claus Larsen  and hear them talk about their findings in this week’s interview! Enjoy! https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-492.html Segments : 0:00:27 Intro 0:00:49 Greetings 0:02:56 Interview 0:52:4...

We’ve got some  listener feedback  about the popularity of  lie detectors in Ukraine , and in  TWISH  we hear about the man behind the number,  Amedeo Avogadro . Of course, we then get into this week’s news: NORWAY : Russian disinformation regarding made up ecological catastrophe RUSSIA / EU : Putin’s disinformation efforts are changing for the worse GLOBAL : COVID Va...

Congratulations to friend of the show  Deborah Hyde  who has been appointed  patron of Humanists UK ! In  TWISH  we hear about to unsolved mystery of  the disappearance of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry  and after that, we dig into the news: IRELAND : Excavation of mass grave of infants in Irish “mother and baby home” INTERNATIONAL : YouTube and Meta seem to finally cr...