This week summer is here (but András is not) and we get a tip from Bob on about good vaccine tracker. Blaise Pascal was born almost 400 years ago this week (how times fly) and Pope Francis gives Cardinal Marx some good PR while proving he still knows how to play the dictator card. Then we dive into the news:‘Unseaworthy’ Noah’s Ark replica detained at Ipswich WaterfrontWaldorf / Steiner school sca...

This week we get a well deserved correction from listener Cyril on how to pronounce Marquis de Sade’s full name and we hear about German teenagers party dangerously in secret in strange locations. Vaccinations in Sweden are picking up but in Hungary there is considerable hesitation against Chinese and and Russian vaccines. The Pope continues to have problems with Germany and also refuses to take r...

This week we find out what Pontus was up to last week, we honor the passing of the great skeptic Kees de Jager and note that covid vaccination for teenagers is coming. Listener Carlos helps us out with Portuguese pronunciation and we urge you to nominate someone for the John Maddox Prize before 14 June. We acknowledge that Marquis de Sade was born this week in 1740 and that the Pope thinks Brazili...

This week we first explore the magnetic properties of covid-19 vaccines and ponder the political meltdown of Alexander Lukashenko's Belarus. Then we celebrate the first publication of Bram Stoker's Dracula, published this week in 1897. We strongly recommend you check out Deborah Hyde's Dracula video on Youtube! After that it's time to check out the news:Portugese MD in need of help from skeptics a...

This week Swedish vaccinations are not too well organised, András has debated homeopaths and the Swedish Skeptics have some cool events coming up. Ranga Yogeshwar (check him out!) celebrates his birthday and then we check out the news: - Looks like we’re very selfish after all… Personal benefit is better driver than greater good - Virtual exhibition in Nuremberg - Edzard Ernst strikes again: Paper...

This week we wish Annika all the best in recovering from her first vaccine shot, we learn how to properly pronounce Cardinal ‘Becchiu’ and hear about this week’s birthday boy, Edward Jenner. Pope Francis tries to fight the pandemic with a totally pointless marathon and then we proceed on to check out the news:Instead of a Covid update: watch the latest episode of Last Week Tonight With John Oliver...

This week we get to hear Marie Curie’s birthname properly pronounced, curtesy of listener Max (thanks!). One more of us are getting the vaccine and so do pregnant women in Germany. We hear about Pope Francis’ battle against corrupt cardinals and then we get into the news: - Discussions about rules for vaccinated and vaccination jealousy - Ferngespräch – Shirt for charity! - Priest gives school les...

This week we first chat a bit and celebrate that we finally have new dates for QED, the fantastic skeptical conference in Manchester, before we mark that it is 35 years this week since the Chernobyl disaster. We hear about Pope Francis’ impossible gig and then we have a Covid-19 update before we dig into the news: - Study explores AstraZeneca vaccine disinformation on Twitter - German actors prote...

This week we first celebrate the flight of Ingenuity on Mars, the first ever powered flight on another planet. In This week in Skepticism we hear about how Pierre and Marie Curie isolated radium for the first time and what a significant achievement that was. Then we have a Covid-19 update before we dig into the news:Adverse events in children linked to SCAMResearchers investigating AstraZeneca vac...

This week we start by reflecting on the death of Prince Philip and just can’t help mention languages again since a listener sent us sound files to help us with the pronunciations of last week’s Polish names. In This week in Skepticism we hear about the ancient astronaut fantasies of Erich von Däniken, followed by a Covid-19 update before we dig into the news:Popular marionette theatre targeted for...

This week we first continue to ponder the strange topic of language and we congratulate the Portuguese Skeptics on the anniversary of founding their organization ComCept. Then we have a Covid-19 update before we dig into the news:Analysis of excess mortality in Europe in 2020NEW BOOK: Missing Minimum DistanceSpooky Martian spider shapes explainedFirst helicopter on another planet to go on first mi...

This week Pontus is still mad at English spelling but we hope our listeners will forgive him. In history René Descartes was born this week, the pope cuts the payroll for his cardinals and we have a Covid-19 update before we check out the news: - Court case against SCAM practitioner - NEW BOOK – the Cheaters, about Macchiarini and fraudulent research - NEW BOOK – The great bazaar of irrational - Ch...

Just a quick update to give you three extra news items: - Darwin was a misunderstood fantasy author - The famous drop bears in Austria not extinct after all - Skepticism has won and is no longer neededThanks for everything! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we we mention the Icelandic volcanic eruptions and then a bit randomly reflect upon languages and spelling. Pontus asks people to check out the VoF web site and András informs us about the Hungarian Skeptics’ Flat Earth-prize. In history Wilhelm Röntgen was born this week the pope gets poked for congratulating the Philippines for being so gloriously invaded and oppressed 500 years ago. W...

This week we we start by checking out some science: travel faster than speed of light(?) and the wonderful 3D-model of the Antikythera mechanism. We look back at the birth of the Hungarian Skeptic Society and we poke the pope for being a bigot about gay marriage. We look at the covid vaccine situation and especially if the AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine appears safe, before we check out the news:New...

This week we geek out some more about space, mention the demonstrations in Stockholm and the upcoming Cologne virtual skeptics in the pub. Some German children’s stories from the past are absolutely horrible and then we celebrate the birthday of Yuri Gagarin, the first person in space. Pope Francis went to Iraq endangering the public and himself and reported back that there was “a woman on the pla...

This week we first marvel at the on-going Mars missions, mention Germany’s need to get a new haircut and are fascinated by the Mount Etna eruptions. If you want to know where to find the French skeptics or the Observatoire Zététique, we tell you how, before we celebrate Brian Cox’ birthday. Pope Frances have double troubles with his trip to Iraq and that the Vatican finances are bleeding. Then, of...

This week we geek out a bit about the landing of Perseverance on Mars, we (again) ponder the chances to become an ESA astronaut. Facebook stupidly believes Europe is a place in Australia and takes it out on this podcast. Idiots. (Speaking of Downunder, you should check out the Skeptic Zone and their logical fallacies series). We talk about Dolly the sheep who was presented to the public this week...

This week we are happy that the Covid-19 Communication Handbook have been translated into German. A Swedish translation is underway and hopefully many more. We then celebrate Copernicus birthday before we look at the news:Secret Facebook group of academics, researchers and opinion-formers spreads misinformation about Swedish corona responseResearchers study the link between practicing alternative...

This week we talk to Philipp Schmid about the COVID-19 Vaccine Communication Handbook. Philipp is a behavioural scientist at the Psychology and Infectious Diseases Lab at the University of Erfurt in Germany. He is also an Interim Lecturer for Statistics and Methods at the university’s Department of Psychology. Philipp is an expert in the psychological background of vaccine hesitancy, which is one...

This week we note that Martin Moder (see ep. #236) are making videos so well that anti-vaxxers want them taken down. The Swedish Skeptics has a great video up from their (English-speaking) Skeptics in the Pub on-line. Pope Francis keeps absolutely quiet regarding the abuse scandals in Spain and then we get a Covid-19 update before we look at the news:Facebook still making money out of anti-vax sit...

This week we get nostalgic about the days when we could travel. We marvel over the fact that some people still thinks it is okay to do so, since the Swedish ski resorts report they are as busy as ever. Nothing new about the pope today, we get a Covid-19 update and then it's time for us to look at the news:Study wants to show who is turning to the Covid-denying Querdenker movementBacklash for Frenc...

This week Annika has got some real nutty advice in the mail. She has also made a cameo on the Skeptic Zone, check it out!. Things are flying in the air, in Norway it was a meteor (landing as a meteor-ite, thank you very much) and in Sweden it was a real(?) UFO!Rudolph II (“Holy Roman Emperor, Batman!”) died in 1612, but his contribution to our understanding of the universe lives on. Pope Francis’...

This week Annika is back! We hear that Pontus apparently is the new Confounderer of the Year and that UK Skeptics in the Pub Online is back after the holidays. Check out the calendar for the new events! We congratulate renowned skeptic and philosopher Massimo Pigliucci on his birthday, note that the Pope has misplaced billions of dollars and then we have a look at the news:College of Medicine and...

This week we start the new year with an update on the Swedish pandemic laws and recommend you check out the speech that András gave at Monterrey Skepticamp 2021. In skeptical history we celebrate the birth of Alfred Russel Wallace and Pontus pokes the Pope for ‘firing’ a Cardinal and an Archbishop. We get a Covid vaccine update and then we look at the news:Swedish Skeptical Awards for 2020 – Enlig...