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The number curse is getting worse! The Dutch Meester Kakadoris Award has been awarded, Patreon is changing its rules (but please still subscribe!) and next week sees two big Skeptical events: Global Skeptics in the Pub and ESC Liverpool. Join one of them or both! In TWISH we hear about Henry Cavendish (no relation to bananas) and then we get to the news:ISRAEL / INTERNATIONAL: Conspiracy theories about Flydubai attack spread across social mediaRUSSIA / UKRAINE / GERMANY: Russian disinformation campaigns are getting more sophisticatedSWEDEN: Reports of election fraud – are they real? The Really Wrong Award goes to Barbara O’Neill, the Australian quack who is currently touring Europe (and the world). Enjoy! https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-552.html Segments: 0:00:27 Intro 0:00:51 Greetings 0:12:04 TWISH 0:23:57 News 0:41:11 Really Wrong 0:45:19 Quote 0:47:28 Outro 0:48:51 Outtakes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pontus report back from the bookfair and András has apparently also been struck by the numbers curse. In TWISH we look back at the first TAM London conference in 2009 and find that it can been seen as a milestone for European Skepticism. Then we take a look at the news:INTERNATIONAL: Rare pregnancy infections may triple the risk of autismNORTHERN IRELAND: What do 16-year-olds believe?UK: UK will set up a new agency to fight ‘information warfare’ Supplements for menopause are unreasonably expensive as well as ineffective and for that they deserve the Really Wrong Award. Enjoy! https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-551.html Segments: 0:00:27 Intro 0:00:51 Greetings 0:08:07 TWISH 0:17:15 News 0:35:03 Really Wrong 0:40:30 Quote 0:41:53 Outro 0:43:16 Outtakes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We start by Pontus correcting himself on numbers he uttered, then we contemplate whether the recent Russian election results hold water. In TWISH we celebrate the real giant of science Michael Faraday commemorating his brilliant method to prove the ideomotor phenomenon. Then we turn to the news: INTERNATIONAL: a 'Godzilla level' el Niño coming up?UK: Meta deepfake safeguards deemed “fundamentally inadequate” by own Oversight BoardUK: 'Blade runners': Conspiracy theorists are destroying traffic scanners This week's Really Wrong Award goes to Kent Ekeroth of Sweden Democrats for blaming election defeat on 'voting cattle' Enjoy! https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-550.html Segments: 0:00:27 Intro 0:00:51 Greetings 0:15:52 TWISH 0:27:30 News 0:44:02 Really Wrong 0:51:32 Quote 0:53:30 Outro 0:54:45 Outtakes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For over a decade we have mispronounced a certain publisher’s name (duh!) but it’s never too late to learn… The Swedish election results are more or less in, and hopefully it’s a sign of reason that the party spreading the most disinformation lost almost 15% of their seats in parliament. In TWISH we hear the mesmerizing story about Jean Sylvain Bailly who was a French astronomer, mathematician, freemason, and political leader of the early part of the French Revolution. Then we turn to the news: SWEDEN: Measles outbreakAUSTRIA: Michael Frass gets his retracted article re-publishedINTERNATIONAL: New site has started to measure imbalance in media We then have a Who’s Quacking? from AfD in Germany and hand out a Really Wrong Award to the UK parliament. Enjoy! https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-549.html Segments: 0:00:27 Intro 0:00:51 Greetings 0:08:18 TWISH 0:17:35 News 0:36:33 Who's Quacking? 0:41:14 Really Wrong 0:46:00 Quote 0:47:46 Outro 0:49:09 Outtakes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hurry up to get the early bird price for ESC Liverpool! You have until 14 September! Isar Aerospace achieves first launch to orbit from continental Europe and in TWISH we celebrate the 60th anniversary of Star Trek, a show that brought humanism into science fiction. Then, it’s time for the news: SWEDEN: General elections update plus early voting screwupGERMANY: AfD wins in Saxony-AnhaltINTERNATIONAL: IgNobel prizes of 2026UK: Discrepancy between public perception of crime rates and actual statistics This week’s Who’s Quacking? award goes to Fredrik Paulún, self-proclaimed Swedish health guru. Enjoy! https://theesp.eu/podcast_archive/theesp-ep-548.html Segments: 0:00:27 Intro 0:00:50 Greetings 0:06:14 TWISH 0:16:44 News 0:47:25 Who's Quacking? 0:54:01 Quote 0:55:20 Outro 0:56:43 Outtakes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.