DOCSLIB.ORG

Psychology of the Paranormal, Or

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Psychology of the Paranormal, Or PSY 918 Outline, W2017 Page 1 of 9 RYERSON UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY PSY 918: Advanced Social Psychology Seminar, Winter 2017 Instructor: John Turtle, PhD Office: JOR 1226 (Jorgenson Hall) Phone: 416.979.5000, x3094 Email: [email protected] Course Website: my.ryerson.ca Class: Wednesdays from 4-7pm in JOR 1200 Office Hours: Because of my current administrative position as Secretary of Senate, I’m at Ryerson pretty much every day from about 8am to 6pm. Much of that time is spent in meetings, but working with the students in this class is a priority for me, so I will do what I can to meet with you, speak on the phone, and communicate via email. If you’re looking for me in person, the 12th floor of Jorgenson can look like you need to get “buzzed in,” but you can just pull the glass doors to your left as you get off the elevator and find your way around the corner to my office. Calendar Description This seminar involves an in-depth analysis of current topics in social psychology. Through weekly discussions and presentations, students explore a topic or series of topics that illustrate cutting- edge research in the field. While the specific focus or theme of the seminar varies according to the instructor, topics may include the application of social psychology to marketing (persuasion), to law (forensics), to prejudice and stereotyping, and to perceptions of the self. Prerequisites: PSY 102, PSY 202, and PSY 124 For this installment of the course: We will take a “skeptical,” social psychological perspective on why and what people are willing to believe, especially regarding alleged paranormal phenomena (e.g., psychics); alternative health practices (e.g., homeopathy); and pseudo-scientific claims in the marketplace (e.g., subliminal messages), in education (e.g., learning styles), and the legal system (e.g., detecting deception). We will focus on many aspects of social cognition, including social inference, judgment and decision making, attribution, and the heuristics and biases involved in these processes. The seminar format means that students are expected to drive much of the class discussion, based on the assigned readings. In the final two classes, students will make formal, brief presentations of their major paper for the course. I realize the readings for the course might look “old” to you, probably because they are old(ish). One reason for that is that I’ve been teaching this stuff for about 25 years, learning about it for around 35 years, and thinking about it for almost 50 years. Plus, it’s been a topic in social psychology for about 65 years, and I’d say that humans have been believing things in similar ways for around 5,000 to 20,000 years. Maybe I just believe it to be true(!), but I think it’s actually a benefit for you to realize that this isn’t “breaking news” with a few recent studies providing precarious support for a new theory in Psychology. So my approach in this course is to provide you with this long-term perspective, guide you through some “classic” readings, and let you find more current examples of the general concepts to think about and discuss in class. The point is that it doesn’t really matter if you’re talking about séances and Oujia boards from the 1800s, UFOs from the 1940s, or “fake news” from 2016 – we’re looking at the (social) psychological factors that are common to humans in general (and other animals in some cases). PSY 918 Outline, W2017 Page 2 of 9 Texts: 1. Gilovich, T. (1993). How we know what isn't so: The fallibility of human reason in everyday life. New York, NY: The Free Press. You can see from our weekly schedule that this book is a big part of of our course. You can order it on Amazon at https://www.amazon.ca/How-We-Know-What- Isnt/dp/0029117062. But I also suggest you Google the title and see what pops up in terms of alternate ways the book is available online (i.e., there’s a PDF version out there). 2. Lilienfeld, S.O., Lynn, S.J., Ruscio, J., and Beyerstein, B.L. (2010). 50 great myths of popular psychology: Shattering widespread misconceptions about human behavior. You can order this on Amazon at https://www.amazon.ca/Great-Myths-Popular- Psychology-Misconceptions/dp/1405131128 I think every psychology major should know lots about these things, because people will assume you do. I haven’t selected particular “myths” from the 50 in the book, but you can see for yourself how they relate to the topics we’re covering. Evaluation: Attendance and Participation (10%) Seminars depend on student attendance and participation. Of course you might need to miss class sometimes for legitimate reasons, but otherwise we need you there to make it work. And when you’re there, you are expected and welcome to participate in the discussion. But if you prefer, you can post comments on our course website – ideas that relate to our course material, examples of our course material “in the news,” and responses to questions I will pose. Midterm Exam (25%) on March 1 About 15 multiple-choice questions worth one point each, and then your choice of answering three out of four questions that require a written response worth 10 points each Book Review (15%) due by March 15 Something you’ll each post on our course website that tells the rest of us how the book you read relates to our course material. Each person will pick a different book, so that we maximize the range of topics and ideas. See the list near the end of this outline for lots of suggestions. If you want to review a book that isn’t listed there, please check with me to see if it’s “on point” for our course. Paper (35%) due by April 5 I will provide you with a very detailed description of what’s expected – essentially, you pick a “belief” of interest to you and explore it from the perspective of our course. In-class Paper Presentation (15%) on April 5 or 12 For the last two class meetings of the term, you’ll each get about 10 minutes to present your paper. I’ll provide some guidance on this too, but of course most presentations will consist of a few slides and maybe a “show and tell” item (e.g., a current (fake?) news story). PSY 918 Outline, W2017 Page 3 of 9 Course Schedule I. The Basics of Belief from a Psychology Perspective Jan. 18 and 25: Introduction to the issue of why people sometimes believe weird things Gilovich: Ch. 1: Introduction Ch. 11: Challenging dubious beliefs: The role of social science Gilbert, D. (1991). How mental systems believe. American Psychologist, 46, 107-119. Sagan, C. (1995). Wonder and skepticism. Skeptical Inquirer, 19, 24–30. ______________________________________________________________________________ Jan. 25, Feb. 1 and 8: Cognitive determinants of questionable beliefs Gilovich: Ch. 2: Something out of nothing: The misperception and misinterpretation of random data Ch. 3: Too much from too little: The misinterpretation of incomplete and unrepresentative data Ch. 4: Seeing what we expect to see: The biased evaluation of ambiguous and inconsistent data Nisbett, R., & Wilson, T.D. (1977). Telling more than we can know: Verbal reports on mental processes. Psychological Review, 84, 231-259. _______________________________________________________________________________ Feb. 8 and 15: Motivational and social determinants of questionable beliefs Gilovich: Ch. 5: Seeing what we want to see: Motivational determinants of belief Ch. 6: Believing what we are told: The biasing effect of secondhand information Ch. 7: The imagined agreement of others: Exaggerated impressions of social support Alcock, J. (1995). The belief engine. Skeptical Inquirer, 19, 14-18. _____________________________________________________________________________ March 1: Midterm exam (25%) ______________________________________________________________________________ continued . PSY 918 Outline, W2017 Page 4 of 9 Course Schedule (continued) II. Specific Contexts for Beliefs March 8 and 15: Beliefs regarding psychic phenomena Gilovich: Ch. 10: Belief in ESP READ THIS ONE BEFORE THE FOLLOWING TWO ARTICLES: Bem, D.J. (2011). Feeling the future: Experimental evidence for anomalous retroactive influences on cognition and affect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100, 407-425. Alcock, J. (2011). Back from the future: Parapsychology and the Bem affair. http://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/show/back_from_the_future Bem, D.J. (2011). Response to Alcock’s “Back from the future: Comments on Bem” http://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/show/response_to_alcocks_back_from_the_future_com ments_on_bem _______________________________________________________________________________ March 15 and 22: Beliefs regarding business, health and education Gilovich: Ch. 8: Belief in ineffective “alternative” health practices Lilienfeld, S. (2007). Psychological treatments that cause harm. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2, 53-69. Moore,T.E. (1992). Subliminal perception: Facts and fallacies. Skeptical Inquirer, 16, 273–281. Pashler, H., McDaniel, M., Rohrer, D., and Bjork, R. (2008). Learning styles: Concepts and Evidence. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 9, 105-119. ______________________________________________________________________________ March 22 and 29 : Beliefs regarding the legal system READ THIS ONE FIRST: Snook, B. (2008). Introduction to the special issue: Pseudoscientific policing practices and beliefs. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35, 1211-1214. Lilienfeld, S. & Landfield, K. (2008). Science and pseudoscience in law enforcement: A user- friendly primer. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35, 1215-1230. Snook, B., Cullen, R., Bennell, C., Taylor, P., & Gendreau, P. (2008). The criminal profiling illusion: What’s behind the smoke and mirrors? Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35, 1257- 1276. Turtle, J., & Want, S. (2008). Logic and research versus intuition and past practice as guides to gathering and evaluating eyewitness evidence. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35, 1241-1256. Vrij, A. (2008). Nonverbal dominance versus verbal accuracy in lie detection: A plea to change police practice.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Alternative Medicine As Counter-Conduct: Therapeutic Spaces and Medical Rationality in Contemporary Romania
    STUDIA UBB SOCIOLOGIA, 60 (LX), 2, 2015, pp. 5-19 DOI: 10.1515/subbs-2015-0007 ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE AS COUNTER-CONDUCT: THERAPEUTIC SPACES AND MEDICAL RATIONALITY IN CONTEMPORARY ROMANIA CORINA RUSU1 Abstract. This study analyses the practice of medical pluralism in contemporary Romania, addressing the phenomenon of alternative medicine through the Foucauldian concept of counter-conduct. Employing in-depth interviews with general and alternative practitioners from two towns in Transylvania, and participant observations in spaces where they practice their knowledge, I describe how certain discursive acts reformulate the body and the subject- patient. Alternative therapists construct their practice in direct opposition to several parameters of biomedicine, such as the logic of diagnosis, treatment, and the praxis of patient’s visit to the general practitioner’s office, discussed in the paper. They define their approach as psychosomatic, and set-up the medical space as a confessional space, envisioning a holistic corporeality and the idea of the “inner doctor” in each patient. This conduct would supposedly make the subject “active” and “empowered”, as opposed to the “passive” patient succumbed to the diagnosis of conventional doctors. Keywords: counter-conduct, biomedicine, alternative medicines, patient subject Introduction Postsocialist Romania, especially in the last decade, opened up to a breadth of non-conventional medicines, also named holistic, alternative or complementary medicines. Romania accommodates a wide range of such practices, mainly clustered around big cities; in 2009, 7% of the population resorted to alternative medicines within the last 12 months (Dragan and Madsen, 2011). The possibility of diversity made way for new therapeutic figures on the medical market – naturopaths, homeopaths, osteopaths, Reiki therapists, modern shamans - all of them working next to family practitioners, popular healers and plastic surgeons.
    [Show full text]
  • (DRAFT 29 July 02) for Think: the Journal of the Royal Institute of Philosophy
    (DRAFT 29 July 02) for Think: the journal of the Royal Institute of Philosophy THE SEVEN WARNING SIGNS OF VOODOO SCIENCE Robert L. Park Department of Physics University of Maryland College Park, Maryland 20783 USA A best-selling health guru insists that his brand of spiritual healing is firmly grounded in quantum theory; half the population believes Earth is being visited by space aliens who have mastered faster-than-light travel; and educated people are wearing magnets in their shoes to restore their natural energy. Why, in an age of science, does irrationalism appear to be raging out of control? The persistent irony is that science begets pseudoscience. The more science succeeds, the more it attracts imitators who cloak foolish and often fraudulent claims in the language and symbols of science. With spectacular advances in science and medicine being announced almost daily, the public has come to expect scientific "miracles." And of course, there are "miracles" aplenty, or at least scientific wonders that would have seemed like miracles a few short decades ago. Too often, however, those with little exposure to the methods and ideas of modern science are unable to distinguish genuine scientific advances from the claims of misguided zealots or unscrupulous hucksters. This is a particular problem in the courts, which are increasingly confronted with controversies that turn on questions of science. In judging the credibility of testimony, the scientific credentials of "expert" witnesses are of only limited help. A Ph.D. in science is not an inoculation against foolishness or mendacity, and even some Nobel laureates seem to be a bit strange.
    [Show full text]
  • High School Core Science
    HIGH SCHOOL CORE SCIENCE Parent Guide Date of Last Curriculum Revision: August 2012 District Mission The South Brunswick School District will prepare students to be lifelong learners, critical thinkers, effective communicators and wise decision makers. This will be accomplished through the use of the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards (NJCCCS) and/or the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) at all grade levels. The schools will maintain an environment that promotes intellectual challenge, creativity, social and emotional growth and the healthy physical development of each student. ~Adopted 8.22.11 Curriculum Aligned to NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards (NJCCCS) Board Approval of Science Curriculum August 2016 This curriculum is approved for all regular education programs as specified and for adoption or adaptation by all programs including those for Special Education, English Language Learners, At-Risk Students and Gifted and Talented Students in accordance with Board of Education Policy. 1 Science Acknowledgments We are appreciative of the leadership provided by our curriculum specialists and the knowledge, skills, work and effort of the teachers who served on our curriculum writing teams. In many cases, our units are “home-grown.” While aligning with state and/or national standards, they are designed with the needs of the South Brunswick student population in mind. Articulation The Supervisors, Specialists, Curriculum Chairpersons, Technology Staff Developers, Directors and the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and
    [Show full text]
  • Doctoraat FINAAL .Pdf
    Here be dragons Here Exploring the hinterland of science Maarten Boudry Here be dragons Exploring the hinterland of science Maarten Boudry ISBN978-90-7083-018-2 Proefschrift voorgedragen tot het bekomen van de graad van Doctor in de Wijsbegeerte Promotor: Prof. dr. Johan Braeckman Supervisor Prof. dr. Johan Braeckman Wijsbegeerte en moraalwetenschap Dean Prof. dr. Freddy Mortier Rector Prof. dr. Paul Van Cauwenberghe Nederlandse vertaling: Hic sunt dracones. Een filosofische verkenning van pseudowetenschap en randwetenschap Cover: The image on the front cover is an excerpt of a map by the Flemish cartographer Abraham Ortelius, originally published in Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (1570). ISBN: 978-90-7083-018-2 The author and the promoter give the authorisation to consult and to copy parts of this work for personal use only. Every other use is subject to the copyright laws. Permission to reproduce any material contained in this work should be obtained from the author. Faculty of Arts & Humanities Maarten Boudry Here be Dragons Exploring the Hinterland of Science Proefschrift voorgedragen tot het bekomen van de graad van Doctor in de Wijsbegeerte 2011 Acknowledgements This dissertation could not have been written without the invaluable help of a number of people (a philosopher cannot help but thinking of them as a set of individually necessary and jointly sufficient conditions). Different parts of this work have greatly benefited from stimulating discussions with many colleagues and friends, among whom Barbara Forrest, John Teehan, Herman Philipse, Helen De Cruz, Taner Edis, Nicholas Humphrey, Geerdt Magiels, Bart Klink, Glenn Branch, Larry Moran, Jerry Coyne, Michael Ruse, Steve Zara, Amber Griffioen, Johan De Smedt, Lien Van Speybroeck, and Evan Fales.
    [Show full text]
  • What Is Junk Science?
    The Litigator’s Guide to Combating Junk Science The Litigator’s Guide to Combating Junk Science The Litigator’s Guide to Combating Junk Science Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 3 What Is Junk Science? ................................................................................................................................ 5 Anti-Junk Science Websites ..................................................................................................................... 7 Anti-Junk Science Books ......................................................................................................................... 11 Resources for Regulatory Guidance ................................................................................................... 13 Resources for Scientific Standards ..................................................................................................... 16 Placebo and Nocebo Effects ................................................................................................................. 20 About Innovative Science Solutions .................................................................................................. 21 © 2013 Innovative Science Solutions 2 The Litigator’s Guide to Combating Junk Science Introduction Science plays a critical role in the courtroom. Access to scientific research and an understanding of scientific principles enable
    [Show full text]
  • Free Energy Scams
    Bad Science: Perpetual Motion There have been countless claims by quacks for the last 1200 years that machines could be built that would: # Provide energy with no energy input # Produce more energy than what was input into the system Both are clear violations of the 1st law of thermodynamics! The "Testatika" by Paul Bauman, a German engineer. Perpetuum Mobile of Villard de The device’s operation has been recorded as far back as 1960s at a place called Methernitha (near Berne, Honnecourt (about 1230) Switzerland). Supposedly, the community benefits from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_perpetual_motion_machines the invention. [38] “Free Energy” Scams There have also been many claims by con-artists who have claim to have built modern perpetual motion machines or technology that mysteriously extracts energy from the rotation of the earth, magnetic field of the earth, zero-point energy in vacuums, etc. Example: Check out http://www.steorn.com # $100,000 USD ad in “The Economist” claiming that this technology is developed, and they want a panel of scientists to test its validity (all test results will be held secret) # Scientist identities have not been revealed # Work not submitted for peer review, nor has been it been revealed in any form to the academic/research community at large # Incredible PR stunt, no science: the science of the con is to remove you from your wallet as quickly as possible! Pseudoscience & Voodoo science # Most well-trained scientists are extremely skeptical, as theory, experimentation and proof of concept are key elements of proper science Pseudosciences: parapsychology, homeopathy, phrenology, perpetual motion, flat earth, creation science/intelligent design, quantum mysticism, etc.
    [Show full text]
  • The Science of Software Engineering the Science of Software Engineering
    The Science of Software Engineering Marvin Zelkowitz Department of Computer Science University of Maryland College Park, Maryland [email protected] ESEM - 2009 1 ESEM – October 2009 A Need for a The Science of Software Engineering Marvin Zelkowitz Department of Computer Science University of Maryland College Park, Maryland [email protected] ESEM - 2009 2 ESEM – October 2009 1 Organization of talk Some personal comments on how I arrived at the theme of this talk What are the issues in developing a science of software engineering? What’s next? ESEM – October 2009 3 So what have I been doing for the past 40 years? Most of my professional life has been at the University of Maryland, teaching and doing research in the general area of software engineering. But those who know me, know that I have three other areas of great interest. ESEM – October 2009 4 2 One is attending science fiction conventions ESEM – October 2009 5 A second is my interest in model railroading Layout obviously unfinished. ESEM – October 2009 6 3 A third is that I consider myself a professional skeptic ESEM – October 2009 7 A third is that I consider myself a professional skeptic I belong to an organization of skeptics. Ha! Ha! ESEM – October 2009 8 4 A third is that I consider myself a professional skeptic That’s No! not true! You can’t do that! It’s all bogus! ESEM – October 2009 9 A third is that I consider myself a professional skeptic What does this really mean? And how does this relate to software engineering? This is the general theme of the rest of this talk.
    [Show full text]
  • Voodoo Science : the Road from Foolishness to Fraud Ebook, Epub
    VOODOO SCIENCE : THE ROAD FROM FOOLISHNESS TO FRAUD PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Robert L Park | 240 pages | 15 Nov 2001 | Oxford University Press Inc | 9780195147100 | English | New York, United States Voodoo Science : The Road from Foolishness to Fraud PDF Book As someone who enjoys science, but doesn't have much of a scientific education, I found the explanations in this book perfectly easy to understand. They decided to throw him a champagne party to celebrate his survival. The classic example, which Park covers at length, is the cold fusion episode in the late s and early s that had the scientific community in an uproar until the claims of Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann eventually dissolved under increasing scrutiny. Robert Park immediately dismisses this as nonsense. Books by Robert L. Errors take place for all kinds of reasons - there is money involved in peddling fraudulent claims, one repeated many times is the idea of a perpetual motion machine which claims to produce more energy than it takes to run the machine. He blatantly states at the beginning that this book is not for scientists. Next, it illustrates the procedure with classic examples such as models for the atom. There are scientific arguments against cold fusion, but equally there were arguments against continental drift. This shows up clearly in a graph of the Washington data over the five years prior to the experiment He is also noted for his preference for robotic over to manned space exploration. Statistics indicated otherwise as the book Voodoo Science points out. United States Congress. The therapists were stunned.
    [Show full text]
  • Report Regarding Alternative Treatments for Scoliosis September, 2000
    Report Regarding Alternative Treatments for Scoliosis September, 2000 The Bracing and Non-Operative Management Committee of the Scoliosis Research Society has reviewed a substantial body of scientific and lay literature regarding complementary and alternative medicine for the management of idiopathic scoliosis. After extensive review, it is our opinion that bracing and surgery are the only scientifically proven methods of treatment for idiopathic scoliosis. We have listed the methods that have been reviewed with comments regarding some of these methods. Methods reviewed include, but are not limited to the following: Bracing Chiropractic Copes System Surface Electrical Stimulation Exercises and Physical Therapy Acupuncture Alexander Technique Aromatherapy Asco Treatment Ayurveda Biofeedback Color Therapy Cranio-Sacral Therapy Feldenkrals Herbalism Holistic Medicine Homeopathy Magnet Therapy Massage Therapy Meditation Pilates Polarity Therapy Rebirthing Reiki Rolfing Sensory Deprivation Therapeutic Touch Yoga Members of the Scoliosis Research Society are encouraged to refer interested colleagues and patients to the book: Voodoo Science: the Road From Foolishness to Fraud by Robert Park, Ph.D. This book is published by Oxford University Press, Oxford and New York, 2000. In the preface to this book Dr. Park observes, “…many people choose scientific beliefs the same way they choose to be Methodists, or Democrats, or Chicago Cubs fans. They judge science by how well it agrees with the way they want the world to be.” This book can give patients the tools to understand the validity of scientific study and to identify useless, unfounded, unscrupulous, and fraudulent alternatives for managing scoliosis. .
    [Show full text]
  • Review of Park's Voodoo Science and Gratzer's the Undergrowth Of
    Review of Park’s Voodoo Science and Gratzer’s The Undergrowth of Science Lunatic theories, false data, forged experiments, fraudulent claims, concoct justifications, technological farces, nonsensical pranks, darkest superstitions, preposterous ideas that are totally, indisputably and sometimes extravagantly wrong: welcome to the dark side of science. It is not a safe place to visit, but if you must cross its borders, pick up a reliable guide, Robert L. Park’s Voodoo Science, The Road from Foolishness to Fraud or Walter Gratzer’s The Undergrowth of Science, Delusion, Self-deception and Human Frailty. The two books are complementary. Park, who is Professor of Physics at the University of Maryland and director of the Washington Office of the American Physical Society, provides a very engaging, behind-the-scenes analysis of largely post-war bad science in the US. His book reads almost like news, critically recounted by someone who has had first-hand knowledge of the facts. It has a wide and systematic scope without ever being superficial. It is informative, interesting and entertaining. The explanations are clear, the examples kept simple, and there are quite a few good jokes. The book never merely describes the disease, for it is supported by a healthy and fully committed view of what good science is. In brief, it is hard to put it down, and should be read by anyone who wishes to understand what science is not, and what it means to write well about its history. Gratzer is a biophysicist at the Randall Institute, King’s College London. His book is a scholarly, more detached source, with meticulous descriptions of the experiments and further readings for the specialist.
    [Show full text]
  • Chemistry 190: Special Seminar in Chemistry “Science, Society, and the Skeptic: Becoming a Critical Consumer of Everyday Science”
    Chemistry 190: Special Seminar in Chemistry “Science, Society, and the Skeptic: Becoming a Critical Consumer of Everyday Science” Fall Semester 2013 Monday/Wednesday 3:30-4:45 p.m. Kenan Laboratories Room B121 Instructor: Ms. Lauren Jarocha [email protected] GRC: Mr. Trey Archer [email protected] Office: Caudill Laboratories Room 010 Phone: 919-962-1694 Instructor Office Hours: 9-10 AM on Tuesdays in the Kenan Science Library, or by appointment GRC office hours: TBA Email policy: If you would like a timely response to your email, please be sure to put “Chem 190” in the subject line of all messages for this course. Science impacts our lives on a daily basis. We encounter the results of scientific research every day. We may not always notice it, and our science classes haven’t always prepared us to know what to do with that science when we run into it. Advertiser frequently use scientific sounding claims to try to sell us a product. The news reports on scientific research with the intent to inform us and sometimes even scare us. Movies and television use scientific concepts to entertain us. The question is, is all this “science” actually science at all? How do you know if you encounter solid scientific results when junk science and pseudoscientific claims are everywhere? It turns out that you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to sort through the noise and use scientific thinking to make informed decisions about your life, health, and technology. Course Goals for Chem 190: Students should be able to: • Explain the basic realities
    [Show full text]
  • Voodoo Science: the Road from Foolishness to Fraud
    BOOK REVIEWS Our Man in Washington GERRY RISING Voodoo Science: The Road from Foolishness to Fraud. By Robert Park. Oxford University Press, New York, London, 2000. ISBN: 0-19-513516-6. 256 pp. Hardcover, $25. s anybody out there listening? When no scientific background. This is junk science. It typically consists of tortured scientists expose the nonsense inun- theories of what could be so, with lit- Idating our society, why cannot we tle supporting evidence to prove that find our way out of the wilderness? VOODOO it «so. When Joe Newman and James Sometimes there is no evidence at Patterson independently develop all. Two hundred years ago, educated people imagined that the greatest energy-producing machines that break SCIENCE contribution of science would be to the fundamental laws of thermodynam- free the world from superstition and ics, when salt water is sold as Vitamin O humbug. It has not happened. with its "stabilized oxygen molecules," Ancient beliefs in demons and magic still sweep across the modern land- when Stanley Pons and Martin scape, but they are now dressed in the Fleischmann announce cold fusion, language and symbols of science: a when homeopathic practitioners claim best-selling health guru explains that that water has memory, when power his brand of spiritual healing is firmly grounded in quantum theory: half the lines are designated cancer causes, and population believes Earth is being vis- when magnets are proposed as health ited by space aliens who have mas- agents, our media communicators tered faster-than-light travel; and descend in force to provide glowing educated people wear magnets in indeed change.
    [Show full text]