books & arts Fighting quackery

The Skeptics’ reason. A scientific sceptic will only form consume media. After all, social media echo Guide to the an opinion after thorough review of all the chambers play a huge role in spreading Universe available evidence. Knowing how the human conspiracy theories and pseudoscience. mind works and which cognitive pitfalls The book’s attempt at giving guidance on can lead even the most rational people how to navigate the swamp of information astray forms an important part of a sceptic’s without drowning in false claims is, by Steven Novella assessment tools. Hence, a considerable however, very concise and rather superficial. portion of the book is devoted to topics The authors give the usual advice of of metacognition, which the authors relying on trustworthy outlets, tracking the discuss in an entertaining, if colloquial, information down to the source and paying tone. From confirmation bias to motivated attention to who is talking. HODDER & reasoning, many a scientist would surely Most regrettably, a deeper discussion STOUGHTON: benefit from increased awareness of about what to do with the sources of media 2018. 496 pp. ‘I want to believe’ traps and how to guard reports — which in many cases are scientific £18.99 themselves against them. papers — is missing. As scientists we know To illustrate where science went wrong, that a single published paper isn’t always Novella and colleagues recount historical the last word on a subject — particularly in hat a blissful state most physicists examples of where science morphed into fickle fields like nutrition and health with live in: all we need to get terribly pseudoscience, some through blatant many variables that are near impossible to Wworked up is a newspaper article fraud but others through non-deliberate control. Not only scientists are human and explaining that quantum computers will be irrationalities. For example, the French can make honest and non-trivial mistakes fast because they’ll try all possible solutions physicist Prosper-René Blondlot announced that remain undetected in peer review, but at once. Of course, hype and distortion in in 1903 the discovery of N-rays. Soon science is a process and we require repeated the media are real problems when they after Blondlot’s announcement other measurements of the same phenomenon lead to exorbitant expectations of the scientists confirmed that they, too, could to have confidence in an effect and its opportunities a new technology may afford. see N-rays — faint glows that were only size. Educating the public on how to read But irrational beliefs and false media reports noticeable by people with exceptional vision. papers beyond the headline claims, how to on vaccines causing autism and the non- Alas, they all fell victim to self-deception: conduct a thorough literature research and existence of climate change makes the odd N-rays were not real, as the US physicist how to read a meta-analysis would allow journalist getting entanglement wrong seem Robert W. Wood eventually demonstrated more people to ‘see for themselves’ what like a proper first-world problem. by blinding the analysis. the science says. The first step towards such The growing prevalence and real-world Today, the New England Skeptic Society an educational project would be to hide consequences of anti-science beliefs, endeavours to take on Wood’s role and fewer research articles behind a paywall. with measles outbreaks becoming more has taken action against the anti-GMO Somewhat disappointingly, however, the common in western Europe and climate movement, various forms of ‘alternative’ open access movement doesn’t get a mention science funding under threat in the United medicine, con men selling perpetual motion in the book (please note that my current States, are truly terrifying. So what should machines and ghost hunters, to name just employer is the Public Library of Science a scientist or scientifically interested a few. The book’s descriptions of these (PLOS), an open access publisher). member of the public tired of standing personal ‘adventures’ are amusing and Until meta-analysis reading clubs on the sidelines do to fight the good fight invoke a great deal of admiration for the become more widespread, however, for science? tenacity with which this group tirelessly the Skeptics’ approach of high-profile The book The Skeptics’ Guide to the fights battle after battle to make the world a debunking and fiery campaigning is Universe by Steven Novella, Bob Novella, more rational place. proving to be rather effective at mobilizing Cara Santa Maria, Jay Novella and Evan Whether these actions convince the individuals to canvass for science. Maybe Bernstein is a handy guide of how to many people around the globe who the book will convince more physicists mobilize forces against irrational beliefs, hold irrational and potentially dangerous to leave behind their anger at inaccurate resorting to scientific scepticism and beliefs is questionable: naturally, sceptics descriptions of quantum computing, and sceptic activism to rebut pseudoscience and struggle not to sound smug. Thankfully, join the real fight against quackery. ❐ quackery. Novella and colleagues have a the book provides valuable guidance track record of such activities, having run for the fledgling sceptic activist on Reviewed by Leonie Mueck the New England Skeptic Society since 1996. convincing friends and family to rethink Division Editor for Physical Sciences and A weekly podcast, which the book is named their positions without ruining relationships: Engineering at PLOS ONE, and after, has been aired since 2005. play the long game, don’t be confrontational tweets at @LeonieMueck. The New England Skeptic Society but instead find common ground and e-mail: [email protected] understands scientific scepticism as a nurture their scepticism, think about mindset in which any claims about the your tone, and listen. workings of the world are rigorously Crucial in nurturing someone’s Published online: 3 October 2018 assessed through methods of science and scepticism is changing the way they https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-018-0303-9

Nature Physics | VOL 14 | OCTOBER 2018 | 971 | www.nature.com/naturephysics 971