Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science Pdf, Epub, Ebook
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
FADS AND FALLACIES IN THE NAME OF SCIENCE PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Martin Gardner | 373 pages | 01 Jun 1957 | Dover Publications Inc. | 9780486203942 | English | New York, United States Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science PDF Book Thousands of more sophisticated neurotics, who regard dianetics as the invention of a mountebank, are now sitting in "orgone boxes" to raise their body's charge of "orgone energy. Although the book is quite old, it still has much to offer the modern skeptic, since many of the "fads and fallacies" of sixty years ago are still around. Original Title. Overall, 4. For example, in the article, Gardner writes:. In a review of a subsequent Gardner work, Paul Stuewe of the Toronto Star called Fads and Fallacies a "hugely enjoyable demolition of pseudo-scientific nonsense". The opening chapter on the nature of pseudo-science was interesting, but most of the following summaries of specifics were dull and repetitious. Well, at least those fads have run their course and people are approaching life with a more sensible and logical outlook now. The first chapter reviewing the characteristics of pseudo-science is quite enterta In this book, written in and updated in , Gardner examines pseudo-science and the many strange movements that developed in the late 's and early twentieth century. Science , pseudoscience , skepticism , quackery. For example, a crank might say: "To know of the earth's concavity Want to Read saving…. Jul 17, gr rated it liked it Shelves: , non-fiction. Download as PDF Printable version. Not that he never gives such explanations, but he doesn't go to the depth that, say the Great Randi or Michael Shermer do in their books on general skepticism. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. It is a very clever supposition that the world might have actually been created a couple of minutes ago. Medical Quackery 7. Mark Erickson, author of Science, culture and society: understanding science in the twenty-first century , noted that Gardner's book provided "a flavour of the immense optimism surrounding science in the s" and that his choice of topics were "interesting", but also that his attacks on "osteopathy, chiropractice, and the Bates method for correcting eyesight would raise eyebrows amongst medical practitioners today". It's surprising how entertaining and relevant this book remains, 60 years after it was first published. Bourgeois pseudoscience Demarcation problem Scientific method Suppressed research in the Soviet Union Traditional medicine. Efficient networks of communication within each science have been established. It's not an in-depth criticism of the topics covered, instead functioning more like a friend reading something you both agree is ridiculous and reading aloud the best parts. It is hard to see how the effects can be anything but harmful. It took so long because one could only graduate and become, in Lawsonomic terms, a "Knowledgian" after they had memorized every word Lawson ever put to paper. A primitive interpretation of Old Testament miracle tales, which one thought went out of fashion with the passing of William Jennings Bryan, has just received a powerful shot in the arm. Gardner is also an insightful and amusing writer. In the classic case of Galileo, the Inquisition forced him into isolation because the Church felt his views were undermining religious faith. Putnam's Sons in Semmelweiss' insistence that doctors sterilize their hands before attending childbirth are other well known examples of theories which met with strong professional prejudice. The University opened in and closed shortly after Lawson's death in Aug 30, Jim Razinha rated it it was amazing Shelves: nostalgic-re-reads , recommended. Quotes occur often, but the exact location they are drawn from is not always attributed. The odds of course are always on the side of the writer criticizing fringe groups because statistically speaking so few of them survive. Sagan was a Christ figure, Gardner was the bad boy shooting spitballs into supercolliders. Interesting not just for what it says but for what it doesn't say. There are five ways in which this tendency is likely to be manifested. Of course, there always will be borderline cases hard to classify, but the fact that black shades into white through many shades of gray does not mean that the distinction between black and white is difficult. Sep 17, R. In the Author's Own Words: "Politicians, real-estate agents, used-car salesmen, and advertising copy-writers are expected to stretch facts in self-serving directions, but scientists who falsify their results are regarded by their peers as committing an inexcusable crime. Interesting and whitty book, but some views are probably outdated as it was written more than 50 years ago. Their books can be highly deceptive imitations of the genuine article—well—written and impressively learned. It also goes over Homeopathy letting you have an idea just how old this 'alternative' medicine has been floating around. The question is whether the voluntary code of ethics, so painstakingly built up during the past two decades, is worth preserving. A pretty fun, but dated read. Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science Writer Since flying saucers were first reported in , countless individuals have been convinced that the earth is under observation by visitors from another planet. They've been wasting their time according to Kenneth Roberts, the well-known novelist. And, unfortunately, the subjects and examples are many; evidence of pages. If the book had done nothing else than that I would have been thankful to have been able to read it. Unless explicitly noted otherwise, all content licensed as indicated by RationalWiki:Copyrights. Books and magazines devoted to science are coming off the presses in greater numbers than at any previous time in history. Bourgeois pseudoscience Demarcation problem Scientific method Suppressed research in the Soviet Union Traditional medicine. The New York Times. Enlarge cover. He often has a tendency to write in a complex jargon, in many cases making use of terms and phrases he himself has coined. Gardner defines the community as an efficient network of communication within scientific fields, together with a co-operative process of testing new theories. This is the classic work on pseudoscience. Quotes from Fads and Fallacie Nuts, right? Get A Copy. List of Martin Gardner Mathematical Games columns. As per the subtitle of the book, "The curious theories of modern pseudoscientist and the strange, amusing and alarming cults that surround them" are discussed in the chapters as listed. List of topics characterized as pseudoscience. But gradually, over the next two decades, an unwritten code of science ethics developed in the profession of news journalism. Science , pseudoscience , skepticism , quackery. Sagan was a Christ figure, Gardner was the bad boy shooting spitballs into supercolliders. It was a good reminder to me at that time of what science was abo Still interesting This book, though a little dated in its examples and details, is still a classic and worth a read. Therefore it did not have the myth-busting excitement that grabbed me while reading its sequel, but it's interesting all the same. Perhaps a bigger problem, though, is that Gardner is rather inconsistent with his citations - he freely name-drops books and articles for further information reading, but there's no structured bibliography which makes reference harder. Though I lived through those times, and back then blacks were Negroes, it still sticks in my craw when I hear that term. Lawson was the only Knowledgian, and remained so until more than a decade after his death, when one of his foremost followers, a man named Merle Hayden, began giving out the title at Lawsonomy reunions in the 70's. I heard from homeopaths who were insulted to find themselves in company with such frauds as osteopathy and chiropractic , and one chiropractor in Kentucky "pitied" me because I had turned my spine on God's greatest gift to suffering humanity. Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science Reviews He also tackles pseudosciences such as parapsychology and paranormal research currently enjoying a revival on reality TV. Already a frightening number of cases have come to light of suicides and mental crack-ups among patients undergoing these dubious cures. Gardner had great affection for the bears he poked. Cyrus Reed Teed , self-proclaimed messiah, who believed that we live on the inside of a hollow sp Original review date: 23 January How do you tell a scientist from a crank? In the Renaissance, this isolation was not necessarily a sign of the crank. In the s a fierce interchange took place between Gardner and Colin Wilson. There is always something new to be learned. He does not send his findings to the recognized journals or, if he does, they are rejected for reasons which in the vast majority of cases are excellent. Now, I will admit that I'm unlikely to track down any of the works mentioned OK, maybe some of the Hollow Earth ones , but at the same time a reference as to where and when a quote was stated would An interesting and enjoyable read, but like the somewhat similarly themed Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds it suffers from a few noteworthy issues. We are in now or more. Several admirers of Dr. Yet the sad fact is that the history of science swarms with cases of outright fakery and instances of scientists who unconsciously distorted their work by seeing it through lenses of passionately held beliefs. Who's asking? It is not the novelty of his views or the neurotic motivations behind his work that provide the grounds for calling him this.