This book examines the social, economic and political forces that elicit or support flawed or fake science and sustain it in the face of often overwhelming contrary evidence. "Voodoo Science" is intended to include pseudoscience, or irrational beliefs dressed up in scientific garb, the misuse of science to deliberately mislead or confuse, and pathological science, in which scientists persist with their interpretations long after the evidence has decisively ruled
against them in the perspectives of an objective observer. The book attempts to delineate the contexts in which fraud can arise in science, and also to assess the trends in the Public's ability to
assess scientific issues and integrate scientific understanding in their judgements and world view. The story is told through examples ranging from impossible perpetual motion machines to magnet therapy. Drawing on his eighteen years of exposing bad science, Park does not hesitate to name names and point fingers. Park lays the ultimate blame for "voodoo science" not on the media, the government, or the scientific illiteracy of the public, but on the scientific community itself, and the
failure of scientists to communicate to the public.
This book examines the social, economic and political forces that elicit or support flawed or fake science and sustain it in the face of often overwhelming contrary evidence. "Voodoo Science" is intended to include pseudoscience, or irrational beliefs dressed up in scientific garb, the misuse of science to deliberately mislead or confuse, and pathological science, in which scientists persist with their interpretations long after the evidence has decisively ruled
against them in the perspectives of an objective observer. The book attempts to delineate the contexts in which fraud can arise in science, and also to assess the trends in the Public's ability to
assess scientific issues and integrate scientific understanding in their judgements and world view. The story is told through examples ranging from impossible perpetual motion machines to magnet therapy. Drawing on his eighteen years of exposing bad science, Park does not hesitate to name names and point fingers. Park lays the ultimate blame for "voodoo science" not on the media, the government, or the scientific illiteracy of the public, but on the scientific community itself, and the
failure of scientists to communicate to the public.
Preface. 1. It's Not News, It's Entertainment: In Which the Media
Covers Voodoo Science. 2. The Belief Gene: In Which Science Offers
a Strategy for Sorting Out the Truth. 3. Placebos Have Side
Effects: In Which People Turn to "Natural" Medicine. 4. The Virtual
Astronaut: In Which People Dream of Artificial Worlds. 5. There
Ought to Be a Law: In Which Congress Seeks to Repeal the Laws of
Thermodynamics. 6. Perpetuum Mobile: In Which People
Dream of Infinite Free Energy. 7. Currents of Fear: In Which Power
Lines Are Suspected of Causing Cancer. 8. Judgement Day: In Which
the Courts Confront "Junk Science". 9. Only Mushrooms Grow in
the
Dark: In Which Voodoo Science is Protected by Official Secrecy. 10.
How Strange is the Universe?: In Which Ancient Superstitions
Reappear as Pseudoscience. Index.
Regular newspaper columnist, frequent radio/television commentator, and an official spokesman for the American Physical Society. He writes a controversial weekly electronic commentary on science issues that is widely read by scientists, science journalists and government officials. He writes a regular column on "Bad Science" for the Washington Post.
`Review from previous edition Park sets the formulas aside to get
at the essence of scientific thinking, and shows through real life
examples how people (including scientists) are led astray.'
Psychology Today September 2000
`this book is entertaining and provocative reading'
Redaktion Angewadte Chemie No. 6 2002
`It is an admirable analysis: wittily written, vivid and put
together without a hint of malice.'
The Observer, 17/03/2002
`..page by page the book is a source of great pleasure. Park is a
superb storyteller, he writes gracefully with energy and charm, and
the varieties of silliness he chronicles are fascinating. Most
scientists will enjoy the book immensely.'
Nature 7 September 2000
`Professor Park does more than debunk, he crucifies...You'll never
again waste time or your money on astrologers, 'quantum healers',
homeopaths, spoonbenders, perpetual motion merchants, or
alien-abduction fantasists.'
Richard Dawkins
`addictively entertaining...a brave and brilliant quest'
The Times 12 October 2000
`If you want more books on sideways thinking, go straight to Robert
Park's excellent Voodoo Science: The road from foolishness to
fraud.'
New Scientist 18/11/00
`...a brave and witty quest to alert us to the nonsense being
dressed up as science...It is an addictively entertaining read, and
a must for anyone who thinks that shuffling their houseplants
around will bring them love and a lottery win in 2001.'
Times Books, 6th December 2000
`This book was a joy and an entertainment. I read it like a good
novel coupled with the sense of self-improvement...This book I
didn't want to end and its review was a labour of love.'
Prof Michael Baum, Healthwatch Newsletter April 2001
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