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"In a time of dazzling scientific progress, how are we to separate genuine breakthroughs from the noisy gaggle of false claims? Touching on everything from Deepak Chopra's "quantum alternative to growing old" and "free energy" machines to unwarranted hype surrounding the International Space Station, Robert L. Park leads us through the dim back alleys of fringe science, down the gleaming corridors of Washington power, and even into our evolutionary past to search out the origins of voodoo science. Along the way, Park offers some simple and engaging science lessons, showing us that you don't have to be a scientist to spot the foolish and fraudulent science that swirls around us." "To expose the forces that sustain voodoo science, Park closely examines the role of the media, the courts, bureaucrats, and politicians, as well as the scientific community. Scientists, he observes, insist that the cure for voodoo science is to raise the general scientific literacy. But what is it that a scientifically literate society should know? It is not specific knowledge of science the public needs, Park argues, so much as a scientific world view - an understanding that we live in an orderly universe governed by natural laws that cannot be circumvented by magic or miracles."--Jacket.… (more)
User reviews
Physicist Robert Park begins this wide survey of bad science with a discussion of how the media is helping to confuse Americans by regularly covering stories of exciting, but
Though Park discusses some of the usual suspects such as homeopathy, astrology, and Deepak Chopra’s quantum stretches, he also spends a lot of time looking at more conventional scientific issues such as the manned space program. Park eloquently explains how politics, national pride and emotion have contributed to the wasting billions of dollars on a program that is—from a scientific standpoint—totally not worth it.
The chapter that I enjoyed the most is the one in which Park did a detailed breakdown of the EMF scare that began when a seriously flawed study showed a correlation between rates of childhood leukemia and the proximity of power lines. Park explains how that one flawed study, combined with an overzealous reporter trying to sell books, kept that fear alive for decades, causing great suffering to both parents and those with houses near suspect power lines, not to mention the diversion of enormous amounts of money to numerous follow up studies that ultimately showed that there was absolutely no connection.
Despite the findings of solid science on the EMF-cancer connection, the fear may well have been kept alive by hungry lawyers looking for the next big tort payday had it not been for some positive developments in how the courts relate to matters of science. Strong precedent has now been set requiring any science testimony admitted to an argument to be based on sound, accepted principles and not simply on some fringe scientists’ willingness to say that anything might cause cancer in exchange for a paycheck.
Despite this very positive step, Park’s book makes it clear that the public’s lack of basic scientific literacy allows people to be exploited and manipulated in unacceptable ways. Though parts of the book go into more scientific detail than I generally find interesting, Park’s argument is so compelling I made a point of re-reading these sections, making sure I understood them, so that I hopefully will no longer be part of the problem.
Professor Park's examples, from SDI proponents to UFO worshippers to technophobes to my favorite, perpetual motion machine enthousiasts truly covers a wide swath of people. Being an electrical engineer, I have had the distinct displeasure of dealing with two issues in particular, one is the perpetual motion machine and the other is the power line controversy. We all knew that the claims are bunk, but it was hard to convince the layman. Hence the opportunity for people to mislead themselves or to be mislead by others.
This book clears up a lot of the arguments presented by the voodoo scientists. The moment, as described by Professor Park, that these hucksters are revealed are the best moments of the reading. It redeems our faith in science and technology as well as strikes a blow for competent scientists everywhere.
His description of Edward Teller and SDI as well as the Space station fiasco very much reaffirms all that we have suspected and further reveals the lack of technical depth that is plaguing the leadership of our governemnt. His description of the expert panels mandated by law to review technical claims actually gave me a sense of relief, that yes there are redeemable qulaities for the legal profession.
Overall, this was a great book to read and it was all very enjoyable, especially if you have followed some of these cases closely.
Robert Park is a professor of physics and if you don't know this about the book jacket it would become apparent when he describes global warming, coin tossing and magnets. As well as perpetual motion machines and cold fusion. Park also laments the TM movement in Washington DC, (he
17-2001