Michael gordon talks about how science can deal with conceptual problems. How to talk to a climate denier, creationist or holicos denyer. And then we end talking about some of the bigger issues of free will and determinism. It's always good to keep an open mind but on the other hand, people on the fringe turn out not to be right - so it's good to be sceptical.
Everyone has heard of the term “pseudoscience”, typically used to describe something that looks like science, but is somehow false, misleading, or unproven. Many would be able to agree on a list of things that fall under its umbrella — astrology, phrenology, UFOlogy, creationism, and eugenics might come to mind. But defining what makes these fields “pseudo” is a far more complex issue. Given the virulence of contemporary disputes over the denial of climate change and anti-vaccination movements — both of which display allegations of “pseudoscience” on all sides — there is a clear need to better understand issues of scientific demarcation. Shermer and Gordin explore the philosophical and historical attempts to address this problem of demarcation.