How do we know when a scientific community is doing the right thing, and that h the fringers don't turn out to be right? I mean, let's go back to einstein. And you have this whole section on a arian physics, german physics, and anda philip lannard,. To what extent einstein was not taken seriously the beginning? And then how did he get acceptance all the way up to the eddington eclipse ex ments?, asks Dr Shermer.
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.