String Theory Is Not Pseudo Science

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String theory is an interesting example of this kind of a part of the reson i use the language fringe. It has to have an edge, which is a little riskier, or no new ideas are ever going to happen. At the same time, that edge has a lot of weird stuff at it that you don't want to let into the main stream. People who are looking for non conventional propulsion mechanisms for long distance space travel, you have to take some really weird ideas seriously if you want to make progress there. But they're pretty weird, and so you're going to waste a lot of time, but it might be worth it in the long run.

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.