Rationally Speaking #10 - Nonsense on Stilts
Rationally Speaking Podcast
New York City Skeptics
4.6 • 787 Ratings
🗓️ 6 June 2010
⏱️ 31 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The focus of this episode is Massimo's new book, Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk. The book, broadly speaking, is about what philosopher Karl Popper famously called the demarcation problem: how do we tell the difference among science, non-science and pseudoscience? We explore the complex relationship among these, ranging from solid science like fundamental physics and evolutionary biology to definite pseudosciences like astrology and creationism. In the middle are the more interesting borderline areas that include the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, evolutionary psychology, and even superstring theory, to name but a few.
We also discuss other topics covered in the book, including the whole issue of expertise and Think Tanks, which plays such an important role especially in media presentations of issues such as evolution, climate change, HIV-AIDS, or the alleged connection between vaccines and autism. Julia and Massimo also address the ultimate question about pseudoscience: why do we care?
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Rationally speaking is a presentation of New York City skeptics dedicated to promoting critical thinking, skeptical inquiry, and science education. |
| 0:22.4 | For more information, please visit us at NYC Skeptics.org. |
| 0:31.4 | Welcome to Rationally Speaking, the podcast where we explore the borderlands between reason and nonsense. |
| 0:40.7 | I am your host, Massimo Piliucci, and with me as always is my co-host Julia Galev. |
| 0:45.7 | So, Julia, what are we going to talk about today, as if I didn't know on this particular occasion? |
| 0:50.1 | Well, today we're going to take an totally objective and unbiased look at a book called |
| 0:56.2 | Nonsense on Stilts, How to Tell Science from Bunk. |
| 0:59.3 | I think I know the author of that book. |
| 1:01.0 | Yeah, who's the author again? |
| 1:02.5 | Let me look this up. |
| 1:03.9 | Some philosopher, Massimo Pilucci. |
| 1:07.3 | Yeah, that's right. |
| 1:08.0 | I've heard of him. |
| 1:08.8 | That's right. |
| 1:09.3 | We're going to be a little bit self-indulgent this time. We're going to be talking about my own book. But we checked, |
| 1:14.7 | and plenty of other hosts, podcasts, and radio shows do that from time to time. And we figured |
| 1:19.7 | it is an interesting topic, so we might as well talk about it. Yeah, and, you know, everyone who's |
| 1:23.6 | anyone is talking about nonsense on stilts these days, so we didn't want to be left out. |
| 1:27.9 | Right. |
| 1:31.1 | So, Masamo, I've really enjoyed this book. |
| 1:31.9 | Thank you. And I thought it was really interesting because you take the, the classic demarcation problem |
| 1:37.1 | of how do you tell science from non-science, and you break it down into more complex questions, |
... |
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