Skeptic Check: Betting on Pseudoscience (rebroadcast)

Big Picture Science

Science, Technology

4.6 • 986 Ratings

🗓️ 11 January 2021

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Psychics may not be able to predict the future or sense your thoughts. Nonetheless, they rake in hundreds of millions of dollars every year. But the harm from pseudoscience can go far beyond your wallet – especially when it promotes unscientific treatments for serious disease. Find out what alarming discovery led one naturopath to quit her practice and why scientific ignorance is not bliss. It’s our regular look at critical thinking, but don’t take our word for it. Guests: Robert Palmer – Member of the Guerilla Skeptics on the Wikipedia editing team and columnist for the Skeptical Inquirer on-line magazine Lee McIntyre – Research fellow at the Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University and lecturer on ethics at Harvard Extension School Britt Marie Hermes – Former naturopath doctor; now doctoral student in evolutionary genetics at the University of Kiel, Germany Originally aired November 25, 2019 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:32.2	Tech moves fast so keep pace with the daily crunch podcast from Tech
0:38.0	crunch with new episodes every day this podcast will give you a quick overview on everything you need and should
0:44.9	know about startups new tech regulations and more listen to Tech Crunch
0:50.7	Daily Crunch now wherever you get your podcasts that's Tech Crunch Daily Crunch Now, wherever you get your podcasts.
0:54.3	That's Tech Crunch Daily Crunch,
0:56.6	wherever you get your podcasts. I'm not a professional psychic but I can do what's called a cold reading.
1:15.6	Anyone with an act for gauging psychological and emotional states can do it.
1:20.0	But what's the harm at a cold reading or even seeing a self-described psychic?
1:25.0	Well, for one, are you ready to part with a hard-earned stash of cash?
1:29.5	Reading Minds is a multi- billion dollar business.
1:33.0	I'm Seth Shostak.
1:35.0	I'm Molly Bentley. This is big picture science produced at the city institute
1:38.0	and in this episode of our regular look at critical thinking,
	...

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