Katie has a PhD in maths, specializing in the intersection of dynamical systems and number theory. She reports on topics from maths and history to society and animals. Katie has a PhD in maths, ...

Russell has a PhD in the history of medicine, violence, and colonialism. His research has explored topics including ethics, science governance, and medical involvement in violent contexts. Russell has ...

During my first term of full-time teaching in 1977, I used astrology as a case study in my course in the philosophy of science. The goal was to guide the students through the differences between ...

"When people become sick, any promise of a cure is beguiling. Common sense and the demand for evidence are easily supplanted by false hope. In this vulnerable state, the need for critical appraisal of ...

In this crazy era of climate change deniers, anti-vaxxers, and people who think giants built Ohio’s mounds, appreciating the difference between actual facts and “alternative facts” has never been more ...

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(via TEDEd) Pseudoscience is a set of theories, methods, and assumptions that appear scientific, but aren’t. In the worst cases, pseudoscience practitioners encourage this confusion to exploit people.

Dean of the College Michael D. Gordin’s book “On the Fringe: Where Science Meets Pseudoscience” has been named the Princeton Pre-read for the Class of 2029. The book, which uses history and philosophy ...

The COVID-19 pandemic and the politicization of health-prevention measures such as vaccination and mask-wearing have highlighted the need for people to accept and trust science. But trusting science ...

Often held up as a beacon of liberal democracy, West Germany experienced a “spasm of magical thinking” in the decades following World War II. Between 1947 and 1956, there were 77 witchcraft trials, ...

Of all the ways to discuss science, debating debunked antivaccine activists, historically speaking, is an awful idea. Having one moderated by a clueless contrarian, and buoyed by a loudmouthed ...