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“[I]n this most scientific of all ages, pseudoscience seems to be flourishing.”

A distinguished Australian scientist says what those of us who have giggled through Don DeLillo’s White Noise know: The smarter we get, the dumber we get. The Age of Information is The Age of the Idjit. “The greater the scientific advance,” one of DeLillo’s characters explains, “the more primitive the fear.”

So universities have to be careful, because millions of highly advanced people believe all sorts of bullshit, especially about medical therapies (“chiropractic, homeopathy, iridology and reflexology”) that don’t belong in university degree programs because no empirical basis exists for them and because they divert resources from legitimate therapies. This blog has chronicled the efforts – often successful in the US – of reputable scientists to keep reputable universities from starting chiropractic programs in particular. A group of concerned international scientists is now “urging the vice chancellors [of Australian universities] to review the teaching of these courses and come up with a statement on the issue when they meet in March.” Quite a number of Australian universities – many of them public-funded – are handing out degrees in pretty whacked-out stuff.

Margaret Soltan, February 6, 2012 11:58AM
Posted in: march of science

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One Response to ““[I]n this most scientific of all ages, pseudoscience seems to be flourishing.””

  1. dmf Says:

    yep, the idea that having science reqs for gen.ed. has somehow produced a more scientifically literate public is sadly mistaken, I can’t tell you many folks who rail against global warming deniers as being un/anti-scientific buy into all kinds of whacky stances on health and medicine.
    to borrow a line we have never been modern, but in these days of cash strapped universities and hospitals monied bullshit talks and scientific reason walks.

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