Pseudo-science

The accusation of pseudo-science is often made against those
involved in the New Age, and sometimes rightly so. But as Rupert
Sheldrake and Mark Vernon discuss in the latest episode of the
Sheldrake-Vernon Dialogues, there is a lot more to the sneering
and ridicule than meets the eye. They explore how science itself
might morph into pseudo-science, which is perhaps a reason that
scientists can be so nervous of novel ideas. They look at the
origins of science's authority in the modern world, and the power
of an impression of scientific rigour, whether or not justified.
They discuss various disciplines in particular, from physics and
biology, to economics, psychology and astrology. We need to be
able to discern what merits the label “scientific” and what does
not, especially in a time of pandemic, ecological and political
fear.