Science or Pseudoscience: Magnetic Healing, Psychic Phenomena, and Other Heterodoxies

by Henry H. Bauer

A lively argument for "pseudoscience" not as the opposite of science, but as something that develops parallel to it and should not be dismissed out of hand. Bauer (professor emeritus, chemistry, Virginia Tech) declares that on examination pseudoscience, or "anomalistics," turns out to be less an intellectual category than an epithet, and that "exploring mysteries in the realm of anomalistics, as in that of science, brings home the vastness of human ignorance." His thoughtful comparison of anomalistics and science works to illuminate the nature of science, of truth, and of knowledge seeking in general. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Genres: Science, Nonfiction

275 pages, Hardcover

First published September 14, 2000

Reviews

[A.R. Bredenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the only book-length treatment I've read about the fascinating field of anomalistics. Bauer gives some useful guidelines for evaluating extraordinary claims. He also provides a good critique of those who claim to be skeptics and like to throw around terms like 'pseudoscience' and 'anti-science.'

ARK -- 9 June 2017