E7 — Pseudoscience (with Gregor Greslehner)

Pseudoscience is everywhere: from astrology, to flat earth theory and homeopathy. But what about the murkier cases? Psychoanalysis (at least, according to Karl Popper!) and anti-aging claims appear to be grounded in science, yet when you look closer, can their claims actually hold up to proper scientific scrutiny? And what happens when a theory, like creationism, doesn't even try — simply ignoring scientific facts altogether? Where does real science end and pseudoscience begin, and how is pseudoscience different from simply bad science?

Elek Lane and Tuomo Tiisala sit down with Gregor Greslehner (University of Vienna), a postdoctoral researcher with degrees in both molecular biology and philosophy, to map out the spectrum from science to bad science to pseudoscience. Listen in as they unpick the boundaries between them, and come away better equipped to spot the next pseudoscientific claim headed your way.

This episode was edited and mixed by Tuomo Tiisala. 

Music by Tuomo Tiisala and Gregor Greslehner.

Special thanks to Gregor Greslehner, Elek Lane, and Tuomo Tiisala.

Questions or comments? Write to kic@ceu.edu.