Nonsense On Stilts

Author: Massimo Pigliucci

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  • : $54.99 AUD
  • : 9780226667867
  • : University of Chicago Press
  • : University of Chicago Press
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  • : 0.516
  • : May 2010
  • : .9 Inches X 6 Inches X 9 Inches
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  • : 29.95
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  • : books

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  • : Massimo Pigliucci
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  • : Paperback
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  • : English
  • : 500
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  • : 336
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Barcode 9780226667867
9780226667867

Description

Recent polls suggest that fewer than 40 per cent of Americans believe in Darwin's theory of evolution, despite it being one of science's best-established findings. More and more parents are refusing to vaccinate their children for fear it causes autism, though this link has been consistently disproved. And about 40 per cent of Americans believe that the threat of global warming is exaggerated, despite near consensus in the scientific community that manmade climate change is real. Why do people believe bunk? And what causes them to embrace such pseudoscientific beliefs and practices? Noted skeptic Massimo Pigliucci sets out to separate the fact from the fantasy in this entertaining exploration of the nature of science, the borderlands of fringe science, and - borrowing a famous phrase from philosopher Jeremy Bentham - the nonsense on stilts. Presenting case studies on a number of controversial topics, Pigliucci cuts through the ambiguity surrounding science to look more closely at how science is conducted, how it is disseminated, how it is interpreted, and what it means to our society.