NPR

What Is Pseudoscience?

Though it's hard to pin down what makes science science, certain criteria can help us spot pseudoscience when it presents itself as science, says psychologist Tania Lombrozo.
Source: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Drawing the boundary between science and pseudoscience isn't always straightforward.

Amid the clear extremes is a murky territory occupied by bad science, fraudulent science, and sometimes even religion. Is creation science, for example, an example of bad science, pseudoscience, or something else entirely?

One reason that differentiating science from pseudoscience matters is because many individual and institutional decisions depend upon our best understanding of the natural world — an understanding that science is uniquely poised to provide. Social and

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR2 min readCrime & Violence
Luis Rubiales Faces Sexual Assault Trial For Unsolicited Kiss At World Cup
The case against the ex-Spanish soccer federation head who kissed player Jenni Hermoso without consent is going to trial, a judge ruled. Three others will be tried for allegedly pressuring Hermoso.
NPR3 min read
Tornadoes Tear Through The Southeastern U.S. As Storms Leave 3 Dead
Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the U.S. could march through parts of the South early Thursday, after deadly storms a day earlier spawned damaging tornadoes and massive hail.
NPR5 min readCrime & Violence
Migrant Crime Is Politically Charged, But The Reality Is More Complicated
Republicans have raised the alarm about a migrant crime wave. Nationally, crime is down even as immigration has surged, but the concerns are real in some neighborhoods.

Related Books & Audiobooks