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The Borderlands of Science: Where Sense Meets Nonsense

by Michael Shermer
Save up to 23%
The Borderlands of Science: Where Sense Meets Nonsense - Thryft
The Borderlands of Science: Where Sense Meets Nonsense - Thryft

Exploring science's boundary with pseudoscience.

If you find yourself fascinated by the constantly blurred lines between scientific discovery and the allure of pseudoscience, "The Borderlands of Science" might just be the book to help you navigate this tricky terrain. Shermer's incisive analysis offers tools to discern real breakthroughs from enticing but unsubstantiated claims, drawing on examples that span from the cosmos to Big Foot. This enlightening journey could help ground your understanding in a world brimming with both wonders and wild theories.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.
Sale

The Borderlands of Science: Where Sense Meets Nonsense

by Michael Shermer
Save up to 23%
Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Very Good Condition

This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Good Condition

We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

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ISBN: 9780195143263
Author: Michael Shermer
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Date of Publication: 2001-05-17
Format: Hardcover
Related Collections: Religion, History, Philosophy, Science
Related Topics: History, Atheism, History, Psychology
Goodreads rating: 3.62
(rated by 622 readers)

Description

As author of the bestselling Why People Believe Weird Things and How We Believe , and Editor-in-Chief of Skeptic magazine, Michael Shermer has emerged as the nation's number one scourge of superstition and bad science. Now, in The Borderlands of Science , he takes us to the place where realscience (such as the big bang theory), borderland science (superstring theory), and just plain nonsense (Big Foot) collide with one another.Shermer argues that science is the best lens through which to view the world, but he recognizes that it's often difficult for most of us to tell where valid science leaves off and borderland science begins. To help us, Shermer looks at a range of topics that put the boundary line in highrelief. For instance, he discusses the many "theories of everything" that try to reduce the complexity of the world to a single principle, and shows how most fall into the category of pseudoscience. He examines the work of Darwin and Freud, explaining why one is among the great scientists inhistory, while the other has become nothing more than a historical curiosity. He also shows how Carl Sagan's life exemplified the struggle we all face to find a balance between being open-minded enough to recognize radical new ideas but not so open-minded that our brains fall out. And finally, hereveals how scientists themselves can be led astray, as seen in the infamous Piltdown Hoax.Michael Shermer's enlightening volume will be a valuable aid to anyone bewildered by the many scientific theories swirling about. It will help us stay grounded in common sense as we try to evaluate everything from SETI and acupuncture to hypnosis and cloning.
 

Exploring science's boundary with pseudoscience.

If you find yourself fascinated by the constantly blurred lines between scientific discovery and the allure of pseudoscience, "The Borderlands of Science" might just be the book to help you navigate this tricky terrain. Shermer's incisive analysis offers tools to discern real breakthroughs from enticing but unsubstantiated claims, drawing on examples that span from the cosmos to Big Foot. This enlightening journey could help ground your understanding in a world brimming with both wonders and wild theories.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

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