On the Fringe

Buchzusammenfassung

Michael D. Gordin is the Rosengarten Professor of Modern and Contemporary History and the director of the Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts at Princeton University. His books include Scientific Babel, The Pseudoscience Wars, and Red Cloud at Dawn.

Parapsychology, the study of extraordinary mental abilities, has long been marginalized by mainstream science despite occasional institutional support and notable figures like William James advocating for its exploration. The field gained attention in the 1970s when experiments on mentalist Uri Geller, funded partly by the CIA, suggested his abilities were genuine, sparking both intrigue and skepticism. Efforts like the establishment of CSICOP aimed to debunk paranormal claims, yet such phenomena persist in public discourse, often outpacing scientific scrutiny. The politicization of science has also shaped its trajectory, with examples like Nazi Germany and Stalinist Soviet Union distorting scientific principles to serve ideological agendas. Similarly, pseudosciences such as flat-Earth theories and UFOlogy thrive as counterinstitutional sciences, positioning themselves as defenders of truth against perceived establishment suppression. The demarcation problem, as outlined by Karl Popper, highlights the challenges in defining what constitutes science, with debates over pseudoscience remaining unresolved. While most pseudosciences are harmless, denialist movements like climate-change denial and anti-vaccination campaigns pose significant risks by undermining scientific consensus. Science, as a dynamic field, evolves by discarding outdated ideas, yet vestigial sciences like astrology and alchemy persist on the fringes, reflecting the enduring tension between progress and belief.

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