The author discusses his book, "On the Fringe: When Science Meets Pseudoscience," the Princeton University Pre-read for the Class of '29. Free books for registrants available while supply lasts.
President Eisgruber’s Princeton Pre-read selection for the Class of 2029 is "On the Fringe: When Science Meets Pseudoscience" by Professor Michael D. Gordin, the Dean of the College. Gordin will be in conversation with Professor Corina Tatina at this event. Members of the Princeton community are encouraged to read the book prior the event.
Free books, provided by Princeton University for the community, will be available (while supplies last) to those who register for the program.
About the Book (from the publisher):
Everyone has heard of the term "pseudoscience", typically used to describe something that looks like science, but is somehow false, misleading, or unproven. Many would be able to agree on a list of things that fall under its umbrella-- astrology, phrenology, UFOlogy, creationism, and eugenics might come to mind. But defining what makes these fields "pseudo" is a far more complex issue. It has proved impossible to come up with a simple criterion that enables us to differentiate pseudoscience from genuine science. Given the virulence of contemporary disputes over the denial of climate change and anti-vaccination movements--both of which display allegations of "pseudoscience" on all sides-- there is a clear need to better understand issues of scientific demarcation.
"On the Fringe" explores the philosophical and historical attempts to address this problem of demarcation. This book argues that by understanding doctrines that are often seen as antithetical to science, we can learn a great deal about how science operated in the past and does today. This exploration raises several questions: How does a doctrine become demonized as pseudoscientific? Who has the authority to make these pronouncements? How is the status of science shaped by political or cultural contexts? How does pseudoscience differ from scientific fraud?
About the Author:
Michael D. Gordin is Rosengarten Professor of Modern and Contemporary History and the director of the Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts at Princeton University. He specializes in the history of modern science in Russia, Europe, and North America, in particular on issues related to the history of fringe science, the early years of the nuclear arms race, Russian and Soviet science, language and science, and Albert Einstein. He is the author of "The Pseudoscience Wars: Immanuel Velikovsky and the Birth of the Modern Fringe," "Scientific Babel: How Science Was Done Before and After Global English," and "Red Cloud at Dawn: Truman, Stalin, and the End of the Atomic Monopoly."
About The Princeton Pre-read Tradition:
The Pre-read program, initiated by President Christopher L. Eisgruber in 2013, introduces incoming undergraduate students to Princeton’s intellectual life. Members of the incoming class join together to read and discuss a book that President Eisgruber selects and sends to first-year students prior to their arrival on campus. First-year students then participate in Pre-read discussions with student leaders during Orientation Week and with President Eisgruber over the course of the academic year. Other University community members also are encouraged to read and discuss the Pre-read selection. Learn more at this link.
Co-sponsored by the library and Princeton University
