Science and Pseudoscience: A Conversation with Michael Gordin

Howard Burton

oct 2020 · Open Agenda Publishing

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This book is based on an in-depth filmed conversation between Howard Burton and Michael Gordin, Rosengarten Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at Princeton University. This thought-provoking, extensive conversation examines the strange case of Immanuel Velikovsky, author of the bestselling book “Worlds in Collision” that managed to provocatively combine unbridled scientific speculation with ancient myth, as a way of probing the often-problematic boundary between science and pseudoscience.

By all accounts, Velikovsky was a decidedly curious character. The notorious Russian-born doctor-turned psychoanalyst-turned astronomer-historian-autodidact not only had a flair for writing and boatloads of charisma and energy, he also was on record for making a couple of concrete predictions of his radical new theory of the solar system that turned out, much to the dismay of the authorities of the day, to actually be correct.

This carefully-edited book includes an introduction, Harnessing the Fringe, and questions for discussion at the end of each chapter:

I. A Counterculture Hero - Introducing Immanuel Velikovsky

II. An Ideal Case - The historical allure of Velikovsky

III. The Lysenko Lesson - Science meets politics

IV. A Freudian Cosmology - Validation by hostility

V. Enter Einstein - Velikovsky makes predictions

VI. Responses and Reactions - Publicity and hostility

VII. Digging In - Unorthodox, up to a point

VIII. Science vs. Pseudoscience - In search of a bright line

IX. Fringe Benefits - Seeking a balance

X. Learning From History - Towards better science?

XI. Anthropic Digression - Falsifiability today

XII. Better Science? - Educated by history

About Ideas Roadshow Conversations: Presented in an accessible, conversational format, Ideas Roadshow books not only explore frontline academic research but also reveal the inspirations and personal journeys behind the research.