Sciences, pseudosciences, croyances et vérités — STREAM #10

Here is a recording of a roundtable discussion I participated in at the University of Namur, on the thorny and no less fascinating question of the boundaries between science and pseudoscience. This conversation with Olivier Sartenaer, physicist and philosopher of science, begins with an evocation of the intellectual journey of the early 20th-century Belgian biologist Hector Lebrun. This brilliant researcher sought to reconcile Charles Darwin's theory of evolution with Catholic creationist thought. We address topics as diverse as belief in a flat Earth, lithotherapy, the Law of Attraction, anti-vaccination, and environmental concerns. Is credulity linked to a lack of intelligence? Is the spiritual quest compatible with an interest in science? Has the Covid crisis revealed our glaring lack of rationality? S U P E R C E S To keep Méta de Choc alive, you can donate to: uTip: https://bit.ly/3tiam1D Tipeee: http://bit.ly/3e5abBb PayPal: https://bit.ly/3rnObFH (from €10 to avoid PayPal's exorbitant commission) LiberaPay: https://bit.ly/2WH4Lpt R E S O U R C E S Find numerous references on the Méta de Choc website: https://metadechoc.fr/podcast/science... F O L L O W Facebook: https://bit.ly/2yWeVXl Twitter: https://bit.ly/2xpJ5BH Instagram: https://bit.ly/2KPLclt LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3t1kQ4b PeerTube: https://bit.ly/3f5qX1b YouTube: https://bit.ly/35jqGmF TIME CODE S 01:56: Introduction: excerpt from the podcast Hector, biologist Hector Lebrun, critique of the theory of evolution, materialism, spiritualism, creationism, presentation of the speakers. 07:39: What distinguishes science from pseudoscience? Epistemological approach, blurred lines between science and pseudoscience, motivated reasoning, scientific doubt, does intelligence prevent credulity? Pseudosciences try to imitate science; parascience is not necessarily in conflict with science. 13:07: Are we witnessing a decline in rationality? Times of crisis are favorable to beliefs and trust in scientists. 17:45: What motivates adherence to pseudoscience? Pseudoscience embraces what seems natural to us: binary reasoning, science is counterintuitive, scientific complexity, the communal aspect of belief, identity issues, belief in a flat Earth, escalating commitment, sunk costs, distrust of the state, Big Pharma, science is associated with other institutions, bad science, controversies, retraction of scientific studies, the need for spirituality, the need to believe, describing the world, understanding the world, the increasing complexity of science, curiosity, anxiety, QAnon. 29:28: How can we separate science from belief? Markers of scientificity, reliability of the source, researcher's level of expertise, affiliation with an institution, conflict of interest, quality of the investigation. 31:34: Is popularizing science discouraging? Brandolini's Law, principle of asymmetry of nonsense, burden of proof, lithotherapy, healing through the power of stones, difference in means and impact, Isaac Azimov, popularization in schools, the wonder of science. 37:02: The consequences of adhering to a pseudoscience: excesses of lithotherapy, substitute for medical treatments, toxic stones, child labor, personal development, questioning one's beliefs. 39:53: Question from the audience: A difference in objectives? While inquiry is at the heart of the scientific approach, pseudosciences focus on the answer. 42:47: Question from the audience: How can science and spirituality be combined? Science does not answer existential questions. 46:45: Question from the audience: Is science based on beliefs? Creationism, intelligent drawing, knowledge is a kind of belief, Khun's paradigm, Georges Lemaître, Big Bang theory, register of meaning, science is not interested in the question of God. 51:44: Question from the audience: How can we escape the escalation of commitment? How can we prevent an escalation of commitment? How can we escape the climate crisis? #science #pseudoscience #spirituality