What happens when ideas presented as science lead us in the wrong direction? History is filled with brilliant ideas that gave rise to disaster, and this book explores the most fascinatingand significantmissteps: from opium's heyday as the pain reliever of choice to recognition of opioids as a major cause of death in the U.S.; from the rise of trans fats as the golden ingredient for tastier, cheaper food to the heart disease epidemic that followed;...

Based on the podcast known for battling sloppy reasoning, bad arguments, and superstitions with logical thinking, the "Skeptical Rogues" help readers try to make sense of an increasingly crazy world using critical thinking skills, science, and philosophy.

Based on the podcast known for battling sloppy reasoning, bad arguments, and superstitions with logical thinking, the "Skeptical Rogues" help readers try to make sense of an increasingly crazy world using critical thinking skills, science, and philosophy.

"Examines what is known about the human body today, and how different the facts are from what scientists, from ancient Egyptians to the recent past, believed to be true."--

"Science is how we understand the world. Yet critical flaws in peer review, statistical methods, and publication procedures have rendered a shocking number of scientific studies useless-or worse, badly misleading. Drawing on surprising new data from "meta-science" (the science of how science works), Science Fictions documents the errors that have distorted our knowledge on issues as varied as cancer biology, nutrition, genetics, immigration, education,...

"Did you know that hundreds of years ago, the sun orbited Earth? Actually, this isn't true, but people thought it was! Discover other missteps and odd theories in physics and astronomy."--

A falling apple inspired Isaac Newton's insight into the law of gravity-or so the story goes. Is it true? Perhaps not. But the more intriguing question is why such stories endure as explanations of how science happens. Among the myths refuted in this volume is the idea that no science was done in the Dark Ages, that alchemy and astrology were purely superstitious pursuits, that fear of public reaction alone led Darwin to delay publishing his theory...