Psychics may not be able to predict the future or sense your thoughts.  Nonetheless, they rake in hundreds of millions of dollars every year.  But the harm from pseudoscience can go far beyond your wallet – especially when it promotes unscientific treatments for serious disease.  Find out what alarming discovery led one naturopath to quit her practice and why scientific ignorance is not bliss. 

It’s our regular look at critical thinking, but don’t take our word for it.

Guests:

  • Robert PalmerMember of the Guerilla Skeptics on the Wikipedia editing team and columnist for the Skeptical Inquirer on-line magazine
  • Lee McIntyreResearch fellow at the Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University and lecturer on ethics at Harvard Extension School

  • Britt Marie HermesFormer naturopath doctor; now doctoral student in evolutionary genetics at the University of Kiel, Germany

Segments:

Part 1: Robert Palmer / Psychic Pscam
Part 2: Lee McIntyre / The Rise of Denial
Part 3: Lee McIntyre / Engaging Disbelievers
Part 4: Britt Hermes / Science Convert

Descripción en español

originally aired November 25, 2019

Podcast also available on PocketCasts, SoundCloud, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and RSS.

2026 Webby Award Nominee
for our three part series on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

Big Picture Science is an immersive radio show and podcast that reveals the unexpected connections in science.

Our Skeptic Check episodes take a critical look at extraordinary science claims and pseudoscience.

Don’t settle for a science snapshot. Get the big picture. 

Hosted By

Molly Bentley Executive Producer and Co-Host, Big Picture Science  

Seth Shostak Producer and Co-Host, Big Picture Science
Senior Astronomer, SETI Institute

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