Featured image: A random number generator at the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research Lab, purported to change behavior when you push it with your mind. (courtesy PEAR)
In this Halloween show, we examine a question fundamental to science: what is rigorous enough to be real science? Pseudoscience, or fringe science, is difficult to pin down and sometimes yields revelations in scientific understanding. However, in its worst forms it misleads and distracts from real discovery. Learn from Ingrid Ockert how “In Search Of” became a hit show in the 60s and 70s to Carl Sagan’s chagrin, and how the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research Laboratory studied the influence of minds over matter on the Princeton campus for 28 years. All this closes with musings adapted from Princeton’s Michael Gordin, and a discussion on how fringe science only exists as a shadow of the scientific enterprise.
In other news:
- A newly discovered dinosaur had teeth serrated like knives, and they sharpened them just by chewing!
- Neanderthals independently developed nasal cavities for cold air, just like we did—but it may have contributed to their downfall as the Earth warmed.
- There are aurora on Jupiter’s north and south poles, and we’re just starting to understand why their timing is different based on new data from Juno.
The full playlist can be found on WPRB.com or below.
These Vibes Are Too Cosmic 