علم تحت حمله: عصر بی‌منطقی

Evidence and logic are lacking in many areas of public debate today on hot-button issues ranging from dietary fat to vaccination. In Science Under Attack, Dr. Alexander shows how science is being abused, sidelined or ignored, making it difficult or impossible for the public to form a reasoned opinion about important issues. Readers will learn why science is becoming more corrupt, and also how it is being abused for political and economic gain, support of activism, or the propping up of religious beliefs.To illustrate how science is being ignored and abused, the author examines six different issues and the way they are currently discussed: evolution, dietary fat, climate change, vaccination, GMO crops and continental drift. In his research, he has gone back to the original source wherever possible rather than quoting second-hand sources, adding a degree of accuracy and nuance often missing. The controversial assertion that science does not support the conventional wisdom on climate change should be of particular interest. Alexander shows that the scientific evidence for a substantial human contribution to climate change is actually flimsy, and he demonstrates the fallacy of comparing the strong link between smoking and lung cancer to the much weaker connection between human activity and global warming. Cover ......Page 0 Halftitle ......Page 2 Title ......Page 4 Copyright ......Page 5 Table of Contents......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 Chapter 1. Background......Page 14 Chapter 2. Continental Drift: A Threat to the Estab lishment......Page 38 Chapter 3. Evolution and Creationism: Science vs Religion......Page 58 Chapter 4. Dietary Fat: Nutritional Politics......Page 88 Chapter 5. Climate Change: Environmental Politics......Page 116 Chapter 6. Vaccination: Exploitation of Fear......Page 152 Chapter 7. GMO Foods: Fear of a Frankenstein......Page 180 Chapter 8. The Assau lt on Science......Page 208 Glossary ......Page 232 Bibliography......Page 236 Index......Page 242 Background -- Continental drift : a threat to the establishment -- Evolution and creationism : science vs religion -- Dietary fat : nutritional politics -- Climate change : environmental politics -- Vaccination : exploitation of fear -- Gmo foods : fear of a frankenstein -- Science under attack