Science and the Skeptic: Discerning Fact from Fiction

by Marc Zimmer

Overview

Fake news, pseudoscience, and quackery have become scourges, spreading through society from social media all the way to Congress.

The line between entertainment and reality, between fact and fiction, has become blurred. Some of the most crucial issues of our time—climate change, vaccines, and genetically modified organisms—have become prime targets for nefarious disinformation campaigns. Far too many people have become distrustful of real science. Even those who still trust science no longer know what to believe or how to identify the truth. Not only does this result in the devaluation and distrust of real science, but it is also dangerous: people acting based on false information can hurt themselves or those around them.

We must equip ourselves with the knowledge and skills to fight back against all this disinformation. InScience and the Skeptic: Discerning Fact from Fiction, you will learn how science is done, from the basic scientific method to the vetting process that scientific papers must go through to become published; how and why some people intentionally or unintentionally spread misinformation; and the dangers in believing and spreading false information. You'll also find twenty easy-to-follow rules for distinguishing fake science from the real deal. Armed with this book, empower yourself with knowledge, learning what information to trust and what to dismiss as deceit.

"We're not just fighting an epidemic; we're fighting an infodemic. . . . This is a time for facts, not fear. This is a time for rationality, not rumors. This is a time for solidarity, not stigma."—Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO

"Our deepest beliefs should help navigate reality, not determine it."—Michael Gersen, The Washington Post

"Journalism is very much about trying to simplify and distribute information about what's new and where advances have been made. That's incompatible with the scientific process, which can take a long time to build a body of evidence."—Kelly McBride, Poynter Institute

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728455952
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	02/01/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	120
File size:	14 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	13 - 14 Years

About the Author

Marc Zimmer is the author of several nonfiction young adult books and a professor at Connecticut College, where he teaches chemistry and studies the proteins involved in producing light in jellyfish and fireflies. He received his Ph.D. in chemistry from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and did his post-doc at Yale University. He has published articles on science and medicine for the Los Angeles Times, USA Today and the Huffington Post, among many other publications. He lives in Waterford, Connecticut with his wife, their two children, and a genetically modified fluorescent mouse named Prometheus.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 What Is Science? 4

Chapter 2 Fake Science 26

Chapter 3 This Is Science, Not Politics 43

Chapter 4 Quackery 76

Chapter 5 The Twenty Rules 101

Glossary 107

Source Notes 110

Selected Bibliography 115

Further Information 116

Index 118

Editorial Reviews

"This slim but rich book on approaching science news with healthy skepticism would be an excellent and welcome addition to junior high or high school nonfiction collections."—starred, School Library Journal

From the Publisher

★ 03/01/2022

Gr 7 Up—With the goal of teaching readers "how to distinguish fake science from the real deal," chemistry professor Zimmer breaks down the scientific method, politically motivated disputes over and disavowals of scientific topics, and quackery—providing 20 succinct and easy-to-understand rules for telling the differences between legitimate scientific discoveries and hoaxes. These rules are presented as they come up in each of the first four chapters, while the final chapter is devoted to reiterating the what and the why of each rule in order. Interwoven in the book's fast-paced and accessible narrative are special highlighted sections on timely scientific controversies, including COVID, climate change, anti-vax protesters, and GMO foods. Color illustrations are numerous, appropriately sized, and clearly captioned. The book concludes with a glossary of key terms; detailed source notes; a selected bibliography; a list of books, fact-checking websites, and online science news sources for even further inquiry; and an index. VERDICT This slim but rich book on approaching science news with healthy skepticism would be an excellent and welcome addition to junior high or high school nonfiction collections.—Kelly Kingrey-Edwards

School Library Journal

2021-12-16
A primer on the practice and evaluation of science for teen readers.

Using summaries of scientific discoveries to form a narrative, straightforward text describes the tenets of science and the ways in which they are challenged in current public discourse. Included is information on the process of peer review, the rise of internet disinformation, common cognitive biases, the politicization of established facts, and the techniques of scam artists. A final chapter sums up 20 rules to help readers distinguish legitimate research from spurious claims. Perhaps most useful for anyone in today’s information economy is the following advice: “Beware if a piece of news or a social media post stirs up intense feelings, especially outrage. It was most likely designed to short-circuit your critical-thinking skills by playing on your emotions.” Valuable too is the identification of clickbait and the guidance on reading peer-reviewed scientific articles. The no-nonsense narration is effective and illuminating, particularly the analogy comparing the mystery of nature to a jigsaw puzzle without a box: “scientists need to find the pieces and put them in the correct place.” The context offered here should allow budding scholars to do just that.

Timely, practical, and all too important. (glossary, source notes, bibliography, further reading, index, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews