It has been a while since palaeontologist Donald Prothero visited us on Atheists Talk, and he's been busy. We have some catching up to do. Just this summer, Prothero released two books to help us sort out good information and good science from poor information and pseudoscience. In Abominable Science!, he and Daniel Loxton sort through the nature and the quality of the evidence for and against creatures like Bigfoot and Nessie. They highlight the differences between science and pseudoscience and examine the will to believe.
In Reality Check, Prothero looks at science denialism and the topics that hit closer to home. While a belief in Nessie won't hurt most people, denial of the scientific consensus behind childhood vaccination or global warming has a much more serious effect. Prothero lays out the motives and methods of denialists.
This Sunday, he joins us to talk about both books.
Related Links:
- Abominable Science! Origins of the Yeti, Nessie, and Other Famous Cryptids on Amazon
- Reality Check: How Science Deniers Threaten Our Future on Amazon
- Donald Prothero's website
- Donald Prothero at SkepticBlog
- Donald Prothero on Atheists Talk #136, Sunday, October 9, 2011
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