We're sunsetting PodQuest on 2025-07-28. Thank you for your support!
Export Podcast Subscriptions
cover of episode The authors of 'Pseudoscience' explore and debunk your favorite conspiracy theories

The authors of 'Pseudoscience' explore and debunk your favorite conspiracy theories

2025/2/27
logo of podcast NPR's Book of the Day

NPR's Book of the Day
AI Deep Dive AI Chapters Transcript
People
A
Andrew Limbaugh
A
Ayesha Rascoe
D
Dr. Lydia Kang
N
Nate Peterson
Topics
Andrew Limbaugh: 人们对阴谋论，即使是一些看似无害的，例如外星人或人体自燃，都存在着某种吸引力。 Nate Peterson 和 Dr. Lydia Kang: 大脚怪是真实存在的，人们喜欢相信这些神秘的生物仍然存在并保持神秘感。本书探讨了各种伪科学，从外星人到地球是平的，甚至测谎仪。其中一个有趣的例子是人体自燃，虽然实际上并不存在真正意义上的人体自燃，但确实存在看起来像是自燃的人体燃烧事件，其原因是灯芯效应。 Dr. Lydia Kang: 人体自燃事件看起来很奇怪，是因为人体就像一根蜡烛，衣服可以作为灯芯，脂肪可以作为蜡。灯芯效应指的是，衣服可以作为灯芯，人体脂肪可以作为蜡，从而导致人体燃烧。 Nate Peterson: 人体自燃观念的传播与禁酒运动有关。1774年氧气被分离出来后，人们认为呼吸本身就是一种燃烧，这导致了酒精饮用与自燃之间被联系起来。禁酒运动利用了人们对自燃的恐惧来争取支持。伪科学可以被各种运动利用来达到其目的。 Dr. Lydia Kang: 这本书选择不包含一些严重的议题，例如大屠杀否认和同性恋转化疗法，因为这些议题不适合用轻松的语气来讨论。 Ayesha Rascoe: 阴谋论的传播不仅是因为无知，也可能是因为人们知道得足够多，以至于会产生危险或被误导。 Dr. Lydia Kang: 阴谋论和伪科学之所以存在，是因为知识的缺失、对大型机构的不信任以及两者结合的结果。 Nate Peterson: 这本书希望通过展现历史，让人们从过去吸取教训，避免对伪科学做出错误的判断。

Deep Dive

Chapters
The episode starts by acknowledging the appeal of conspiracy theories, even those seemingly harmless, and introduces the book "Pseudoscience" by Nate Peterson and Dr. Lydia Kang, which explores the reasons behind our fascination with bizarre explanations.
  • Conspiracy theories, even seemingly harmless ones, hold a certain allure.
  • The book "Pseudoscience" explores the reasons behind our fascination with bizarre explanations.
  • Examples of such theories include the existence of aliens and spontaneous human combustion.

Shownotes Transcript

Strange stories are often used to fill gaps in human knowledge. But why do people love bizarre explanations for the unexplained? Dr. Lydia Kang and Nate Pedersen look to answer this in their new book, *Pseudoscience: An Amusing History of Crackpot Ideas and Why We Love Them. *In today's episode, Kang and Pedersen speak with NPR's Ayesha Rascoe about some of the most popular conspiracies, being careful about which ones to indulge in, and the dangers of being misinformed.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices)NPR Privacy Policy)