Science Fictions by Stuart Ritchie
So much relies on science. But what if science itself can’t be relied on? Medicine, education, psychology, health, parenting – wherever it really matters, we look to science for guidance. Science Fictions reveals the disturbing flaws that undermine our understanding of all of these fields and more. While the scientific method will always be our best and only way of knowing about the world, in reality the current system of funding and publishing science not only fails to safeguard against scientists’ inescapable biases and foibles, it actively encourages them. Many widely accepted and highly influential theories and claims – about ‘priming’ and ‘growth mindset’, sleep and nutrition, genes and the microbiome, as well as a host of drugs, allergies and therapies – turn out to be based on unreliable, exaggerated and even fraudulent papers. We can trace their influence in everything from austerity economics to the anti-vaccination movement, and occasionally count the cost of them in human lives. Stuart Ritchie has been at the vanguard of a new reform movement within science aimed at exposing and fixing these problems. In this vital investigation, he gathers together the evidence of their full and shocking extent and proposes a host of remedies to save and protect this most valuable of human endeavours from itself.
Thrilling.. Ritchie reminds us that another world is possible * The Times *
Fascinating and often shocking * Sunday Times, Best Paperbacks of 2021 *
The most important science story of our times ... evocative and engaging ... sometimes funny, sometimes shocking * Unherd *
Excellent ... we need better science. That's why books like this are so important * Evening Standard *
Entertaining ... revelatory ... brilliantly highlights the problems in current practices and sets out a path towards new ones * Daily Mail *
Fascinating and often shocking * Sunday Times, Best Paperbacks of 2021 *
The most important science story of our times ... evocative and engaging ... sometimes funny, sometimes shocking * Unherd *
Excellent ... we need better science. That's why books like this are so important * Evening Standard *
Entertaining ... revelatory ... brilliantly highlights the problems in current practices and sets out a path towards new ones * Daily Mail *
Dr Stuart Ritchie is a Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London and winner of the 2015 ‘Rising Star’ award from the Association for Psychological Science. He has written for The Times, Spectator, Washington Post, Wired, Literary Review and Aeon, and has appeared on BBC Radio 4 programmes The Infinite Monkey Cage, More or Less and Bringing Up Britain. His Twitter account is @StuartJRitchie.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781847925664 |
| ISBN 10 | 1847925669 |
| Title | Science Fictions |
| Author | Stuart Ritchie |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Vintage Publishing |
| Year published | 2020-07-16 |
| Number of pages | 368 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |