Books
What nonsense! Pseudosciences and other absurd claims that should never be taken seriously
Science is limited by our ability to observe, question, and interpret nature. Pseudosciences, by contrast, are limited only by the imagination, vanity, and—often—the greed of those who promote them. That’s what makes them so seductive. And, as Natalia Pasternak and Carlos Orsi point out, that seduction can have dangerous consequences.
In their book, the authors take on 12 popular beliefs that crumble under scientific scrutiny, explaining how and why. Among them: Astrology, Homeopathy, Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, “natural” cures, energy healing, diet fads, Psychoanalysis and other psychological trends, paranormal phenomena, UFOs, pseudo-archaeology, Anthroposophy, and “quantum power.”
Just a month after its release, the book had already become a bestseller, topping the non-fiction charts across all major book lists in Brazil.
Against reality: The Denial of Science, its Causes and Consequences
The simple fact that we live in the 21st century already makes us beneficiaries of science and its achievements—even if we don’t always realize it. The objects that bring us comfort, pleasure, transportation, emotion, and information exist in their current form only because of scientific knowledge. A citizen who ignores basic scientific facts can easily fall prey to healers and charlatans.
Winner of the 2021 Jabuti Prize in the category Non-Fiction – Sciences, this book, co-authored with journalist Carlos Orsi, makes visible to the general reader the science in which we are all immersed—often without even noticing it.
cience in Everyday Life: Long Live Reason. Down with Ignorance!
The simple fact that we live in the 21st century already makes us beneficiaries of science and its achievements—even if we don’t always recognize this truth. The objects that bring us comfort, pleasure, transportation, emotion, and information (including this very book) exist in their present form only thanks to scientific knowledge.
A citizen who ignores basic scientific facts can easily fall prey to healers and charlatans—people who deceive others and, not rarely, even themselves.