What is the difference between science and pseudo-science? If a theory is subject to change because of new evidence, (for example when Galileo proved the Earth was no longer the centre of the solar system and famously stated ‘e pur si muove’ – and yet it moves…around the sun…) then that is a scientific theory. If, however, new unproved evidence is used with regard to a pre-existing theory without ever changing it but continuing to support it then that for me is pseudo-science.
A scientific theory can never be said to be 100% truthful and unchangeable since it is always subject to modification (or even refutation). A pseudo-scientific theory, on the other hand is declared THE TRUTH by its fanatics and every new piece of evidence that does not fit into it it is thrown out like‘fake news’
As long as there are humans living on this planet both science and pseudo-science will continue to live in an uneasy and sometimes violent coexistence. Flat earthers, cargo culters and Ikean believers will continue to have their devoted acolytes.
What is alarming about the age I am now living in is that the confrontation between science and pseudo-science is becoming ever more extreme. I can point to four major instances in the last few years where the distinction between the two has led to irreconcileable confrontations.
The first is the con of brexitism which, no-one – except of course, those who trust in pseudo-science – really believes has made the UK a better place.
The second is trumpism which continues to assert that the former POTUS, the latter-day messiah sent to save America from destructive forces, was the victim of a dark conspiracy.
The third is anti-covidism which insists that Covid-19 is a specially engineered epidemic used to body-snatch humans by injecting them with the appropriate serum.
The fourth is perhaps the worst for it refers to the present horrific war in Ukraine, Putinism.
Sadly families and friends continue to be divided by brexitism, anti-covidism, trumpism and Putinism and, because it is essentially a battle between science and pseudo-science, no amount of discussion appears to be able to reconcile the two sides.
It is pointless showing how farmers, from Welsh hills to East Anglian fenlands, are suffering from the effects of brexitism. It is useless to describe the way the American constitution continues to be threatened by trumpism. It is worthless to try to convince anti-covidists that Covid-19 is as real as any infectious disease. It is desperation to declare that the corpses scattered in the streets of Bucha are actually set-up effects staged by Ukrainian to discredit the Kremlin tsardom.
Pseudo-science lends itself admirably to conspiracy theory where events are explained by invoking a conspiracy by politically motivated sinister and powerful groups when other explanations are rather more probable. So brexitism was fuelled by the belief that the EU was going to remove UK sovereignty, anti-covidism was charged with ideas of specially engineered epidemic scares, trumpism was fired by the belief that society was going to the dogs because of democratic liberalism and putinism was driven by the creed that neo-Nazis were running Ukraine.
Friends and families have regrettably been separated by the influx of false dogmas. What is so terrible is when whole nations are torn to smithereens by the war between science and pseudo-science. It is becoming ever more heart-breaking to view the reports coming out of the beautiful, still-independent republic of Ukraine. I do not think I have ever had to hear such terrible international news in my lifetime. Anything approaching what we are having to witness at the present time and in our own continent is only to be compared with what I have read in history books regarding events like the battle of Stalingrad, the bombing of Dresden and the Holocaust.
Stupid me who thought that Europe had learnt something after experiencing two apocalyptic wars in the last century! I now doubt we shall ever learn anything at all – at least in the years remaining of my lifetime.
