On the Fringe Book Summary - On the Fringe Book explained in key points
Listen to the Intro
00:00

On the Fringe summary

Michael D. Gordin

Where Science Meets Pseudoscience

4 (105 ratings)
22 mins
Table of Contents

    On the Fringe
    summarized in 7 key ideas

    Audio & text in the Blinkist app
    Key idea 1 of 7

    Debates about what counts as pseudoscience are inevitable, but imperfect.

    The question of what counts as science has long been debated. Writing about what we now call epilepsy, the fifth-century BCE Greek physician Hippocrates criticized faith-healers, witchdoctors, charlatans, and quacks. In practice, claiming scientific authority inherently excludes rival theories.

    The debate over scientific criteria is known as the demarcation problem, a term coined by the twentieth-century Austrian philosopher Karl Popper. In his 1934 text The Logic of Scientific Discovery, Popper argued that science should adopt an overall criterion dictating that theories within a field should be falsifiable if that field is to be considered "science." Popper’s demarcation criterion was enshrined in US laws as recently as 2004. But from its onset, philosophers of science knew the theory had limitations.

    The key message here is: Debates about what counts as pseudoscience are inevitable, but imperfect.

    Popper’s demarcation criterion falls short in many instances. According to this rule of falsifiability, the Bermuda Triangle theory, Bigfoot, and the flat-Earth model would all qualify as science if adherents of these doctrines conceded that they’d change their minds if solid evidence against them were observed.

    At the same time, falsifiability negates natural sciences such as geology or cosmology since practices in these fields aren’t executed in terms or claims that can be falsified. So why has Popper’s criterion continued to be so popular?

    Though an imperfect task, the question of demarcation is essential when it comes to cases such as creation science, or the scientizing of the biblical Judeo-Christian creation story. Demarcation was at the center of the twentieth-century legal battles in the United States to determine whether evolutionary science or creation science should be taught in public schools.

    In the 1980s, Popper’s demarcation criterion was held up in the US Supreme Court case Edwards v. Aguillard to determine that scientific creationism did not meet the criterion of science and could thus not be taught in schools. As a result, Popper’s theory was enshrined as a legal doctrine and incorporated into high-school biology texts until 2005, when Judge John E. Jones III altered the demarcation criterion to a less-rigid standard.

    Even with changes, it’s inevitable that demarcation criteria will be imperfect. If we want to better our understanding of pseudosciences, we’re better off grouping them into loose categories than coming up with a single taxonomy, since pseudosciences are as diverse as science itself.

    Want to see all full key ideas from On the Fringe?

    Key ideas in On the Fringe

    More knowledge in less time
    Read or listen
    Read or listen
    Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
    Find your next read
    Find your next read
    Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
    Shortcasts
    Shortcasts New
    We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

    What is On the Fringe about?

    On the Fringe (2021) delves into what defines a pseudoscience along historical and philosophical lines. With the rise of climate-change deniers and anti-vaxxers, understanding the demarcation between science and pseudoscience has a newfound urgency. By exploring pseudosciences such as astrology, the flat-Earth model, and ESP, we can learn about the nature of science in both the past and the present.

    Who should read On the Fringe?

    • Historians, scientists, and philosophers
    • Astrology enthusiasts
    • Climate-change activists

    About the Author

    Michael D. Gordin is the Rosengarten Professor of Modern and Contemporary History and the director of the Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts at Princeton University. His books include Scientific Babel, The Pseudoscience Wars, and Red Cloud at Dawn.

    Categories with On the Fringe

    Books like On the Fringe

    People ❤️ Blinkist
    Sven O.

    It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

    Thi Viet Quynh N.

    Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

    Jonathan A.

    Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

    Renee D.

    Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.

    People also liked

    Start growing with Blinkist now
    26 Million
    Downloads on all platforms
    4.7 Stars
    Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
    91%
    Of Blinkist members create a better reading habit*
    *Based on survey data from Blinkist customers
    Powerful ideas from top nonfiction

    Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 5,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.

    Start your free trial