File:Phrenological_organs,_1887_Wellcome_L0001965.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

EntityQ483677· pop 96· linked from 3,389 articles

pseudoscience

Also known as pseudo-science, fake science

thumb|upright=1.35|A typical 19th-century phrenology chart: during the 1820s, phrenologists claimed the mind was located in areas of the brain, and were attacked for doubting that mind came from the nonmaterial soul. Their idea of reading "bumps" in the skull to predict personality traits was later discredited. Phrenology was first termed a pseudoscience in 1843 and continues to be considered so.

AI overview

Pseudoscience refers to ideas or practices that claim to be scientific but lack the rigorous evidence and methods of genuine science, such as phrenology's discredited claim that skull bumps could predict personality traits. It matters because pseudoscientific claims can mislead people into accepting false beliefs, as happened when phrenology was widely accepted before being proven wrong.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Research

447 papers

Pseudoscience and fraudulent products for COVID-19 management.ReviewEnvironmental science and pollution research international · 2022Chavda VP, Sonak SS, Munshi NK et al.DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-21967-4
Editorial: The Psychology of Pseudoscience.Frontiers in psychology · 2022Blancke S, Edis T, Braeckman J et al.DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.935645
Pseudoscience, Subterfuge, and Civil Resistance.The Milbank quarterly · 2025Cohen ABDOI: 10.1111/1468-0009.70074
[Pseudoscience].Enfermeria clinica · 2009Uriel Latorre PDOI: 10.1016/j.enfcli.2009.03.006
Pseudoscience.Science (New York, N.Y.) · 1974Abelson PHDOI: 10.1126/science.184.4143.1233
Living with COVID-19-triggered pseudoscience and conspiracies.ReviewInternational journal of public health · 2020Desta TT, Mulugeta TDOI: 10.1007/s00038-020-01412-4
Science and pseudoscience during the COVID-19 pandemic.Turk pediatri arsivi · 2020Kasapçopur ÖDOI: 10.14744/TurkPediatriArs.2020.35902
The reanimation of pseudoscience in machine learning and its ethical repercussions.ReviewPatterns (New York, N.Y.) · 2024Andrews M, Smart A, Birhane ADOI: 10.1016/j.patter.2024.101027

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Show 1 more fact

Commons category: Pseudoscience

Sources (5)

via Wikidata · CC0

~46 min read

Article

34 sections

Contents

Etymology
Relationship to science
Scientific method
Falsifiability
Mertonian norms
Refusal to acknowledge problems
Criticism of the term
Alternative definition
History
Indicators of possible pseudoscience
Use of vague, exaggerated or untestable claims
Improper collection of evidence
Lack of openness to testing by other experts
Absence of progress
Personalization of issues
Use of misleading language
Prevalence of pseudoscientific beliefs
Countries
Racism
Explanations
Psychology
Education and scientific literacy
Boundaries with science
Classification
Philosophy
Politics, health, and education
Political implications
Health and education implications
See also
Notes
References
Bibliography
Works cited
Further reading

Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be scientific or factual but are inherently incompatible with the scientific method. Pseudoscience is often characterized by contradictory, exaggerated or unfalsifiable claims; reliance on confirmation bias rather than rigorous attempts at refutation; lack of openness to evaluation by other experts; absence of systematic practices when developing hypotheses; and continued adherence long after the pseudoscientific hypotheses have been experimentally discredited. It is not the same as junk science.