Re: science&publicity

["John S. Denker" <jsd@MONMOUTH.COM>]

At 21:25 +0200 5/1/03, Ramon Sala wrote:
> I'm a physics teacher and actually I'm preparing a TV report on the
> abuse of the scientific terms in publicity, how this kind of stuff tell
> us something about the scientific cultural level of society and how to
> deal with it in the educational programs.

Keep in mind that terminology is secondary.
Ideas are primary.
Terminology is used to communicate ideas.

Therefore, abuse of scientific terminology is just
a symptom of a larger problem, namely abuse of
scientific ideas.

> Is anyone on this list who knows about any recent studies on this
> matters?

*) Try this for starters:
  Charles Mackay,
  _Extraordinary Popular Delusions And The Madness Of Crowds_
    http://www.litrix.com/madraven/madne001.htm

  Maybe 1841 doesn't count as "recent" but some things
  never change.

*) Committee for the Scientific Investigation of
   Claims of the Paranormal
     http://www.csicop.org/

*) Or more generally:
     http://www.google.com/search?q=skeptical