Physics Colloquium with Taner Edis on Physics and Weirdness

Responding to popular weirdness—paranormal and fringe scientific claims—often requires a blend of physics and the philosophy of science. Edis will discuss three examples: (1) the reasons why physicists are entitled to be confident that claims that appear to violate known laws of physics are dubious; (2) the shortcomings of common accusations that something is “pseudoscience,” such as charges of “unfalsifiability”; and (3) the role of institutions in determining which claims are worthy of trust. He hopes to show that examining weird claims is a fun and substantial way to address questions about the nature of science.