In his new book, Gordin explores the complex issue of defining what makes a topic fall under the umbrella of pseudoscience. His goal is to arrive at a simple definition that clearly differentiates pseudoscience from genuine science. Pseudoscience (Oxford University Press) looks at a number of controversial fields including scientific racism and alchemy to understand a series of questions including why these ideas have been classified as pseudoscience and who has the authority to do so. Gordin answers these questions and offers a historical view of the struggle to identify fringe scientific views.
