The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe: How to Know What's Really Real in a World Increasingly Full of Fake

About this book

An all-encompassing guide to skeptical thinking from podcast host and academic neurologist at Yale University School of Medicine Steven Novella and his SGU co-hosts which Richard Wiseman calls "the perfect primer for anyone who wants to separate fact from fiction." It is intimidating to realize that we live in a world overflowing with misinformation bias myths deception and flawed knowledge. There really are no ultimate authority figures-no one has the secret and there is no place to look up the definitive answers to our questions (not even Google). Luckily The Skeptics Guide to the Universe is your map through this maze of modern life. Here Dr. Steven Novella-along with Bob Novella Cara Santa Maria Jay Novella and Evan Bernstein-will explain the tenets of skeptical thinking and debunk some of the biggest scientific myths fallacies and conspiracy theories-from anti-vaccines to homeopathy UFO sightings to N- rays. Youll learn the difference between science and pseudoscience essential critical thinking skills ways to discuss conspiracy theories with that crazy co- worker of yours and how to combat sloppy reasoning bad arguments and superstitious thinking. So are you ready to join them on an epic scientific quest one that has taken us from huddling in dark caves to setting foot on the moon? (Yes we really did that.) DONT PANIC! With The Skeptics Guide to the Universe we can do this together. "Thorough informative and enlightening The Skeptics Guide to the Universe inoculates you against the frailties and shortcomings of human cognition. If this book does not become required reading for us all we may well see modern civilization unravel before our eyes." -- Neil deGrasse Tyson "In this age of real and fake information your ability to reason to think in scientifically skeptical fashion is the most important skill you can have. Read The Skeptics Guide Universe; get better at reasoning. And if this claim about the importance of reason is wrong The Skeptics Guide will help you figure that out too." -- Bill Nye