May 21, 2004

Fake Science

Stories of people trying to drag science where it doesn't belong.

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Transcript

Prologue

Host Ira Glass visits Arlington Racetrack on opening day with four regulars who explain their quasi-scientific systems for winning. (5 minutes)

By

Ira Glass

Act One

Jake Warga heads out with AGHOST, a Seattle group that's using whatever scientific principles they can find to hunt for ghosts. Jake's story got support from Hearing Voices and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and editorial advice from Barrett Golding. (17 minutes)

By

Jake Warga

Song:

“Faded from the Winter” by Iron & Wine

Act Two

Government Science

The Union of Concerned Scientists has issued a report condemning the Bush Administration for what it called "distorting and censoring scientific findings that contradict" Administration policies. One of the cases cited in the report involves something called the Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning. Alex Blumberg reports on the fights over who'll serve on the committee, fights in which each side believes the other practices fake science. (15 minutes)

By

Alex Blumberg

Act Three

Beauty Science

Adam Sternbergh, the co-editor and co-founder of Fametracker.com, dissects the issue of People magazine which is now on newsstands — an issue which chooses the most beautiful people in the world, allegedly through purely scientific methods, somehow ending up with a list of people who have movies coming out this summer. This story first appeared at Fametracker.com. (5 minutes)

By

Adam Sternbergh

Song:

“I Am the Body Beautiful” by Salt 'N Pepa

Act Four

Radio Science

Fake science can be fun. Fake science can make people happy. Brent Runyon has heard it happen on a favorite late night radio show (www.coasttocoastam.com) Brent's the author of the memoir The Burn Journals. (11 minutes)

By

Brent Runyon

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