Pseudoscience/External Links

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There are many websites set up to air skeptical opinions particularly concerning claims for the effectiveness of remedies or treatments for a wide range of medical conditions which are not endorsed by conventional medicine, and to criticise unconventional "fringe" theories that are not generally accepted. The standard of these sites (and the standards of arguments within them) vary considerably, and it would be a mistake to assume that these always present the fringe theories fairly, or the scientific arguments (for or against) rigorously. Among these sites are:

Organisations

• International directory of skeptic organisations
• James Randi Educational Foundation- "an educational resource on the paranormal, pseudoscientific, and the supernatural."
• New England Sceptical Society The Society is " dedicated to the promotion of science and reason, the investigation of paranormal and pseudoscientific claims, especially within New England, improved standards of education for science and critical thinking skills."
  • The Skeptics Guide to the Universe; a weekly Podcast talkshow produced by the New England Skeptical Society in association with the James Randi Educational Foundation: discussing news and topics from the world of the paranormal, fringe science, and controversial claims from a scientific point of view.
• Committee for Skeptical Inquiry Formerly known as the "Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal", the Committee "encourages the critical investigation of paranormal and fringe-science claims from a responsible, scientific point of view and disseminates factual information about the results of such inquiries to the scientific community and the public."

Publications

• The Skeptics Society and Skeptic magazine(US) The Skeptics Society is an organization "of scholars, scientists, historians, magicians, professors and teachers, and anyone curious about controversial ideas, extraordinary claims, revolutionary ideas, and the promotion of science. [Its] mission is to serve as an educational tool for those seeking clarification and viewpoints on those controversial ideas and claims."
• The Skeptic magazine (UK)
• Skeptical Inquirer magazine

Web resources

• Astrology & Science The Scientific Exploration of Astrology "An archive of 69 articles with abstracts and references. Results of hundreds of tests. Historical and philosophical views."
• Science and Pseudoscience - transcript and broadcast of talk by Imre Lakatos
• "Quackwatch", operated by Stephen Barratt M.D. who also runs a wide range of similar more specialised sites. Quackwatch, Inc. is "a nonprofit corporation whose purpose is to combat health-related frauds, myths, fads, fallacies, and misconduct." This site has prompted a counter site "Quackpotwatch"
• UFO skeptic site "by and for professional scientists"
• Astronomical Pseudo-Science: A Skeptic's Resource List "A selected list of resources for those who want to examine with a skeptical eye some of the claims at the fringes of science that seem connected to astronomy."
• Plate Tectonics: The Rocky History of an Idea; on rthe webite of the Museum of Palaeontology, University of California
• Checklist for identifying dubious technologies; Bunge, R, Stoll, J-M, and Bucher, B.