Science Friction: Where the Known Meets the Unknown is a 2004 book by Michael Shermer, a historian of science and founder of The Skeptics Society. It contains thirteen essays about "personal barriers and biases that plague and propel science, especially when scientists push against the unknown. What do we know, and what do we not know?"[1][2] These include an essay relating the author's experience of a day spent learning cold reading techniques well enough to be accepted as a psychic.[3][4] As well as covering skepticism and pseudoscience, Shermer discusses other topics touching on the subject of encouraging scientific thought, such as sport psychology and the writings of Stephen Jay Gould.[5] Shermer attributes the founding of the skeptical movement to Martin Gardner's 1950 article "The Hermit Scientist"[6] in the Antioch Review.

Science Friction: Where the Known Meets the Unknown
Cover of the first edition
AuthorMichael Shermer
LanguageEnglish
SubjectsScience
Pseudoscience
PublisherTimes Books
Publication date
December 9, 2004
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (Hardcover and Paperback)
ISBN0-8050-7708-1
OCLC55682384
501 22
LC ClassQ175 .S53437 2005
Preceded byThe Science of Good and Evil 
Followed byWhy Darwin Matters 

References

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  1. ^ "Science Friction". Publishers Weekly. Fall 2004. Archived from the original on December 2, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
  2. ^ Rocky Mountain News review.
  3. ^ Henderson, Mark (2005-12-03). "A Diamond with staying power". The Times. Retrieved 2009-11-14.[dead link]
  4. ^ Scialabba, George (2005-06-02). "The Scientific Contrarian". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-11-14.
  5. ^ Singh, Simon (2005-01-15). "Science Friction by Michael Shermer". NewScientist. Retrieved 2009-11-14.
  6. ^ Gardner, Martin, "The Hermit Scientist", Antioch Review, Winter 1950–1951, pp. 447–457.
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