NEWS

‘Voodoo Science’ author to discuss ‘warning signs’ at upcoming lecture

CHAPEL HILL -- The author of "Voodoo Science," Dr. Robert Park, has no patience for pseudo-science and unsubstantiated hype, and he doesn’t think you should either.

Park, who has written about a range of topics as diverse as flying saucers, free energy machines, global warming and manned space flight, will discuss "The Seven Warning Signs of Voodoo Science" during a free public lecture April 21 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His presentation will be at 7 p.m. in 111 Carroll Hall.

"In a time of dazzling scientific progress, the public has come to expect a steady stream of miracles from science," Park said. But, he asks, how does one distinguish genuine scientific advances from the claims of "misguided zealots or unscrupulous hucksters?" His lecture is designed to offer answers for the layperson and scientist alike.

Park, professor of physics at the University of Maryland and director of the Washington office of the American Physical Society, is also author of "What’s New," a controversial online commentary on science policy issues.

He is a regular contributor of opinion articles in major newspapers and a frequent guest on radio and television news programs. A reviewer for The New York Times called his book "frequently droll and invariably entertaining."

In 1998, Park received the Joseph A. Burton Award of the American Physical Society for his contributions to the public understanding of issues involving the interface of physics and society.

Park is the founding editor of "Applications of Surface Science" and a Fellow of the American Vacuum Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Physical Society. He received his doctorate in physics from Brown University in 1964.

Park’s presentation is part of a First Year Seminar ("You Don’t Have to Be a Rocket Scientist") taught by Dr. Edward Samulski, the Cary C. Boshamer distinguished professor of chemistry.

The lecture is co-sponsored by the departments of chemistry and of physics and astronomy, the James M. Johnston Center for Undergraduate Excellence, the First Year Seminar Program and the College of Arts and Sciences.

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Note: Contact Samulski at (919) 962-1561.
College of Arts and Sciences contact: Dee Reid, (919) 843-6339