This interlude is a rant on something that greatly bothers Leon Lederman. The issue that is causing all the anger is pseudoscience books that are written connecting Physics principles and western mysticism. The issue does not lie with religion, it is in the fact that these authors start with credible science then branch into something that is not correct. The way the evidence is used is usually wrong or just so out there that there actually is no connection. One particularly popular topic for these “science writers” is Quantum Theory. Because it is hard to understand, and as the auther puts it “spooky” these people make the argument why not believe other strange stuff? The fact that these book are placed in the science section of bookstores makes the general public believe that what these books say are correct, which mislead and misinform the public. Ledermans sarcastic tone and his passionate view are summed up in this line, “Tao and Wu Li (examples of these types of books) constitute a relatively respectable middle ground between good science books and a lunatic fringe of fakes, charlatans, and crazies…”
He spends the second half of the interlude defending the process used in the scientific community of how new theories come to be accepted. Proof, proof and more proof!! Physics is not a religion (unlike some of these books portray it as) because there is no blind belief. When a new scientist explains something that was previously unexplained, they build off of old theories, unless it proves those theories incomplete or incorrect. Science is not about sticking to rules no matter what, it is about revolution and change. He ends this brief interlude on a lighter note, “Physics is not religion, if it were, we would have a much easier time raising money.”
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