Part of JR (Jail Reach) collection.

"March 1997"--Title page verso.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 439-448) and index.

The most precious thing -- Science and hope -- The man in the moon and the face on Mars -- Aliens -- Spoofing and secrecy -- Hallucinations -- The demon-haunted world -- On the distinction between true and false visions -- Therapy -- The dragon in my garage -- The city of grief -- The fine art of baloney detection -- Obsessed with reality -- Antiscience -- Newton's sleep -- When scientists know sin -- The marriage of skepticism and wonder -- The wind makes dust -- No such thing as a dumb question -- House on fire -- The path to freedom -- Significance junkies -- Maxwell and the nerds -- Science and witchcraft -- Real patriots ask questions.

Are we on the brink of a new Dark Age of irrationality and superstition? In this book, the writer shows how scientific thinking is necessary to safeguard our democratic institutions and our technical civilization. This book is more personal and richer in moving and revealing human stories than anything the author has previously written. With illustrations from his own childhood experience as well as engrossing tales of discovery, he shows how the method of scientific thought can cut through prejudice and hysteria to uncover the often surprising truth. He convincingly debunks "alien abduction," "channelers," faith-healer fraud, the "face" on Mars, and much else. Along the way, he refutes the arguments that science destroys spirituality or is just another arbitrary belief system, asks why scientific study is often stigmatized, discusses the dangers of the misuse of science, and provides a "baloney detection kit" for thinking through political, social, religious, and other issues. -- Jacket.