The website of the RAS Commission on Combating Pseudoscience has been opened
"Troitsky variant" No. 11-2014
The Commission to combat pseudoscience and falsification of scientific research of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences – the only officially recognized by the state Agency, the immediate task is to counter pseudoscience, that is, attempts to mislead citizens and public authorities with the help of pseudo-scientific information. The Commission was created in 1998 at the initiative of Nobel prize winner academician Ginzburg, who was its first Chairman. After the Commission was headed by academician Kruglyakov, thanks to which the Commission has gained wide popularity. With the participation of the Commission managed to prevent a number of scams associated in particular with the use of budget funds naukopodobny on futile projects. One of them was run under the auspices of the ruling party of a colossal program "Pure water", which in monetary terms up to 15 trillion rubles.
The Commission publishes the Bulletin "In protection of science" with articles devoted to the analysis of the problem of pseudoscience (today published 12 issues), but in light of the current activities of the Commission still relied on journalists. Recently, however, the problem of pseudoscience has increased significantly. Increasingly questionable from a scientific point of view, ideas form the basis of the formation of public opinion and even government decision-making. The danger of numerous pseudomedical technology and the politicisation of discussions on relevant topics such as climate change, shale gas production, the use of genetically modified organisms, – all this requires that information to the Commission reached the public faster and authentic.
Therefore, under the new President, academician Aleksandrov, it was decided that the Commission should have its own regularly updated website, informing the public and journalists about the state of Affairs in the struggle against pseudoscience. It is located at the address http://klnran.ru. At the initial stage, the aim is to establish the publication of the official information Commission and the monitoring of important events associated with pseudoscience and counter it.
Among the first publications appeared on the site, clarification of the Commission on the question of how the seemingly innocuous practice of consecration of the water, realized the sue "Vodokanal of St. Petersburg" in conjunction with the ROC, can indirectly pose a threat to the health of the citizens. Monitoring section was opened by the analysis of the publication of "Rossiyskaya Gazeta" about the development in Chechnya eternal engine and funding one of the local state-owned enterprises, the management of which, by the way, as recently as last year took place in a criminal case of fraud.
Significance of the problem of pseudoscience begins to understand the power: in the past year, the security Council requested the Commission a report on the impact of pseudoscience on the activities of the state. The report was submitted on 2 Oct 2013 at the security Council meeting devoted specifically to the problem of pseudoscience, and is now preparing for publication on the website.
In the future, the site is seen as a point of consolidation of public efforts to self-defense of society from the destructive influence of pseudoscience. "It is symbolic that the site's name recalls the famous Boltzmann's formula for entropy – k ln N, – says the editor of the website science journalist Alexander Sergeyev. – Because pseudoscience is, figuratively speaking, is a manifestation of entropy in the science, and the fight against it – in fact, restoring basic order. Welcome your opinions, ideas, suggestions on how to do this better".
The portal of "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru
04.06.2014