Pseudo-Science & Academic Freedom
A symposium at Saint Mary’s University.
Climate change denial, anti-vaccination, astrology, intelligent design, homeopathy, spiritual ways of knowing, telekinesis, UFOs, that intelligence and aptitude vary by race, that HIV is not the cause of AIDS—each of these, and more, has defenders in the Academy. Does academic freedom protect in teaching, research, and public utterance the dissemination of positions entirely at odds with majority or consensus views in science? Should it? Even at the cost of harm to public health or social justice? That’s what participants at the conference will investigate.
Panel Discussion
Thursday 3 November 2016
7:00 – 8:30 pm, Scotiabank Theatre Auditorium
Denis Rancourt, Independent Scholar, formerly Professor, Department of Physics, University of Ottawa
Kevin Kindred, Lawyer and activist, Halifax
Adèle Mercier, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, Queen’s University, Kingston
Root Gorelick, Professor, Department of Biology (cross-appointed in Mathematics & Statistics and in Interdisciplinary Studies), Carleton University, Ottawa
Frances Widdowson, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Justice and Policy Studies, Mount Royal University, Calgary
Myles McCallum, Associate Professor, Department of Modern Languages and Classics, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax