When TED, the global media platform, took down scientist Rupert Sheldrake’s lecture, “The Science Delusion,” deeming it not scientific, it ignited a fierce discussion around the globe. Bloggers, commenters, distinguished scientists, Internet trolls and even a Nobel Prize winning physicist all contributed to this once-in-a-lifetime debate. The subject? The most controversial question of all time—what is nature of reality?
In Psi Wars: TED, Wikipedia and the Battle for the Internet, Craig Weiler, in journalistic fashion, demonstrates how science, the accepted arbiter of truth, is constantly being manipulated and propagandized in an effort to uphold prejudices and beliefs in the scientific community.
There is a division within the sciences about the nature of consciousness and the legitimacy of parapsychology as a science. Weiler examines how so-called guerilla skeptics and organizations lobby mainstream media, universities, colleges and scientific organizations, and use digital media such as Wikipedia to defend their point of view and discredit consciousness researchers and scientists.
The controversy over the nature of reality has a profound effect on our society and helps determine our thoughts and actions and how we view the world. Brainwashing and propaganda, thought by many to be the tenets of religion and totalitarian regimes, is alive and well in the world of science and influencing our daily lives.
