March 29, 2026

70. Science, Trust, and the History of Quacks with Jenny Lange

Show Notes

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"Science is not objective. It is subjective. And I think having conversations about it is very important."

Dr Jenny Lange is a neuroscientist specialising in uncovering the mechanisms of rare neurological disorders. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London. Outside the lab, Dr Lange is a public speaker and writer on medical history, the intersection of science and literature, and scientific ethics.

Things we discuss

The history of quackery and why charlatans follow the same playbook
Research abuses that have legitimately fueled mistrust in science
How to practice healthy, proportional skepticism and spot the difference between real and pseudoscience

References:

William J. A. Bailey and Radithor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_J._A._Bailey
The Tuskegee Syphilis Study: https://www.history.com/articles/the-infamous-40-year-tuskegee-study
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6493208-the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks
Andrew Wakefield and the discredited MMR-autism study: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Wakefield
Paolo Macchiarini trachea implant scandal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_Macchiarini
Greenwich Skeptics in the Pub: https://www.meetup.com/greenwich-skeptics-in-the-pub/

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