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Best of Blue Dot: Drs. Hall joins forces to talk about "Science and Nonsense"

The then newly minted Dr. Kendall Hall with father Dr. Raymond Hall.
The then newly minted Dr. Kendall Hall with father Dr. Raymond Hall.

CSU Chico Professor of Physics Kendall Hall joins Host Dave Schlom once again as a special co-host as they talk to her father, also a Physics professor, Raymond.

Dr. Hall the elder, teaches a special course at Fresno State University titled "Science and Nonsense: Critical Thinking and the Methods of Science."

In it, and on this program, Raymond discusses how he uses a scientist's logical thinking mental tool kit to address pseudoscientific beliefs from Bigfoot to whether or not it was aliens who built the pyramids (answer: no help from aliens required).

It's a lively discussion between Dave, Kendall, and her Dad about how to use critical thinking skills in a world increasingly bereft of them!

Dave Schlom is the longtime host and creator of Blue Dot. From surfing to Voyager in interstellar space, rock guitar to orcas in our imperiled oceans, the topics on Blue Dot are as varied as the host’s interests and connections -- which are pretty limitless! An internationally respected space history journalist, Dave is also deeply fascinated by all aspects of the grand workings of nature’s awesome machinery on scales ranging from galactic to subatomic. And topics take in all aspects of the arts and sciences.
Matt Fidler is a producer and sound designer with over 15 years’ of experience producing nationally distributed public radio programs. He has worked for shows such as Freakonomics Radio, Selected Shorts, Studio 360, The New Yorker Radio Hour and The Takeaway. In 2017, Matt launched the language podcast Very Bad Words, hitting the #28 spot in the iTunes podcast charts.