Pseudoscience a global problem: India born theoretical physicist Atish Dabholkar

Indian-origin scientist Atish Dabholkar, who will take charge as director of the prestigious Italy-based Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in November, is gearing up for an uphill task -- countering misinformation in science.

The major hurdle to science globally is the spread of pseudoscience and the erosion of respect for facts, said the theoretical physicist who was born in a small village in Maharashtra's Kolhapur district.

For example, denial of climate change is often informed by a total disregard for facts, Dabholkar told PTI in an email interview in which he also discussed that India has an edge over China but is woefully behind in investment into basic research and education, and his plans to increase participation from Indian scientists at ICTP.

He cited the example of a research project in Tamil Nadu to emphasise his point of misinformation.

A particularly painful example of pseudoscience coming in the way of sensible decision-making is the experience of the Indian Neutrino Observatory (INO), Dabholkar, currently the head of ICTP's high energy, cosmology and astroparticle physics section, said