Includes bibliographical references (p. 165-169) and index.

In this lively excursion, the acclaimed author of 200% of Nothing takes a fun-filled, in-depth look at eight famous (or rather, infamous) cased of bad science: highly touted discoveries or projects that are astonishing examples of serious scientific slipups. Originally trumpeted as impressive projects full of promise, some of this century's most publicized scientific studies - SETI (the search for extraterrestrial intelligence), Binet's IQ theory, neural nets - have been fatally flawed. From the alleged detection of N rays to the Biosphere 2 debacle, Yes, We Have No Neutrons unveils exactly what went wrong. Mr. Dewdney takes us behind the scenes to reveal why bad science occurs for a variety of reasons, whether due to faulty methodology or flawed interpretations of results. In some instances, researchers - amateur as well as experienced - neglected key ingredients of the scientific method, leading to conclusions that were either not feasible or simply could not be reproduced. That accounts for the unfortunate circumstance of not only Rene Blondlot and his N rays, but also Frank Drake and his failed Project Ozma. In other cases, the pursuit of glory played a major role. When overzealous researchers declare their conclusions without strong proof, the results can lead to such notorious findings as the now infamous cold fusion discovery.