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May 21, 2004

Fake Science

Stories of people trying to drag science where it doesn't belong.

Prologue

Host Ira Glass visits Arlington Racetrack on opening day with four regulars who explain their quasi-scientific systems for winning. (5 minutes)

Act Two

Government Science

The Union of Concerned Scientists has issued a report condemning the Bush Administration for what it called "distorting and censoring scientific findings that contradict" Administration policies. One of the cases cited in the report involves something called the Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning. Alex Blumberg reports on the fights over who'll serve on the committee, fights in which each side believes the other practices fake science. (15 minutes)