Number: MA/25/F3/0/027

Flagship: 3 - Digitisation – Modelling - Transformation

Faculty: PřF

Project leader: Joseph, Jacques

This project launches a new international research team exploring the differences and similarities between science and pseudoscience from a cultural-evolutionary perspective. As a pilot study, the team will analyse the citation networks of astrological journals and compare them with those of recognised academic fields such as astronomy and psychology. The findings will offer fresh insights into how pseudoscientific beliefs emerge and persist through interactions with established science.

The project will involve multiple international meetings, visiting lectures and workshops hosted across Charles University, Heidelberg University and the University of Warsaw. The pilot study will serve as the basis for a co-authored academic paper and create a dataset enabling further research into the relationship between astrology and science.

Addressing the long-standing demarcation problem between science and pseudoscience, the project adopts innovative digital humanities methods to provide a quantitative perspective. By fostering collaboration among researchers and students, it lays the groundwork for a long-term research programme and future joint funding applications.