Can Indian Knowledge Systems Be Defended From Pseudoscience?

A professor who studies the history of mathematics in India wrote about a big problem.

Some people mix up real science with ideas that cannot be tested, like magic.

Real science lets you try to prove it wrong, and if a test fails, the idea is corrected or thrown away.

The professor says some Indian institutes are putting untestable ideas like 'energy chakras' and 'the science of reincarnation' next to real science at big conferences.

At one conference in IIT Mandi, scientists talked about brain machines and meditation, but also about rebirth and astrology.

A speaker at IIT Madras said a sound made by NASA from the Big Bang proves the universe said 'Om,' which is not what science shows.

Scientists at IIT Roorkee said cow urine can stop a virus, and a science journal is now checking that claim.

The professor thinks this confuses students and the public, who trust big institutions.

He says the amazing mathematics of old India, like Ramanujan's work, is wonderful on its own and does not need made-up claims.