Nate Pedersen presents Pseudoscience

Wed Jun 24 2026 at 07:00 pm to 08:00 pm UTC-05:00

Magers & Quinn Booksellers | Minneapolis

Magers & Quinn Booksellers
Publisher/HostMagers & Quinn Booksellers
Nate Pedersen presents Pseudoscience
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Nate Pedersen presents Pseudoscience: An Amusing History of Crackpot Ideas and Why We Love Them
About this Event

From the authors of Quackery, a visual and narrative history of popular ideas, phenomena, and widely held beliefs disproven by science.

From the easily disproved to the wildly speculative, to straight-up hucksterism, Pseudoscience is a romp through much more than bad science—it’s a light-hearted look into why we insist on believing in things such as Big Foot, astrology, and the existence of aliens. Did you know, for example, that you can tell a person’s future by touching their butt? Rumpology. It’s a thing, but not really. Or that Stanley Kubrick made a fake moon landing film for the US government? Except he didn’t. Or that spontaneous human combustion is real? It ain’t, but it can be explained scientifically.

Pseudoscience is a wild mix of history, pop culture, and good old fashioned science–that not just entertains, but sheds a little light on why we all love to believe in things we know aren’t true.

Nate Pedersen is an award-winning writer and historian based in Minnesota. He is the author of the nonfiction books Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything (an NPR Best Science Book), Patient Zero: A Curious History of Epidemic Disease, and Pseudoscience: An Amusing History of Crackpot Ideas and Why We Love Them.

He is also a librarian by training and has edited multiple Lovecraftian and weird-fiction anthologies, including a volume nominated for the World Fantasy Award. His writing has appeared in The Guardian, The Believer, The San Francisco Chronicle, and numerous other publications. He frequently lectures on history, folklore, and science for public audiences.

About Events at M&Q:

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Q: Do I need to register?

A: Please do if at all possible! Use the registration button above. Registering ahead of time helps us with scheduling, book ordering, and other decisions that are made several weeks prior to the event. The more info we have ahead of time, the better.

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If you are unable to sign up online, please call or visit the bookstore and register with a bookseller.

Walk-ins are always welcome, but seating decisions are made based on registered attendance and seating priority is given to registered attendees first.

Q: Are in store events free?

A: Yes, Magers & Quinn events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.

Q: Are masks required?

A: Masks are not required to browse in the store or at most events. Some events may come with a request for masking for the health and safety of the author. If so it will be noted here whenever possible.

Q: How should I get there?

A: Please see our Directions & Parking page for the best tips on getting to Magers & Quinn.

https://www.magersandquinn.com/directions

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Magers & Quinn Booksellers, 3038 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, United States

Tickets

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