Remembering Lysenko; when ideology and science meet

Rob Poole

doi:10.1192/bjp.2025.10418

Remembering Lysenko; when ideology and science meet

Rob Poole

School of Health Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial › peer-review

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Abstract

Lysenko was a powerful Soviet pseudoscientist, whose theories
cost millions of lives. He died 50 years ago, but his legacy is highly
salient. Anti-science and ideology come together slowly, and UK
pseudoscience has had unforeseen consequences.
Pseudoscience must be challenged even when this has
repercussions for those who speak up.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1-3
Number of pages	3
Journal	BJPsych open
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2025.10418
Publication status	Published - 25 Sept 2025

Keywords

Lysenko
Pseudoscience
epistemology
ideology
scientific method

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10.1192/bjp.2025.10418

Remember Lysenko (accepted)Accepted author manuscript, 194 KB

Cite this

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abstract = "Lysenko was a powerful Soviet pseudoscientist, whose theories cost millions of lives. He died 50 years ago, but his legacy is highly salient. Anti-science and ideology come together slowly, and UK pseudoscience has had unforeseen consequences. Pseudoscience must be challenged even when this has repercussions for those who speak up.",

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AB - Lysenko was a powerful Soviet pseudoscientist, whose theories cost millions of lives. He died 50 years ago, but his legacy is highly salient. Anti-science and ideology come together slowly, and UK pseudoscience has had unforeseen consequences. Pseudoscience must be challenged even when this has repercussions for those who speak up.

KW - Lysenko

KW - Pseudoscience

KW - epistemology

KW - ideology

KW - scientific method

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M3 - Editorial

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Remembering Lysenko; when ideology and science meet

Abstract

Keywords

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