Meanings
nouncargo cult science (uncountable)
- uncountablePractices which have the appearance of being scientific, but do not actually follow the scientific method.
Origin
Coined by American physicist Richard Feynman in 1974 in his commencement address at Caltech, in reference to cargo cults.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
cargo cult science. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cargo%20cult%20science
MLA
“cargo cult science.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cargo%20cult%20science. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cargo cult science,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cargo%20cult%20science.
Source: cargo cult science on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.