People are very prejudiced against economics because economists don't predict well and have contradictory policy recommendations, but the basis of economics is

People are very prejudiced against economics because economists don't predict well and have contradictory policy recommendations, but the basis of economics is quite solid. (My favorite illustration: if there were no underlying laws to economics, then dictators would just issue edicts about currency and markets which would then just plain work rather than causing havoc -- and yet dictators very much suffer side effects of their dictates.) This is very similar to weather prediction, which in some geographical areas is very untrustworthy, but not because its scientific foundation is lacking. Psychology has subareas that are very rigorous and evidence based, but also major foundational areas that remain essentially speculative/opinion-based (what is mind/consciousness/free will?) Evolutionary psychology is again firmly rooted, but is most famous for its speculative and unproven areas. Marketing and persuasion/propaganda have subareas that incorporate statistics and/or psychology and/or sociology etc., but are not themselves actually sciences at all, so that's very much apples and oranges.