Critical Thinking Class HW 9

Pseudoscience

In the United States 29-48% of the population state that they believe in the scientific proof of ghosts, bigfoot, or UFOs and alien visitations. None of these phenomena have stood up to scientific tests overtime and fall under the category of pseudoscience. Keep in mind, all things including these are subject to further testing and as soon as someone has valid proof like a skull of a yeti, and real alien, or a reproducible ghostly encounter, they will then become part of the scientific paradigm, until that time they remain in the realm of pseudoscience. This does not prevent people from doing scientific tests on these topics, the paranormal research is an active field of investigation and the SETI project (Links to an external site.) continues to look for signs of intelligent life in the cosmos.

Pseudoscience happens when you misapply the outcome rigor of science to topics that seem scientific but have not been thoroughly tested using the scientific method.   Specifically, the claims are often not objectively testable or falsifiable, and some even include supernatural elements that could never be tested by empirical observation.

The topics of pseudoscience usually seem plausible and develop a following. Reasons for believing pseudoscientific claims include;

• It seems possible, or sounds logical
• It was once considered true.

• A famous person (scientist or otherwise) endorses it.
• The facts have not been closely examined.
• Discussing the idea makes you feel smart.
• It seems to fit with other beliefs.
• Science all sounds preposterous, why not this?
• Yetis, ghosts, and aliens are just very cool.
• You spent a lot of money on that ghost finder!

* You may recognize a few of the typical logical fallacies from the last unit in the list above.

Step 1:  The Assignment

Pick 3 topics from the Wikipedia list of Pseudoscience (Links to an external site.) or any other source of pseudoscience examples and explain why they are not currently within the realm of scientific inquiry.  Keep in mind all the things that are required for applying science like repeatable empirical evidence and ability for falsification.

Step 2:  The Discussion

This section will be posted to the discussion on pseudoscience in the module.

Now choose your favorite and 1) explain how you would test the claims in a real scientific way (design an experiment), and be sure to state how the claim would be falsified, and 2) state explicitly what would have to be observed for this to become part of the scientific paradigm. Then 3) as a closing statement, what would be the impact on the scientific paradigm as we know it today? You should review Thomas Kuhn’s idea of a scientific revolution to see if the validation of your phenomenon would cause one.