Transcript Psychic aura reader: I can tell what kinds of emotions you are

Chapter 15
Distinguishing Science from
Pseudoscience
In this tutorial you will learn to
distinguish genuine scientific thinking
from pseudoscientific thinking.
Pseudoscience is false science--that is, unscientific
thinking masquerading as scientific thinking. It is
thinking that poses as scientific but is, in fact,
faithless to science's fundamental methods and
values.
Genuine science:
• makes claims that are testable
• makes claims that are consistent with well-established
scientific facts
• confronts falsifying data openly and honestly, rather
than ignoring it or explaining it away
•avoids vague language
•is progressive
•is committed to an active, ongoing program of research
Based on what you've learned in Chapter 15, explain why
the following passages are not examples of scientific
thinking.
I called a psychic hotline last week, and I was really
amazed! The psychic told me I had money troubles, and
that's true; I do have a lot of credit card debt. She also told
me that I'm dissatisfied with my love life; and that's also
true; my boyfriend and I recently broke up. I guess there
really is something to psychic hotlines!
In what ways does this passage reflect pseudoscientific
thinking?
I called a psychic hotline last week, and I was really
amazed! The psychic told me I had money troubles, and
that's true; I do have a lot of credit card debt. She also told
me that I'm dissatisfied with my love life; and that's also
true; my boyfriend and I recently broke up. I guess there
really is something to psychic hotlines!
The speaker has fallen prey to the Barnum effect.
The Barnum effect refers to the tendency to interpret vague,
general predictions or personality descriptions as applying
specifically to oneself.
Most people who call psychic hotlines are troubled or unhappy
about something in their lives. It doesn't require "psychic
ability" to guess that a particular caller may have concerns
about money, love, or both.
Professor Stanton has suggested that we conduct
controlled studies to test my claim that runners who
stretch before they run suffer fewer injuries. This would be
like conducting controlled studies to determine whether
fish live in water. It's just common sense to suppose that
runners who stretch have more limber muscles, and thus
suffer fewer injuries.
In what ways does this passage reflect pseudoscientific
thinking?
Professor Stanton has suggested that we conduct
controlled studies to test my claim that runners who
stretch before they run suffer fewer injuries. This would be
like conducting controlled studies to determine whether
fish live in water. It's just common sense to suppose that
runners who stretch have more limber muscles, and thus
suffer fewer injuries.
The speaker displays a pseudoscientific attitude by refusing to
subject his "common sense" claim to scientific testing.
Many so-called common sense beliefs have been proved false
by science.
In fact, while the evidence is mixed, several recent scientific
studies have found that stretching prior to running does not
improve flexibility or reduce the risk of injuries.
Psychic aura reader: I can tell what kinds of emotions you are
experiencing by reading your psychic aura--an egg-shaped,
multi-colored psychic radiation or emanation that surrounds you.
Zoe: OK, what am I feeling right now?
Psychic aura reader: You are happy and contented.
Zoe: Wrong. My cat Schroedinger got run over this morning. I
feel sad and bereft.
Psychic aura reader: You only think you feel sad and bereft.
Subconsciously, you are pleased that your cat got run over.
In what ways does this passage reflect pseudoscientific
thinking?
Psychic aura reader: I can tell what kinds of emotions you are
experiencing by reading your psychic aura--an egg-shaped,
multi-colored psychic radiation or emanation that surrounds you.
Zoe: OK, what am I feeling right now?
Psychic aura reader: You are happy and contented.
Zoe: Wrong. My cat Schroedinger got run over this morning. I
feel sad and bereft.
Psychic aura reader: You only think you feel sad and bereft.
Subconsciously, you are pleased that your cat got run over.
The aura reader is seeking to explain away falsifying data.
Psychic aura reader: I can tell what kinds of emotions you are
experiencing by reading your psychic aura--an egg-shaped, multi-colored
psychic radiation or emanation that surrounds you.
Zoe: OK, what am I feeling right now?
Psychic aura reader: You are happy and contented.
Zoe: Wrong. My cat Schroedinger got run over this morning. I feel sad
and bereft.
Psychic aura reader: You only think you feel sad and bereft.
Subconsciously, you are pleased that your cat got run over.
Instead of candidly acknowledging that Zoe's remarks constitute strong
evidence against his professed psychic abilities, the aura reader seeks to
explain away that evidence by offering an implausible alternative
explanation.
Genuine science, on the other hand, actively seeks out and welcomes
falsifying evidence, since scientists know that this is how the greatest
scientific advances are achieved.
Anthropology and other social sciences have shown that
there is wide cross-cultural disagreement about what is
ethical or moral. Some cultures, for example, consider
polygamy to be immoral, while others do not. Thus,
science has shown that morality is culturally relative; there
is no "absolute" or "objective" right or wrong.
In what ways does this passage reflect pseudoscientific
thinking?
Anthropology and other social sciences have shown that
there is wide cross-cultural disagreement about what is
ethical or moral. Some cultures, for example, consider
polygamy to be immoral, while others do not. Thus,
science has shown that morality is culturally relative; there
is no "absolute" or "objective" right or wrong.
This speaker is confused about what science can and
cannot establish.
Science may be able to show that there is, in fact, wide
cross-cultural disagreement about ethics. This is a factual
question that can be investigated scientifically. However,
science cannot show that there are no "absolute" or
"objective" moral truths. This is a normative or value
question that cannot be settled by any conceivable
scientific observation or experiment.
[This is the end of the tutorial]
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