Transcript Distinguishing Science from Pseudoscience

Distinguishing Science from
Pseudoscience
In this tutorial you will learn to distinguish genuine
scientific thinking from pseudoscientific thinking.
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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
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
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.
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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?
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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.
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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?
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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.
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Psychic aura reader: I can tell what kinds of emotions you are
experiencing by reading your psychic aura--an egg-shaped, multicolored 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?
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Psychic aura reader: I can tell what kinds of emotions you are
experiencing by reading your psychic aura--an egg-shaped, multicolored 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.
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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?
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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 this tutorial.