Transcript Science & Pseudoscience: The Good, the Bad, & the Bogus

Classroom Inquiry
on the Fringes of Science
Dr. Dougal MacDonald
Department of Elementary
Education, University of Alberta
What is Pseudoscience?
• “False” science.
• Claims to be scientific or at an even higher
level than science.
• Fails to comply with the usual scientific
tests.
• Inconsistent with existing, well-established
scientific knowledge.
Examples of Pseudoscience
• Mental Powers: ESP, mind reading,
precognition, psychic surgery, auras
• Spirit World: contacting the dead, ouija
board, channeling, astral travel, astrology
• Natural Mysteries: dowsing, Atlantis, crop
circles, Bigfoot, Loch Ness monster
• Aliens & UFOs: flying saucers, Roswell,
alien abductions, Men in Black
Claims Require
Independent Testing
• Pseudoscientific claims are based on a
non-evidential style of belief.
• Many pseudoscientific claims are never
tested scientifically.
• When pseudoscientific claims are tested,
methods, conclusions are questionable.
• Others cannot replicate test “successes.”
• Excuse given of “fragility” of phenomena.
Energy-Boosting Necklace
• Stand beside and at arm’s length to the
unknown object in the bag on the table.
• Do not touch the bag or the object.
• On the signal, with your arm outstretched,
lift the bag about 30 cm off the table.
• Lower the bag back to the table.
• Put on the necklace.
• Lift the bag again, in the same manner.
Scientific Inquiry Model
• Current SI Model: Evidence-explanationcurrent scientific knowledge (NSES)
– Engage with a scientific question.
– Gather and analyze relevant evidence.
– Formulate explanations from evidence.
– Evaluate explanations in light of evidence and
current scientific knowledge.
– Communicate explanations.
Scientific Evidence
• Scientific claims must be based on
scientific evidence.
• Scientific evidence results from
experience, reasoning, use of instruments,
others.
• Empirical evidence of the senses,
unassisted or assisted, is fundamental.
• Warrant for a claim refers to the quality of
evidence with respect to the claim, e.g.,
“likely that” vs “possible that”.
Evaluating the Quality of
Scientific Evidence
• To what degree does the evidence support
the claim (e.g., “a lot”, “a little”)?
• How secure is the evidence itself,
independent of the claim?
• How much relevant evidence is there (e.g.,
one test vs many tests)?
“I Saw Bigfoot”
• Many pseudoscientific claims are based
on personal, anecdotal evidence.
• Are essentially second hand stories: “I saw
Bigfoot.” “I was abducted by aliens.”
• Problems:
– Very hard to verify or test
– Essentially unfalsifiable
– Collected in a haphazard way/filtered
– Argument from authority
Alternative Explanations
of the Evidence
• Non-occurrence of the event: It didn’t
happen.
• Human error, e.g., mistaken observations
and/or inferences.
• Fraud/trickery, e.g., fake Bigfoot photos,
stage magic masquerading as ESP.
• Chance, e.g., coincidental events, a long
run of heads in coin flipping.
• Science.
Kraken: Alternative
Explanations
• Unknown monster
• Sea monsters sighted
since ancient times
• Stories of monsters
battling whales
• Huge creatures
attacking ships
• Many witnesses silent
• Deep sea unexplored
• Giant sea squid
• Sea “monsters” now
identified - oarfish
• Sea squids battle
sperm whales
• Sea squids have
attacked ships
• Many stories told
• Sonar, submersibles
Occam’s Razor
• When we are faced with more than one
hypothesis that explains the data equally
well, we choose the simpler explanation.
• A hairy creature in the woods is more likely
a bear than Bigfoot.
• An unknown object in the sky is more
likely a balloon than a flying saucer.
• “When you hear hoof beats, think of
horses not zebras.”
The Necklace: A Scientific
Explanation
• Lifting may feel easier the second time. Why?
• When a person tries to first lift the object his or
her brain makes a rough estimate as to how
much strength will be required. With an unknown
object, this estimate will be inaccurate and, since
the brick is small but heavy, the estimate will
likely be an underestimation. The necklace test
is the second try, by which time the person’s
brain knows how much strength is required. So
the muscles are prepared and the brick now
seems easier to lift.
Nature of a Scientific
Theory/Explanation
• Consistent with itself and with other
accepted theories.
• Sparing in entities and assumptions.
• Testable and falsifiable.
• Based on repeated, controlled
experiments.
• Altered in accord with new discoveries.
• Admits possible error rather than certainty.
Science or Pseudoscience?
• Demarcation problem?
• Gardner: Preposterous, Less Weird,
Controversial, Conjectural, Undisputed
• Criteria:
– Coherence with current knowledge?
– Degree of evidence, testing?
• Specific cases: Continental drift? Surgical
procedures? Homeopathy? ESP?
Could This Be Pseudoscience?
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Claim is first publicized thru mass media.
Claim is sensational and exaggerated.
Evidence for the claim is anecdotal.
Claim contradicts known scientific
principles.
• Claim uses scientific-sounding terminology
in non-scientific ways.
Is a Pseudoscientist Making
This Claim?
• Claimant has worked alone.
• Claimant says methods of discovery and
testing the claim are secret.
• Claimant says the ruling elite is trying to
suppress the claim.
• Claimant appeals to false authority.
• Claimant says a belief is reliable because
it is ancient.
• Claimant seeks publicity and profits.
Pseudoscience and
Programs of Study
• POS science teaching goals: concepts,
skills, attitudes, NOS, applications
• Topic: Astronomy [Astrology]
• Concept: A constellation is a configuration
of stars as seen from the earth.
• Skill: Designing experiments
• Attitude: Respect for evidence
• NOS: How scientific claims are validated
• Application: Critically reading mass media
What’s Your Sign?
• Review the handout that describes the
personalities related to each of the
(unknown) signs of the Zodiac.
• Choose the description that you believe is
closest to your “sign”.
• Tally how many participants choose their
own sign and how many do not.
• Consider if the findings are significant.
Criticisms of Astrology
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Constellation names & limits are arbitrary
Ophiucus, Cetus omitted from Zodiac
Original signs, constellations out of step
Planets are not “in” constellations
There is no single moment of birth
Doctor exerts greater G force than planets
If many vague predictions are made, it is
impossible to always be wrong
Constructivism: Finding Out
Existing Ideas
• Constructivist learning theory
• Importance of learner’s existing ideas
• May not cohere with scientific ideas, make
sense to holder, hard to change
• Multiple choice: Definitely true, probably
true, probably not true, definitely not true
• Supply questions: I believe the earth is
round (spherical) and not flat because…..
Why Investigate
Pseudoscience?
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Teach relevant science concepts.
Clarify what science is (and is not).
Engage students in scientific inquiry.
Engage students in scientific thinking.
Improve creative and critical thinking.
Help develop an evidential style of belief.
Equip students to evaluate future
pseudoscientific claims, e.g., media.
Firewalking:
Relevant Science Concepts
• When two bodies of different temperatures
meet, the hotter body will cool off and the
cooler body will heat up, until they are
separated or until they meet at a
temperature in between.
• The amount of heat transferred from one
body to the other will depend on the
temperature, mass, specific heat capacity,
and thermal conductivity of each body.
What Science Is/
Nature of Science
• Goal is to develop theoretical explanations
of the observed world.
• Explanations should be consistent with
current scientific ideas, logical, “fit the
facts”, and have predictive power.
• Hypotheses about the world must be
tested against reality.
• Validity of a scientific claim is established
through evidence and reasoning.
Evidential Style of Belief
• The belief is held along with the evidence
relevant to its rational assessment.
• The believer is capable of critically
inquiring into the worthiness of the belief.
• The belief can be reconsidered in the face
of contradictory evidence.
• The belief can change, based on the
evidence.
Tumbling Die
• Psychokinesis (PK) - J. B. Rhine
• Mind’s action on a physical object without
mediation of known physical energy.
• Try rolling die number willed by subject.
• Laws of physics govern falling dice; laws
of probability suggest likely outcome of a
particular sample assuming randomness.
• Why win in the lab but not in Vegas?
• Does the answer lie in quantum physics!?
Parting Thought
• “The dogmatism of science--the tendency
to interpret facts in light of theories--is not
absolute but relative. What distinguishes
science from pseudoscience is … that
scientists stand ready to give up one
dogma for another should the evidence
warrant it. Pseudoscientists refuse to give
up their dogmas regardless of the
evidence against them” (R. Carroll).