Daily Newsletter January 12, 2012
Today's Topic: Science or Pseudoscience
Remember, to be scientific, a hypothesis must be both testable and falsifiable. Pseudoscience is any claim held to be “Scientific,” but which fails to the standards of scientific research. Most notably, pseudoscience is known for having hypothesizes that are untestable or non-falsifiable.
It must be remembered that Pseudoscience is a claim to knowledge supposedly based in scientific methodology. In fact, it fails to be scientific. It just makes the claim. Religion/Revelation/Spirituality does not make an authority claim based on science. Therefore these topics are not classified as pseudoscience.
Most spiritual pathways are based upon personal revelation, or private knowledge. Acceptance of private knowledge is the foundation of belief (not science). Public knowledge on the other had must be based upon evidence. Consider this phrase: “Why should I accept what you are saying?” The phrase shows a healthy amount of skepticism, and normally what we are looking for when we ask this question is what proof you have to support your claim. Understand: Private Knowledge (anecdotes) are still knowledge, and they can be helpful in your life; they are just not scientific. Take for example when a parent, grandparent or older sibling says: “Don’t do that, you’ll regret it.” Are they necessarily speaking from observed, empirical or measurable data? Are they speaking from public knowledge? or are they speaking from personal experience (private knowledge)?
Pseudoscience is a term that is thrown around a lot, and sometimes when it is not warranted (usually to discredit a controversial theory). Here are some examples of protosciences (new sciences) that were first called pseudoscience:
- Big Bang Theory
- Continental Drift
- Electromagnetic Field Theory
- Germ Theory of Disease
Daily Challenge: Looking at science and pseudoscience
Consider the following "scientific" activities. I use the word scientific in quotes to denote that most consider these activities pseudoscience. What is your take on these? Can legitimate hypotheses be formulated?
- Parapsychology
- Psychic Phenomena
- Energy Medicine
- Acupuncture
- Ghost Hunting
NOTE: When to be skeptical (things to watch out for)
• Heresy does not equal correctness
• They laughed at Galileo!”
• Anecdotes do not equal scientific evidence
• “After my neighbor’s daughter started drinking wheat grass, she never had another asthma attack.”
• This is a revelation at best, and so is not scientific.
• Could this lead though to a testable hypothesis?
• Failures are rationalized
• “If faith-healing doesn’t work, it is because your faith isn’t strong enough.”
• This statement makes the hypothesis non-falsifiable.
• Could faith-healing be tested in an objective, scientific environment?
• Unexplained is not inexplicable
• “People who walk on hot coals must have paranormal powers.”
• Arguments are carried to absurd conclusions
• “100% of divorced people were once married, therefore marriage causes divorce.”
• Ad hominem attacks
• A personal attack, literally, an attack against the person.
• “A woman who demands equal rights just can’t get a man.”
• Circular Reasoning
• “What is gravity?”
• “The tendency for objects to be attracted to each other.”
• Why are objects attracted to each other?”
• “Because of gravity.”
• Assuming that correlation indicates cause
• “A high number of students who do well on the SAT have had braces, therefore, intelligence is caused by crooked teeth.”
No comments:
Post a Comment