Science vs. Pseudoscience

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Science vs. Pseudoscience

• Integrated Science 2006

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Objectives

• Distinguish between science and pseudoscience
  Students will be able to evaluate theories for
  scientific merit.
  
• Differentiate between science, religion, and art
  (NJState5.2.12A.1)
  
• Recognize the role of the scientific community in
  responding to changing social and political
  conditions and how scientific and technological
  achievement affect historical events (HSPA Skill
  Statement IIIB)

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Some notable quotes

• Common sense is the collection of prejudices
  acquired by age 18. - Albert Einstein
  
• When even the brightest mind in our world has
  been trained up from childhood in a superstition
  of any kind, it will never be possible for that
  mind, in its maturity, to examine sincerely,
  dispassionately, and conscientiously any evidence
  or any circumstance which shall seem to cast a
  doubt upon the validity of that superstition. I
  doubt if I could do it myself.- Mark Twain
• Truth comes out of error more readily than out of
  confusion.- Francis Bacon
  
• There are many hypotheses in science which are
  wrong. That's perfectly all right they're the
  aperture (opening) to finding out what's right.-
  Carl Sagan
• I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not
  knowing. I think it is much more interesting to
  live not knowing than to have answers that might
  be wrong.- Richard Feynman

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Science - Defined

• An activity carried out by scientists, with
  certain raw materials, purpose and methodology.
  
• RESULT of this activity
• a well-established and well-tested body of facts,
  laws and models that describe the natural world.

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Scientists DO

• Brainstorm, Innovate, Speculate
• Science IS creativeBUT
• maintain a disciplined rigor to ensure that their
  theories and models fit into a logical and
  consistent interrelated structure.
  
• Predictions ARE TESTED against observations AND
  against precise measurements made on nature.

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Science vs. Pseudoscience

• Can you tell the difference between science and
  pseudoscience?
  
• How?
• Think about the following
• Evidence (data), reproducibility, successes and
  failures, products

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This table contrasts some of the characteristics
of science and pseudoscience
(handout)
http//www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/
pseudo.html

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Science or Pseudoscience

• Comparative Psychology or Parapsychology
• Biorhythms or Circadian Rhythms
• Magnetic Therapy or Magnetic Resonance
• Numerology or Pneumology
• Neurology or Phrenology
• Astrology or Astronomy

Which of the above are based on science and which
are pseudoscience?
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Science or Pseudoscience?

• Use the information on the previous slide and
  work with a group of 2 or 3 students to find
  online evidence to support each term as a science
  or pseudoscience.
• You will need to use more than one website for
  each science.
  
• Be sure to answers ALL questions as you go.
• Each student must turn in their own copy of the
  exercise.

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Science, Art, Religion

• Science
• a system by which we discover and record
  physical phenomena and think about possible
  explanations for such phenomena.
  
• Arts
• concerned with personal interpretation and
  creative expression.
  
• Religion
• addresses the source, purpose, and meaning of it
  all.
  
• Simply put,
• science asks how
• art asks who
• religion asks why.

See Handout
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Pseudoscience Predictions

• Finding water with a dowsing rod
• Virtually 100 probability of being right!
• Ground water is within 100 miles of almost every
  location on earth!

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Why is belief in pseudoscience strong?

• Ignorance
• Lack of technology
• Superstition
• Coincidence
• Probability
• Newspapers and magazines
• What do you see?
• Daily science column or daily horoscope column?
• Television
• The era of sell-TV and paid advertisements
• Diets, Vitamins, Muscles, Cleaning Supplies

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High dollar pseudoscience Astrology

• 20,000 Astrologers
• Millions who pay for readings
• James Randi Flim-Flam
• A greater percentage of Americans TODAY believe
  in astrology and occult phenomena than in
  medieval Europe
  
• Martin Gardner Science Good, Bad and Bogus

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Movies Can we learn good science from bad
science?

• The arrival of a new ice age in a matter of
  weeks?
  
• Setting the Earth's core rotating with a few
  nuclear bombs?
  
• Fault zones that gape open to swallow people,
  speeding trains, and even small towns?
  
• "Get real," say earth scientists decrying the
  recent movies The Day after Tomorrow and The Core
  and the TV miniseries 10.5

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The Facts

• Inaccurate science in both movies and TVs
• Viewers can not always distinguish fact from
  fiction.
  
• BUT We can use the events in movies, TV shows
  and even novels to help us understand what is
  real and what is not.
  
• MOVIE ACTIVITY

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Summary

• Good science is accurately described so that
  experiments can be repeated.
  
• Science reveals and learns from failures
• Scientific theories change or can be abandoned
• Science convinces through data, mathematics and
  logical reasoning.
  
• Basic science knowledge is critical to
  differentiating science from pseudoscience.
  

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(No Transcript)