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Definition of pseudoscience
- Any body of knowledge claiming to be factual and scientific, but which fails to comply with the usual scientific tests of
- Repeatability
- Consistency with existing well-established science
- Experimental accessibility.
- In order for a claim to be pseudoscientific, the proponent must state or imply that the claim is based on scientific method.
- Practices that rely upon 'divine' or 'spiritual' knowledge are not considered pseudoscientific if they do not claim to be scientific.
- Looking at alternatives that claim to be science but are not help us to define science. It also helps to protect against bad science.
Your obligations as a scientist are that you must:
- Separate what you want to be true from what is true
- Report what the data tells you, not what your boss or anyone tells you.
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Causes of pseudoscience
Society place trust in scientists and science- therefore understandable that the public, who are not trained to critically evaluate information scientifically, accept scientific sounding claims as fact.
Reasons why pseudoscience arises:
- To increase credibility of a claim. Overall, we accept that science has greatly improved our health and delivered us technological advances such as those in communication. This gives claims based on science greater weight than opinions.
- Because pseudoscience is easier and cheaper than doing real science.
- Frequently, it is used for financial gain- that is, to promote a product or service.
- To support something people want to believe.
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Hallmarks of science
- Corrects and updates itself
- Embraces new results
- Is not selective
- Does not depend on authorities
- Welcomes testing and verification
- Is objective
If it sounds like science but doesn't meet the above criteria, it may be a pseudo-science.
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The hallmarks of pseudoscience
- Claims to be science
- Looks like science
- Uses lots of 'scientific' terminology
- Often ignores new data, but may cite old data
- Relies on old data and/or testimonials
- Rarely modifies itself
- Usually very selective
- Often relies on 'experts' and authorities
- Does not lend itself to independent testing
- Often very subjective and as such could be 'beliefs' rather than science.
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FiLCHeRS
- F = Falsifiable: Can devise a simple test which can have “no” as the answer.
- L = Logical: Arguments should be valid and sound.
- C = Comprehensive: All available evidence must be considered
- H = Honest: All evidence for or against should be evaluated honestly, without self-deception.
- R = Replicability: Tests must be repeatable and yield the same/similar results.
- S = Sufficiency: Is there enough evidence? Big claims require lots of evidence.
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How to design experiments to test for pseudoscience
- Ask a specific question
- Consider blind/double blind experiments and the use of controls
- Collect quantitative data- which variables are meaningful and what will you measure?
- How many replicates/subjects will you use?
- How will you recruit them?
- How long with the experiment/test run?
- Can your hypothesis be falsified?
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Magic and
- Admit to using 'tricks'- may be based on careful observation of human behaviour and/or probability.
- Scepticism is a characteristic of scientists
- Carlson was able to test aspects of astrology with full agreement of the astrologers who confidently expected the results to prove the validity of their predictions.
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Alternative medicine and the placebo effect
- Placebo: a substance that has no physiological effect when administered to a patient.
- Placebo effect: if we believe a substance will do us some good, tend to feel better.
- In ethical trials, new treatment should be tested against best available treatment.
- However, if aim is to sell, may be less rigorous and compare compound to no treatment at all.
- Where there are no existing treatments, experiments to test new development should include placebo.
- New treatment must be more effective than the placebo before it can be called effective.
- Such experiments should also be double blind- patient nor researcher know if they have placebo.
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