Pseudoscience

Question 1

From the They article, who are “they”?

Answer 1

Government agencies, pharmaceutical industry, FDA

Question 2

From the They article, why are “they” trying to keep us all ignorant?

Answer 2

• Trudeau claims because ppl can’t make money on all-natural cures, drug industry protecting their profits
• Trudeau: “It’s all about money. The drug industry does not want people to get healthy.”

Question 3

From the They article, how plausible is this conspiracy?

Answer 3

• Some validity, it is money-driven
• Also consider Kevin Trudeau’s motivations: he wants to sell his book, natural cures
• Natural cures may not be effective
• He offers little evidence for his claims

Question 4

What does the Pseudoscience on TV article reference?

Answer 4

Gweneth Paltrow’s Goop Lab

Question 5

Criticisms of the Goop Lab

Answer 5

• Testimonials can be bogus: despite the treatment, ppl might be getting better anyway
• Ad hoc hypothesis – claims can’t see energy fields, no possible evidence to support
• Ad hominem – reaction directed against a person rather than the position they are maintaining.
• Discredits the one criticizing, it’s a cheap/low strategy
• Paltrow’s critics accused of being anti-feminist

Question 6

What does the From nightmares from the fringe article reference?

Answer 6

• Using dreams to predict the future
• “Multidisciplinary”: it embraces both scientific and other modes of enquiry
• International Association for the Study of Dreams

Question 7

Criticisms from the From nightmares from the fringe article

Answer 7

• Harmful when ‘dream science,’ (parapsychology) used to diagnose cancer
• Misleads ppl with serious diseases
• Ppl who dreamed they have cancer actually believe it

Question 8

Problems with dream ESP

Answer 8

• “we want to believe” foresee the future
• So many ppl dreaming at night, likely predictions will happen by chance

Question 9

What happened when author asked to test the theory that one can predict the future through dreams?

Answer 9

• Prompted to dream Christmas scene, actually dreamed of jazz club

Question 10

Opportunity costs definition and application

Question 11

Author (Hooper) of From nightmares from the fringe article suggests:

Answer 11

• Reasonable that consciousness arises from the brain, should research this
• Investigate what truly generates dreams

Question 12

What is the Quack of the Gaps problem (Shermer article)?

Answer 12

Gaps in scientific knowledge are filled with anyone’s pet “theory” and corresponding “treatment.”

Question 13

Quote from Quack of the Gaps problem, on handout:

Answer 13

“The persistence of fad interventions in the face of negative scientific evidence”

Question 14

2 reasons why ppl would persist with Facilitated Communication even when proven ineffective?

Answer 14

1. No current cure for autism
2. Ppl want to believe in some technique, gives false hopes

Question 15

Summary of Quack of the Gaps problem

Answer 15

• Ppl proclaim Facilitated Communication a fundamental “right”
• Autistic children, like other historically discriminated groups, are wrongly considered “intellectually inferior”
• People with autism have the same rights as everyone else regardless of their communication skills

Question 16

3 key points from Shermer’s article: I Want to Believe

Answer 16

• Remain open-minded but skeptical
• Science: helps discern what we want to be true and what is actually true
• FALSE statement: if science cannot disprove a claim, then it must be true

Question 17

2 details about the “null hypothesis”

Answer 17

• Must reject null hypothesis to demonstrate truth
• Burden of proof is on the person making the claim

Question 18

What is pseudoscience and what are 2 of its characteristics?

Answer 18

• Claims of evidence that masquerade as science but in fact violate the basic criteria of scientific investigation.
• Not based upon observation and data is not collected in a systematic matter. Often based upon peoples’ beliefs