Science and Pseudoscience

1. Science and Pseudoscience Critical Thinking

3. Science • The scientific method isn’t a complex, or magical process. It’s actually quite mundane! • It’s how scientists are trained to think that makes science such a powerful tool

4. Science • Science relies on: • Skepticism • Critical Thought • The Scientific Method • Imagination!

5. Science • Science relies on: • Skepticism • Critical Thought • The Scientific Method • Imagination!

6. Skepticism • Which line is longer?

7. Skepticism • Which block is darker?

8. Skepticism • Skepticism is the practice of not taking the world at face-value but, instead, considering it in close detail before drawing conclusions

9. Cynicism • Skepticism is not cynicism • Cynicism: • Close-minded dismissal of claims that contradict your beliefs • Skepticism: • Willingness to entertain many possibilities, but only accepting them after seeing persuasive evidence

10. Science • Science relies on: • Skepticism • Critical Thought • The Scientific Method • Imagination!

11. Critical Thinking • There is a difference between being critical and criticizing • Critical thinking is a style of thinking that focuses on careful investigation of phenomena that are not understood, and conservative adoption of new beliefs • Criticizing (without also providing advice) is just being mean!

12. Extraordinary Claims • The more a claim contradicts what we already know, the more persuasive the evidence for the claim must be before we should accept it

13. Overtoun Bridge • There is a bridge in Scotland where dogs have been known to commit suicide off of • Some dogs, which have failed at committing suicide, have even returned for repeat attempts! Why is this an extraordinary claim?

14. Falsifiability • Claims must be capable of being disproved.

15. Creationism • Creationism is the belief that the universe is so complex that it could not have been created by mere physical processes, and therefore must have been created by a divine being. Why can this statement not be falsified? Does this mean it is wrong?

16. Flying Spaghetti Monsterism • In 2005, the Kansas City school board attempted to integrate Creationism into science classes • Critics argued that regardless of whether Creationism is true or false, it has no place in science classes because it cannot be falsified • One of the more popularized criticisms was the church of the flying spaghetti monster: • http://www.venganza.org/about/open-letter/

17. Occam’s Razor • If two hypotheses explain a phenomenon equally well, we should generally select the simpler one.

18. Clocks work through a series of interlocked gears. Clocks work through a series of interlocked gears pushed by invisible pink unicorns Occam’s Razor • Which theory is preferable? Does this mean the Unicorn theory is necessarily wrong?

19. Occam’s Razor • Often what will happen in scientific research is not that we will immediately falsify a theory but, rather, find evidence that supports a more succinct theory

20. Overtoun Bridge • The dogs have mostly jumped from one side of the bridge • Most jumps occurred during clear weather • Most jumpers have been breeds of dogs with long snouts • A colony of minks were found living in the foliage under Overtoun Bridge According to Occam’s Razor, which theory should we prefer? The dog suicide theory, or the mink-hunting theory? Why?

21. Replicability • A finding must be capable of being duplicated by independent researchers following the same “recipe”.

22. Overtoun Bridge • How could we replicate the mink-hunting theory in a way that would not kill any more dogs?

23. Ruling out Rival Hypotheses • Findings consistent with several hypotheses require additional research to eliminate these hypotheses

24. Overtoun Bridge • Finally, how could we rule out the dog suicide theory?