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What is the Scientific Method?

What is the Scientific Method?. 1. Observation : often based on reading about work of others; leads to Question 2. Hypothesis : an educated guess Leads to specific predictions for testing Consider Alternative Hypotheses

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What is the Scientific Method?

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  1. What is the Scientific Method? 1. Observation: often based on reading about work of others; leads to Question 2. Hypothesis: an educated guess • Leads to specific predictions for testing • Consider Alternative Hypotheses • Null Hypothesis: if able to reject  evidence for hypothesis 3. Gather Data and/or Conduct Experiment: • Data obtained carefully; quantitative data measured (vs. estimated) • Experimental Approach • Manipulation of variable in Treatment Group • Control Group meant to account for all other potential sources of variation; used for comparison to Treatment Group 4. Interpretation of Results: • Summary statistics: mean, standard deviation, etc. • Hypothesis testing (via statistics): can null hypothesis be rejected? 5. Conclusions: • Suggestions for subsequent studies commonly arise • Note potential sources of error (ex., accuracy of measurements)

  2. What is Pseudoscience? • Not science done badly – An attempt to mimic the authority, credentials of science (to seem scientific) • Often debatable/contentious if pseudoscience • “Marks” of pseudoscience • Refusal to revise, even in light of validated criticisms, admitted errors • Pre-set agenda; non-objective; ignore results that weaken agenda; search for data that support agenda • Main arguments based on analogy and/or logically weak • Selected Examples of Pseudoscience (past and present) • Spirit photography (when cameras were new and mysterious) • Crystal power (Sedona, Arizona - a mystical nexus?) • Anti-cancer craze with shark-cartilage pills (clinical study with large sample size showed no effect on spread of cancers) • Foot baths for treating autism and removing “toxins” • Examples from Junk Science (healing transmitted via radio waves, bite-mark expert, nuclear fusion?)

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