ASTRON 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Voodoo Science, Pseudoscience, Falsifiability
7 Sep 2016
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Survey question should i vaccinate my daughter against measles, mumps and rubella? (mmr) Science (based on rational thought) to pseudoscience (based on a lack of understanding or misinformation) Why science and pseudoscience: cults, astrology, paranormal events (esp. communicating with the dead) 11. what is a scientific theory: a falsifiable model, based on the history of accumulated evidence, of how a physical process works or behaves. Falsifiable - needs an experiment to test it. Problem/supposition observation interpretation theory prediction observation (circles) What is pseudoscience? the seven signs of voodoo science. 16. a discovery is pitched directly to the media. 17. a powerful establishment is suppressing the discovery. 18. an effect is always at the very limit of detection. 20. a belief is said to be credible because it has endured for centuries. 21. an important discovery is made in isolation. 22. new laws of nature are proposed to explain an incredible observation.
