Science Versus Pseudoscience : Science Vs. Pseudoscience

Questions 4 through 8 are based on Figure 9.17 on page 208 of your lab book.

After reading Feder’s “Quick Start Guide” and chapter on “Science and Pseudoscience”, my impression of the difference between a “pseudo” archaeological theory and scientific archaeological theory is opinion and fact. First of all, it is important to know that archaeologists study about human cultures in the past by understanding and interpreting the remains and artifacts found in archaeological sites. When artifacts are discovered and proven to be false, it is a hoax. On the other hand, scientific archaeological theory occurs when archaeologists use evidence to support and show that the information they gathered is true.

The questions in the complete section are directly related to the textbook. You will likely not answer the question correctly if you do not read the textbook and obtain your answers from this source. The terminology in the textbook should be used in your responses.

Read through the questions below and respond in the answer box provided. Incomplete of incorrect responses will be returned for further work; your tutor will supply guidance through feedback.

Pseudoscience is a claim or belief that does not conform to the scientific method. Generally, pseudoscience will have a lack of scientific evidence and will seem almost as an exaggeration. The evidence that is there to support it is not heavily supported or seems to be conforming to fit the “hypothesis”. In the article I found, James Cameron dove by himself to the deepest part of

Instructions: Read chapter 3 in your textbook and review the lecture notes and study resources provided by your instructor. Type your answer in the answer block provided for each question. Answer blocks should expand as you type. If you experience difficulty typing in the provided answer blocks, you may type your answers in a new document. Save a copy of the completed activity to your computer for your records. Although this activity is not graded, your instructor reserves the right to require students to submit their completed work at any time throughout the semester.

After reading the course resources, answer questions 1-10. (10 points each)
Please take time to answer each question completely.

Pseudoscience is a belief that is portrayed as scientific but fails to meet scientific criteria. Pseudoscience includes astrology, Young-Earth creationism, iridology, neuro-linguistic programming and water divining, to name but a few.

Once you have read the textbook chapter and the Reading, answer discussion questions 1, 3- 5 (ignore questions 2 and 6).

For these questions you may have to travel outside of the course CD although all the answers can be found there. [35 points]

Pseudoscience could be beliefs, theories, or practices that have been or are considered scientific, but have no basis in scientific fact. This could mean they were disproved scientifically, can't be tested or there is a lack of evidence to support them. Usually, a pseudoscientist would reverse the scientific process by thinking of their desired conclusion in the beginning and then searching for evidence that supports their desired conclusion while ignoring evidence and arguments to the contrary. Using such a biased and backwards approach, it makes it possible to prove anything, including some of the most absurd nonsense imaginable. These beliefs are considered to lie outside of science because they have not received support from the scientific

In the following pages I will argue that Karl Popper’s falsification principle, when used as the criterion for demarcating science from non-science, cannot in all cases establish definitively whether a theory is scientific, and thus at the very least cannot be the sole method of distinguishing science from non-science. My argument is as follows: For any criterion to serve as the principle of demarkation, it must describe how, for any given hypothesis, that hypothesis can be evaluated as scientific or not. Furthermore, that procedure should be consistent with the way established “good” science is done in practice. Popper’s falsification principle is, in at least a few cases, inconsistent with the way science is done in practice. Therefore, falsification cannot serve as the principle of demarkation.

The scientific revolution had arisen new ideas to the scientific community that would have an impact to many religious communities. The creation of new tools allowed human to test ideas and theories that would confirm or deny previous assumptions. Pseudoscience was a form of science that would introduce many absurd ideas that could be denied with current evidence. However, many scientific theories and assumptions are fallible and could be disproven and thus created pseudoscience. Michael Shermer wrote an article that explains the main problem with pseudoscience as he states, “The boundary problem between science and pseudoscience, in fact, is notoriously fraught with definitional disagreements because the categories are too broad and fuzzy

There are some demarcations to science from pseudo-science and non-science (Hansson, 2008). Science aims to unravel the way the natural world is and explain how it is and why it works in a particular manner (Hobson, 2001 & Bunge, 1982). It answers few of these questions by demonstrating the cause and the effects of various actions by presenting in descriptive and explanatory claims (Parse, 1995). Scientists prove their findings by explaining

All of the concepts covered in lecture and the assigned readings are reviewed here. You might find the summaries a helpful reminder of what the concepts are and how