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The difference between Science and Pseudoscience

"I maintain there is much more wonder in science than in pseudo-science. And in addition to whatever measure this term has any meaning, science has the additional virtue, and it is not an inconsiderable one, of being true" once said Cornell University Astronomy Professor Carl Sagan. The reason science exists is to observe, identify, describe, experiment, and explain phenomena in the universe. The claim that the earth is flat is not supported by science because it requires the scientist to negate all knowledge about the earth to accept the hypothesis that the earth is flat; so it is therefore not scientific. However, the means of distinguishing a science from a pseudo-science is not simple due to the various beliefs of a person or group of people and the ideas surrounding supporting or refuting a hypothesis. It is difficult to concretely differentiate a scientific argument from a pseudo-scientific one

because of contrasting views and bias present in science. Compared to a science, a pseudo-science is a theory, methodology, or practice that arises without a scientific foundation.

The reasoning behind science is based on the scientific theory. The four steps of scientific methodology ar


Mark Twain said, "When even the brightest mind in our world has been trained up from childhood in a superstition of any kind, it will never be possible for that mind, in its maturity, to examine sincerely, dispassionately, and conscientiously any evidence or any circumstance which shall seem to cast a doubt upon the validity of that superstition. I doubt if I could do it myself." In addition to bias rooted in beliefs, confirmation bias and perceptual construction also effect belief in pseudo-science. "Confirmation bias refers to a type of selective thinking whereby one tends to notice and to look for what confirms one's beliefs, and to ignore, not look for, or undervalue the relevance of what contradicts one's beliefs." Humans seek to prove something is right, rather than to disprove it. Evidence might be available to disprove a hypothesis but it may be ignored because other evidence is available that will confirm the hypothesis. To reduce confirmation bias, it is helpful to keep several hypotheses in mind. Perceptual construction occurs when people believe in something so strongly that the actual results are much different than what actually happened. Problems with the scientific method and the means of experimentation make the line between science and pseudo-science indistinguishable.

The line between science and pseudo-science is difficult to differentiate. Certain aspects of the scientific method and sheer human error make the reliability of evidence somewhat questionable. Perception is essential for each individual to decide whether something is a science or pseudo-science. Culturally, we, in the United States generally do not rely on acupuncture as a solid science to heal, but in China, it is accepted as a valid science. I believe in Creation and evolution but I do not believe I am wrong, so sciences, along with many other areas of Knowledge are subjective. The motives behind perception and belief determine for the individual whether something is regarded as a science or pseudo-science.

Using the scientific method to support or disprove a pseudo-scientific hypothesis, or theory is difficult. Many times, the scientific method cannot be used with pseudo-science because the claim made is not testable, or the means of experimentation are not reliable. For example, proving the existence of the Loch Ness monster would be complicated because

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Approximate Word count = 1605
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)


  

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