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Pseudoscience and conspiracy theories are not victimless crimes against science

News of anti-vaccination movements, demands to teach creationism in schools as science, and dubious health claims of strange diets are enough to make us wonder if some people are forgetting or abandoning the scientific method altogether

By: Eduardo Nicolas Schulz, Research Fellow at University of Birmingham
Translation for the science website - Udi Lam

Pseudo-science - we should have known much more today. Phrenology chart from 1883. In the first half of the 19th century, phrenology was a popular study and considered scientific. In the second half of the century, the theory was largely abandoned. From Wikipedia, public domain
Pseudo-science - we should have known much more today. Phrenology chart from 1883. In the first half of the 19th century, phrenology was a popular study and considered scientific. In the second half of the century, the theory was largely abandoned. From Wikipedia, public domain

Astronomer Carl Sagan once said: "In every country, we must teach our children the scientific method and the reasons for maintaining the Bill of Rights. Together with them, a spirit of decency, modesty and a certain community is acquired. In a demon-haunted world that we inhabit by being human, this may be all that stands between us and the darkness that surrounds us."

Despite advances in education and living standards, the world seems like a scary place to many people - full of chemicals in the sky, aliens trying to abduct us, and government and corporate conspiracies. As Stephen Hawking dryly noted: "If governments are involved in a cover-up, they do a better job at it than they seem to do at anything else." Other".

Carl Sagan - fear of the rise of pseudoscience.
Carl Sagan - fear of the rise of pseudoscience.

What is the harm in 'alternative' science?

What is the harm in using an alternative medicine for cancer treatment? Why should others care if I don't vaccinate my child? Such decisions are too often based on little understanding of how science works - and are usually driven by someone's financial interest.

For example, an American blogger named Vani Harry, known as Food Babe, claims to have researched and discovered problems with food (while receiving sponsorship from "natural" food companies). Among the conclusions of her in-depth research were the results of the study of microwave effects:

Water irradiated in a microwave created a physical structure similar to when the words "devil" and "Hitler" were repeatedly exposed to water.

The truth is that science has no authority. There are experts at most, and even their opinions can be challenged by anyone - as long as there is evidence to support the argument. When certain people are considered "authorities" and their claims, no matter how crazy, are trusted, then the decisions that millions of people may make as a result could harm them or even lead to an early end to their lives.

If this sounds strange, here are two "health" bloggers from Australia. Belle Gibson touted her whole food recipes and alternative remedies (available as a book and smartphone app) as a "natural" weapon in her battle against cancer - a cancer she later admitted she invented. Or Jessica Ainscough, the health warrior, whose real cancer was not stopped by the pseudo-scientific "natural cure" she blogged about. Ainscough died in February 2015.

Cancer is terrifying for those who deal with it and for their families. What some of these "health" bloggers do, whether as a mistake or for personal gain, is not only an insult to these people and those who lost their loved ones to the disease, but also an irresponsible action.

The spread of pseudoscience can kill, and this is precisely why we must do more to spread the scientific method, and guide others in applying skepticism to unusual claims.

In the picture we see an electro-metabograph, which is claimed to be able to heal patients with radio waves. Without scientific basis, of course - but doesn't it look good?
In the photo we see an electro-metabograph, which is claimed to be able to heal patients with radio waves. Without scientific basis, of course - but doesn't it look good?

In the photo we see an electro-metabograph, which is claimed to be able to heal patients with radio waves. Without scientific basis, of course - but doesn't it look good?

The haunted world

 

But instead of teaching children how to critically analyze the world around them for their own sake, through the lens of healthy skepticism, the educational system is based on assertions of authority, which encourage them to accept what they are told. Over time, this attitude can develop into a deep ignorance of the scientific method, and a huge difference between the worldview of those who were raised according to the scientific method and everyone else. Into this gap comes mistrust, charlatans and conspiracy theories.

The world we live in is surrounded by science and technology, but only a few of us understand this science and technology. This is a recipe for disaster, and in the 20 years since Sagan's book: "A Haunted World: Science as a Fiddler" was published, the situation has not improved.

It may be difficult for me who does not have an academic education - and maybe even without a degree in science - to understand and interpret scientific results. Even those engaged in a certain scientific field may find themselves struggling to understand developments in other fields, due to the scope of specialization required for further progress. Achieving this expertise requires time, of which we humans only have a limited amount. Gone are the days of multidisciplinary geniuses like da Vinci and Leibniz, whose expertise spanned mathematics, mechanics and invention, through philosophy, politics, anatomy and medicine.

The scientific investigation, in a nutshell. Image: Whatiguana, CC BY-SA
The scientific investigation, in a nutshell. Image: Whatiguana, CC BY-SA

closing the gap

Fortunately for us, knowing everything is not a requirement for scientists, nor is it necessary for scientific thinking. In fact, in scientific thinking, the words of Socrates echo, that the wisest person is the one who knows that he knows nothing. "There is no shame in not knowing," said Neil deGrasse Tyson, "the problem begins when illogical thought and accompanying behavior fill the void left by ignorance."

The only requirement for scientific thinking is to learn how to apply the scientific method to what we encounter in our day-to-day lives. This is what scientists should teach others - science is the only access to truth we have, an error-correcting mechanism connected to self-criticism that tests our ideas against the real world. And the proof of its truth is all around us - from the scientific principles that are at the base of the screen we are reading now, through the production processes and the materials that were required to build it, and the electricity that activates it.

Science may not be perfect, but it is the best tool the human race has developed for understanding itself and the world around it. With an understanding of the scientific method the world suddenly reveals itself not as a place to be feared, but to be understood. As Carl Sagan also said: "There are enough miracles out there, even without us inventing any more."

The original article was published on The Conversation website under a CC license

More of the topic in Hayadan:

Science site The Conversation

Science site The Conversation

Theconversation.com is an independent source of news and opinion from academic sources and the research community, and is provided directly to the public. The site operates in three countries: Great Britain, South Africa and Australia. to The Conversation website
For all the author's articles

66 תגובות

  1. It doesn't make sense for a conspiracy theory to be awarded a doctorate from a respectable research university, what's more, the issue of exaggerations or even deception by pharmaceutical companies is a well-known issue because I also receive these messages and have begun to read them critically.

  3. Maybe ..
    Better a leech than a stupid and proud liar
    We caught you in a lie again - won't you realize that something is wrong with you?

  4. Camila is right
    He is probably aware of his own vanity and enjoys the negative attention.
    While the combination of ignorance and pride (whether real or fake) can be entertaining, we'd better stop feeding the skeptical troll

  5. Sabri Maranan

    You are just rambling…
    I brought a link with hundreds of pictures
    Where is the "refutation"?
    It is enough to have one photo out of hundreds that is authentic...

    miracles,
    was and remains a leech...

  6. Say maybe, aren't you tired of making fun of yourself?

    I've already proven to you that the pictures you brought are fake, so why do you continue to ramble on? Even one and only real photo of the flying spaghetti monster is enough to prove that it is real.

    The truth is that K. is right. It seems to me that we are feeding a troll.

  8. incidentally

    Regarding the previous pictures of giant skeletons,
    What surprised me,
    I had in my imagination the existence of huge humanoid productions
    And I thought their existence could solve many of the mysteries
    which were found on earth.

    For example: help in building the pyramids in Egypt
    Or building huge facilities like the Stung...

    It is understood that a significant part of the photos are not real
    But only one real picture is enough
    To change many of our historical perceptions...

  10. This is an ideological article full of clichéd conventions. "What is the harm in using an alternative medicine for cancer?" asks the author without explaining what is the alternative and what is the non-alternative. In any case, medicines and vaccines are not science but industrial products based on scientific chance. These commercial products have no sanctity and no unconditional moral priority over the use of other options. The use of the aforementioned industrial products is due to social and personal decisions based largely on commerce and fear of death and pain, and much less on moral positions. If everyone uses these products, there will probably be a lot of old people who spend years in dying homes, known as old people's homes.

  11. This is an ideological article full of untested conventions. "What is the harm in using an alternative medicine for cancer?" The author does not explain what the alternative medicine is and what the non-alternative medicine is. In any case, medicines and vaccines are not science but industrial products based on science, and their use is a social and personal decision. There is no sanctity and no unconditional priority in the use of these products. If everyone uses these commercial products death will not stop but there will probably be more exhausted old people in dying homes called nursing homes.

  12. Friends are asked to stop feeding the troll, of course there is no point in trying to prove to the troll that he is a troll... it is simply pointless.
    We already understood what he has to offer and he has repeated it enough times, we have already met more annoying trolls than him, let him fade away, at most he will wade in his own puddle of urine.

  17. It's possible..
    I must say you are a mystery to me
    On the one hand, you exhibit classic signs of a person suffering from delusions and paranoid personality disorder.
    On the other hand, you publish films that were debunked in the 90s in an article that deals with the assimilation of the scientific method and the fight against ignorance. In doing so, you show that you have the capacity for irony and malice of a common internet troll.
    I can't understand if you are a mentally ill person who blames "science" for the difficulties in his life or if you are a troll who enjoys the negative attention of readers on a scientific website.
    I, of course, will continue to expose your many lies whenever I can.
    Attached is a video that refutes the giant skeleton scam:
    http://occupytheory.org/giant-skeletons-hoax-debunked/

  18. Anyone interested in the answers to the troll's new and difficult question - in the link to Google Photos - all he has to do is scroll up, click on the Internet tab and read the links there.

  21. You really have to rub your eyes and not believe that there are so many fools who swallow every idiotic story that is spread on the Internet.

    Why are there only still images? How about some short video of this wonder? I will explain to you why there is no video, because a video is much harder to fake, a still image, on the other hand, is easily faked.

    Where can I see a list of the scientists who examined the skeletons? By what methods will they extend them? And most importantly - where are the skeletons today? In which museum can you see them?

    To solve the mystery, search Google for the article:

    "The Photoshop police and really big skeletons."

  24. Stunning…

    Many more pictures of giant skeletons…
    https://www.google.com/search?q=giant+skeleton+pictures&tbm=isch&imgil=tBL1uEDlXERcCM%253A%253BJIcOz8R5wAIvMM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.youtube.com%25252Fwatch%25253Fv%2525253Db_-vWCY5lN0&source=iu&pf=m&fir=tBL1uEDlXERcCM%253A%252CJIcOz8R5wAIvMM%252C_&biw=1024&bih=576&usg=__5k6FcByM4jRR_CJPhkmHO-8UPKA%3D#imgrc=tBL1uEDlXERcCM%3A&usg=__5k6FcByM4jRR_CJPhkmHO-8UPKA%3D

    Why are "scientists" silent?

  25. You really have to rub your eyes and find it hard to believe that there are so many fools who swallow every stupid nonsense that is spread on the Internet.

    Why are there only still images, what about a short video of this wonder? A video is much harder to fake, do you understand? Photos are easily faked.

    Where are the skeletons today, who are the scientists who examined them? How will you extend them? Where can you see the skeletons today? In which museum?

    See the deciphering of the mystery here:

    http://www.nana10.co.il/Article/?ArticleID=716351

  30. It's possible..
    I completely agree with you. Questions about your education and if it exceeds that of a "public school graduate", are not necessarily relevant and you have the right to keep the details of your education to yourself (and potential employers).
    I do not agree with you that there are questions you asked that were not answered in this forum or in others.
    To write "I don't believe that.." is not a question
    Writing "It doesn't make sense to me that.." is not a question
    Also, if you asked a question and received an answer that is not acceptable to you, you must explain what is not acceptable in the answer and not shout that everyone is afraid to answer your questions.
    You are welcome to ask your questions here. I will be happy to help you formulate them in order to make them scientifically meaningful.
    Also, as you expect answers (to questions you haven't asked yet), you should answer questions that are asked of you and not ignore them or respond with a barrage of curses.
    I will repeat my scary questions:
    1. What are the proofs for your claim that disprove the theory of evolution?
    2. What are the proofs for your claim that disprove the big bang theory?
    3. Why do you think there is no model that explains the formation of stars and galaxies?
    4. Do you have a model that you think interprets the evidence and data better?
    5. Have you tried in the past to learn about those "difficult questions" of yours? If so, how? If not, why?

  31. Strong

    Since you are probably new here,
    You will have to go through what I have written here before
    The relevant shamers.

    I'm not going to go back and write again and again for every new entrant…

    I look forward to getting answers to what I asked,
    And not to flood the forum with new questions in order to forget what I asked...

    Another note: the forum is not intended to discuss anyone's personal questions...

  32. It's possible..
    Here's something else you learned:
    throw the same arguments that are raised in front of you back..
    They expose you in your lies: You claim that the exposers are liars.
    Going against your tendency to respond to arguments with curses: you claim that you are being slandered.
    They ask about your level of education: you are trying to claim that the respondents are uneducated.

    By the way, the forum is for everyone. "Folk school" students can also comment here. Reactions are measured by their design, not by who is behind them.
    Also, it's somewhat amusing that you are afraid to respond to the questions of a commenter who, in your imagination, is not among "folk school graduates and above..."
    I'll ask my scary questions again and add a question since you brought up the subject of education:
    1. What are the proofs that you claim disprove the theory of evolution?
    2. What are the proofs that you claim disprove the big bang theory?
    3. Why do you think there is no model that explains the formation of stars and galaxies?
    4. Do you have a model that you think interprets the evidence and data better?
    5. Have you tried in the past to learn about those "difficult questions" of yours? If so, how? If not, why?
    6. Are you ready to share your level of education with the forum participants? (All rights to the question are reserved for Nisim)

  34. It's possible..
    I really did not understand your argument.
    I attribute this to the fact that you did not present arguments beyond "no one knows..."
    I would be happy to try to understand you. I have asked a number of questions that will help me with this and I will be happy if you answer them.

  38. It's not possible, I don't have any problems understanding what I read, you didn't say it was possible or possible, you clearly wrote that you are sure about the aliens and as mentioned you wrote it in the context of the flash memory technology:

    Here are your words again:

    "I am vigilantly following to collect all possible information on this subject... which helps a lot to cover the tracks, the fact that the aliens themselves want to cover up... Regarding technological information, I have no doubt that over the past several hundred years in particular, information has been transferred (as mentioned, by the aliens) for the development of new technologies ... In my opinion, we are influenced by several groups of outsiders, who operate independently, and are not dependent on each other... Which of the technologies were given to us by whom? I leave it only to the imagination…”

  39. It's possible..
    I'm back from a short vacation and I see that contrary to what I said about your refusal to learn, during my absence you learned a new trick:
    Every time someone confronts you with a lie or asks you questions that scare you, you call them a "leech" and think that the scary questions are gone.
    Of course this is not the case, and the (digital) paper remembers everything..
    I will continue to ignore your attempts to insult and your tendency to answer questions with curses and will continue to ask questions in the hope that eventually you will have the courage to answer them:
    1. What are the proofs that you claim disprove the theory of evolution?
    2. What are the proofs that you claim disprove the big bang theory?
    3. Why do you think there is no model that explains the formation of stars and galaxies?
    4. Do you have a model that you think interprets the evidence and data better?
    5. Have you tried in the past to learn about those "difficult questions" of yours? If so, how? If not, why?

    Wishing you a good and balanced week

  42. Maybe ..
    Why are you afraid to answer me? You wanted an explanation, and I'm ready to explain it to you. But - at what level to explain? You really insult me ​​🙁

  44. may be…
    You claimed, as I understand it, that we don't know how to make flash memories. To explain to you - I would love to know what your education is.

  46. Sabri Maranan

    You have a problem with reading comprehension...

    You quoted below what I wrote about the foreigners.
    It turns out you didn't understand what I wrote...

    I wrote "maybe", it said "possible"
    And this includes the possibility that the development of memories is done with the help of outsiders.

    What bothers you that I said it is possible?
    You probably don't understand the word "possible"...

  49. K.

    You are not able to answer my difficult questions!
    So am I a troll?

    Do you think that using insults and derogatory names will deter me?

    If you are able to answer, answer. If not, shut your dirty mouth!!!!

    miracles,
    You are zero, trying to stand out from zero.
    It is disrespectful to stoop to your level...
    Slander will not help you.

  50. Miracles,
    Please consider stopping feeding the troll,
    Like another troll here who is closed in a narrow box, he will continue to contribute zero relevant information and zero interesting ideas that have any grip on reality. He will also continue to ignore the responses that showed how much nonsense he has spewed so far, thereby preventing any possibility of an educated discussion, one based on coherent arguments and facts. There is an administrator of the site, even if he reserves the right to decide what the nature of the discussion on the site will be, in my opinion it is possible to dispense with commenters like "maybe..." who only pollute the site, because it is legitimate to defend against polluters, but, as mentioned, the decision is not in my hands. So at least it is possible to cooperate less with those who have already proven that every material relevant to the discussion turns into slime in his responses. It doesn't matter how much your comments, Nisim (and those of others who wasted time on the troll) are worthy and matter-of-fact, the troll will continue to do what he knows how to do best - distort, ignore, lie and trash. Do you want to warn others? Take one thing from all the many ramblings he has already managed to present here and mention it (with reference) so that new or forgetful readers will understand what they are dealing with. Just a suggestion…

  53. You may be counting on the fact that the commenters here have a short memory... Here is his response regarding the aliens, I don't think it is ambiguous:

    "You ask sarcastically,
    But I will answer you seriously.

    First, I am following closely to gather all possible information on this topic. Unfortunately, nowadays every effort is made by the authorized authorities to obscure information on this subject.
    What helps a lot to cover the tracks, the fact that the outsiders themselves want to cover...

    Regarding technological information, I have no doubt that for the past several hundred years in particular, information has been transferred for the development of new technologies.

    It is a well-known fact that patents in the past were "discovered" at the same time in several distant places on Earth.

    In my opinion, we are influenced by a number of groups of outsiders, who operate independently, and are not dependent on each other... Which of the technologies were given to us by whom?
    I leave it only to the imagination…”

    And it is important to emphasize that it is possible... he said these things in the context of the development of flash memories.

  54. Maybe ..
    You wrote that humans did not invent the flash, and that "suddenly" the technology appeared with several manufacturers.

    You wrote that no one knows how to explain how Flash works.
    So enough lying... What did you mean, that God invented the flash??

    You wrote that you have evidence that evolution is not possible - again an ugly lie. Just don't start with the duplicating car stupidity again…

  57. Miracles

    I don't have to answer any questions, especially not yours...
    I don't care what you think of me, I don't care...

    You present here in their nakedness, you and the others who claim to speak in the name of science...

    You don't have answers to basic questions...

    You are a vile person, a liar,

  58. may be…
    I asked you about your education... Your lack of answer does not strengthen our feeling that you are able to understand the answer.

    And what you do say, only reinforces the feeling that you are a tireless rabble-rouser, trying to sell smelly old snake oil.

  59. Nissim, Sabri Marnan, Ariel,

    I ask the hard questions here
    When I am convinced that "science" has no answers...

    The questions are intended to show the hypocrisy of those who speak in the name of science.

    inability to answer these questions,
    He is proof of the failure of the big bang theory.

  60. Nissim, Sabri Marnan, Ariel,
    (I wrote this comment in another news, and it was not picked up)

    I ask the hard questions here
    When I am convinced that "science" has no answers...

    The questions are intended to show the hypocrisy of those who speak in the name of science.

    inability to answer these questions,
    He is proof of the failure of the big bang theory.

    to remind,
    The theory was born at the beginning of the last century,
    In order to give an answer to what was then known about space.

    Since then, amazing discoveries have been made about the size and complexity of space.

    I thought they would abandon this theory,
    After it was discovered that galaxies increase their escape velocity from each other,
    Contrary to all the predictions of the big bang theory...

  61. Avi Cohen

    That's what I wrote
    that these two theories are "valid" even though they are questionable...

    Regarding Darwin's theory, I brought proofs here.
    Regarding the big bang theory, there are no answers to the most basic problems
    Regarding the formation of stars, the formation of galaxies and of course the formation of galaxy clusters.

    How good is this theory today?

  63. Avi Cohen.
    You were wrong about the possibility... read his other comments, and you will understand that he is... erm... not exactly an honest person.

    For example - according to him, flash memories were not invented by humans... 🙂

    According to him, scientists hide a lot of information about aliens from the public. What can I say... a true psycho.

  64. It is possible,
    You may have demonstrated exactly the problem described in the article.
    The theory of evolution and the big bang are still valid theories.
    Based on what studies and findings do you base your words?

    But before you assign me to one side or another of the debate, I agree that science is sometimes too conservative.
    On the one hand, the scientists are supposed to be the leaders of breakthroughs into the unknown, the champions of curiosity,
    But as happens in many other areas of the human world, reputation, prestige and money sometimes play a bigger role.
    The scientists do not control the budgets, the politicians control them, and with them they also control the research.
    Therefore, research that goes against the interests of the capitalists will not be funded, and sometimes will also be slandered.
    Not long ago we saw how the research of the "Ha" sphere at NASA was cut, because climate changes are not good for business...
    So you want to tell me that science is pure and free of politics? Can you say exactly where there is and where there is no interference of one kind or another in the fields of science?
    Another factor in this equation is that scientists in general are not good politicians.
    They are good at logic and analytical thinking, but not at relationships between people - this is the wisdom of the politicians, and unfortunately this is the wisdom that rules the world, not logic but emotion...
    And if it's a conspiracy theory, then yes, there are conspiracy theories that turn out to be true.

  66. This article makes sense and is quite balanced…

    Of course I favor the scientific way of thinking.
    I am unable to understand the religious who insist on believing
    Because the world has existed for less than 6000 years.

    For years, the scientific establishment has been blamed for fossils,
    and with reluctance to renounce theories that were accepted
    But they have been proven wrong.

    Examples of two such theories:
    Darwin's theory, and the Big Bang theory.

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