PSEUDOSCIENCE Stuff that looks like science but isn’t

Definitions Pseudoscience: a set of claims that seems scientific but isn’t Apophenia: perceiving meaningful connections between random phenomena Confirmation bias: tendency to seek out evidence that supports our hypotheses and ignore evidence that contradicts it Belief perseverence: Sticking to our beliefs, no matter what (even with contradictory evidence).

What is science? Not a body of knowledge It’s an approach to evidence Characterized by critical thinking Characterized by scientific skepticism (evaluating all claims with an open mind but insisting on persuasive evidence before accepting them)

Principles of Scientific Thinking Ability to be falsified/disproved Ability to be replicated Ability to rule out other explanations Ability to be sure that “A” causes “B” Ability to back up extraordinary claims with equally extraordinary evidence In general, have the ability to be the simpler explanation for the data (called “Occam’s razor”)

What about things that can’t be scientifically tested? Metaphysical claims: assertions about the world that are outside the realm of scientific testing Examples: belief in God, the soul, the afterlife Not considered pseudoscientific.