Problems in Pseudoscientific Thinking

 

Dr. Michael Shermer of the Skeptics Society has written an interesting book entitled, "Why People Believe Weird Things"

2002 ISBN 0-8050-7089-3Owl Books, Henry Holt and Co.

In this book, Dr. Shermer outlines many errors in thinking that lead to erroneous thoughts. Among the 27 items, a section about pseudoscience applies to how the public interprets and perceives things. Listed in this section, by his number list are the following:

1.) Theory influences Observation. (One has a theory and views experiments with bias towards the theory)

4.) Anecdotes Do Not Make a Science - (Stories by individuals, or "testimonials" are garbage, generally.)

5.) Scientific Language Does Not Make a Science - (Fancy Words do not validate a claim)

6.) Bold Statements Do Not Make Claims True

7.) Heresy Does Not Equal Correctness - (That one goes against convention doesn't make one right.)

8.) Burden of Proof - (Outrageous claims demand outstanding evidence. Often not enough proof is provided)

9.) Rumors Do Not Equal Reality (i.e. An alien spacecraft is in Area 51)

10.) Unexplained in Not Inexplicable (It is not an either-or. Since we cannot explain some claims of ghosts, doesn't make them exist!

12.) After the fact Reasoning - (A player wore lucky shoes and hit a home run. Lucky shoes must have caused the home run.)

16.) Ad Ignorantiam - The argument that if you cannot disprove a claim, it must be true.i.e. there are ghosts among us)

19.) Over-reliance on Authorities and authority figures. - Examine multiple facts and evidence. Don't take one person's word for it.

20.) Either-or - Also known as fallacy of negation. The tendency to prove one position by discrediting the other. A false dichotomy. Example from history. "Charles is not a conservative therefor must be a communist.!" In fact there are not just those two choices..there are others.

21.) Circular Reasoning - The Hatfields and McCoys are feuding. Why are they feuding? Because they are shooting at each other. Why are they shooting at each other? Because they're feuding!

22.) Reductio ad Absurdum - The refutation of an argument by carrying the argument to a logical end reducing to an absurd conclusion. Example: Eating chalk will give you calcium. Calcium is in bones. Eating calcium will build bones. Eating chalk will build bones.