Page 39 - 9780077418427.pdf

/Users/user-f465/Desktop
tiL12214_ch01_001-024.indd Page 16 9/1/10 9:51 PM user-f465
tiL12214_ch01_001-024.indd Page 16 9/1/10 9:51 PM user-f465 /Users/user-f465/Desktop

Careful attention to detail is also important. Since scientists the validity of this information. However, in most cases, it has not
publish their findings and their colleagues examine their work, been proven that the nutritional supplements so vigorously pro-
there is a strong desire to produce careful work that can be easily moted are as useful or desirable as advertised. Rather, selected bits
defended. This does not mean that scientists do not speculate of scientific information (vitamins and minerals are essential to
and state opinions. When they do, however, they take great care good health) have been used to create the feeling that additional
to clearly distinguish fact from opinion. amounts of these nutritional supplements are necessary or that
There is also a strong ethic of honesty. Scientists are not they can improve your health. In reality, the average person eating
saints, but the fact that science is conducted out in the open in a varied diet will obtain all of these nutrients in adequate amounts
front of one’s peers tends to reduce the incidence of dishonesty. and will not require nutritional supplements.
In addition, the scientific community strongly condemns and Another related example involves the labeling of products
severely penalizes those who steal the ideas of others, perform as organic or natural. Marketers imply that organic or natural
shoddy science, or falsify data. Any of these infractions could products have greater nutritive value because they are organi-
lead to the loss of one’s job and reputation. cally grown (grown without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers)
Science is also limited by the ability of people to pry under- or because they come from nature. Although there are questions
standing from the natural world. People are fallible and do not about the health effects of trace amounts of pesticides in foods,
always come to the right conclusions, because information is no scientific study has shown that a diet of natural or organic
lacking or misinterpreted, but science is self-correcting. As new products has any benefit over other diets. The poisons curare,
information is gathered, old, incorrect ways of thinking must strychnine, and nicotine are all organic molecules that are pro-
be changed or discarded. For example, at one time people were duced in nature by plants that could be grown organically, but
sure that the Sun went around Earth. They observed that the we would not want to include them in our diet.
Sun rose in the east and traveled across the sky to set in the west. Absurd claims that are clearly pseudoscience sometimes ap-
Since they could not feel Earth moving, it seemed perfectly logi- pear to gain public acceptance because of promotion in the media.
cal that the Sun traveled around Earth. Once they understood Thus, some people continue to believe stories that psychics can
that Earth rotated on its axis, people began to understand that really help solve puzzling crimes, that perpetual energy machines
the rising and setting of the Sun could be explained in other exist, or that sources of water can be found by a person with a
ways. A completely new concept of the relationship between the forked stick. Such claims could be subjected to scientific testing
Sun and Earth developed. and disposed of if they fail the test, but this process is generally
Although this kind of study seems rather primitive to us ignored. In addition to experimentally testing such a claim that
today, this change in thinking about the Sun and Earth was a appears to be pseudoscience, here are some questions that you
very important step in understanding the universe and how the should consider when you suspect something is pseudoscience:
various parts are related to one another. This background infor-

1. What is the background and scientific experience of the
mation was built upon by many generations of astronomers and
person promoting the claim?
space scientists, and it finally led to space exploration.
2. How many articles have been published by the person in
People also need to understand that science cannot answer
peer-reviewed scientifi c journals?
all the problems of our time. Although science is a powerful

3. Has the person given invited scientific talks at universities
tool, there are many questions it cannot answer and many prob-
and national professional organization meetings?
lems it cannot solve. The behavior and desires of people gener-
4. Has the claim been researched and published by the
ate most of the problems societies face. Famine, drug abuse, and
person in a peer-reviewed scientifi c journal, and have
pollution are human-caused and must be resolved by humans.
other scientists independently validated the claim?
Science may provide some tools for social planners, politicians,
5. Does the person have something to gain by making the
and ethical thinkers, but science does not have, nor does it
claim?
attempt to provide, answers for the problems of the human race.
Science is merely one of the tools at our disposal.
Pseudoscience CONCEPTS Applied
Pseudoscience (pseudo- means false) is a deceptive practice that
uses the appearance or language of science to convince, confuse, or Seekers of Pseudoscience
mislead people into thinking that something has scientific validity
See what you can find out about some recent claims that
when it does not. When pseudoscientific claims are closely exam- might not stand up to direct scientific testing. Look into
ined, they are not found to be supported by unbiased tests. For the scientific testing—or lack of testing—behind claims
example, although nutrition is a respected scientific field, many made in relation to cold fusion, cloning human beings, a
individuals and organizations make claims about their nutritional dowser carrying a forked stick to find water, psychics hired
products and diets that cannot be supported. Because of nutri- by police departments, Bigfoot, the Bermuda Triangle,
tional research, we all know that we must obtain certain nutrients and others you might wish to investigate. One source to
such as vitamins and minerals from the food that we eat or we consider is www.randi.org/jr/archive.html
may become ill. Many scientific experiments reliably demonstrate

16 CHAPTER 1 What Is Science? 1-16