1. Video “Here Be Dragons” by Brian Dunning (4/15/14) is a fresh and critical overlook on the huge variety of so called “dragons” which exist in abundance even in our civilized society. This video promotes critical thinking and demonstrates the “red flags” that one has to look out for in order to detect pseudosciences. A pseudoscience is an idea that claims to be real but is not backed by any real science or evidence. For instance, hair analysis, feng shui, psychokinesis, homeopathy, numerology, aura analysis, the list could go on forever. The warning signs for such “sciences” are - appeal to authority, ancient wisdom, confirmation bias, confuse correlation with causation, red herring, proof by verbosity, mystical energy, suppression by authority, all natural and ideological support. The one “red flag” I have always been skeptical about and this video confirmed it for me is “appeal to authority”. It is hard for me to understand how people actually trust advertisements that are simply screaming “we are specialists, look at our white lab coats and and all the certificates and the celebrities that support our product”. It is simply pathetic. As Brian says - “Good science presents good data, it does not aim to impress”. However, the one “red flag” that I have to be careful about myself is confusing correlation with causation. It is the natural human tendency to assume that, if two events or phenomena consistently occur at about the same time, then one is the cause of the other. Our weakness for this tactic is often exploited by scammers and bogus scientists when they want to persuade us that a relationship exists between two variables without providing supporting evidence. In order to secure ourselves from falling for all the nonsense...
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...he diseases they are aimed to protect from. Within the United States, vaccines have reduced the incidence of measles by 98 percent and invasive Haemophilus influenzae type b infection in children by more than 99 percent. Because of immunization, the incidence of diphtheria dropped from 206,000 cases and 15,520 deaths in 1921 to an average of just two to three reported cases each year since 1980. Despite the success in eradicating diseases, some people tend to doubt the safety of vaccination, by believing misleading information about the ingredients of vaccines. Brian Dunning in his video clears out all the nonsense arguments associated with vaccine ingredients people use to avoid getting vaccinated. The ingredients that are present in every vaccine are listed and are available to anyone who is interested. As Brian says - “Everything there is there for a reason”.
The article, “Motivated Rejection of Science” stood out to me because the vast amount of scientific research to back up findings and the vast majority of the population that rejects it. Lewandowsky and Oberauer discuss the prevalence of false beliefs in the general population. They bring up the popular conspiracy theories that have either false or no scientific research, plaguing the minds of many. When the majority of the general population believe in a certain theory – like the vaccines that are ‘linked’ to measles, Autism, mumps, and rubella – the effects can be detrimental. The vaccine craze was felt worldwide and is the best example of misinformation.
Books that promote pseudoscience are often popular and profitable. Much less marketable are those books which promote skepticism (Nickell 106). The underlying theme in the first part of Carl Sagan's book The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark is that there can be overwhelming harmful effects if science is not used as a way to observe that which is not completely understood. This means that people should study everything objectively and let popular beliefs interfere when drawing their conclusions. In the last part of the book Sagan emphasizes that education is a tool which is much too rarely utilized (Sagan 351).
Vaccine safety is one of the most controversial topics in today’s public discourse. Everyone has heard of them, but few know why they are so encouraged. A vaccine contains a weak or dead version of a microbe. This creates a small scale invasion of the immune system, which activates cells to destroy the microbe. Once these cells have been made they are always there to provide protection. This protection is immunity, for those cells are then able to recognize any live version of the same microbe and attack it immediately. This can save lives but also be dangerous, vaccines carry many other components which can cause side effects. These could be simple adverse effects such as a small cold or, in the rare case,
science. He is especially wary about using science to try to make things worse; "Do not
“Vaccinations are causing a major upsurge in childhood diseases, adult maladies, and even deadly ailments such as Gulf War Syndrome and Lou Gehrig’s disease” (Blaylock). Every now and then an individual’s doctor calls telling them about the latest vaccine they should receive. The person immediately schedules a time to come in and get it done. But do they even give a second thought about it? Have they ever thought that maybe they do not need another vaccination? Many people have not taken the time to seriously think about the process of immunization. The truth is, there are many dangers that the average person should be unaware of. Rarely do vaccines actually accomplish what the public has been told. In fact, a lot of vaccines contain harmful substances that have been linked to disorders such as autism. The lack of education and dishonesty from doctors are putting people in danger of health problems without even realizing. Many parents feel obligated for their children to get vaccinated because of school, not knowing they have the alternative option of refusing immunization.
First of all, let’s clear something up. Vaccines are definitely safe, they undergo prolonged and extensive testing from reputable scientists, doctors and the federal government. They are designed specifically for you and your family to keep you all safe from deadly diseases.
This book revolves around the idea that one does not have to be a scientist in order to use and appreciate the scientific method. The author, Carl Sagan uses the scientific method to debunk the very thought of demons, myths, gods, devils, and strange obsessions to the supernatural that he believes plagues humanity. Scientists explain this behavior in humans as an intellectual curiosity towards science, however it is pseudoscience. Pseudoscience is a collection of beliefs mistakenly regarded as being based on the scientific method. From this scientists have also come up with an art which they like to call the art of baloney detection. Sagan uses this throughout his book to debunk theories that many people in this society tend to believe, and
There is a large buzz in the country these days about vaccines; are they safe, what are they, what are they made out of, will they make me sick. So many people have so many questions, and I am here to try to help bring these people some answers. I would like to help make some sense of this controversy that exists and brings up the question to vaccinate or not.
Vaccines have been used to prevent diseases for centuries, and have saved countless lives of children and adults. The smallpox vaccine was invented as early as 1796, and since then the use of vaccines has continued to protect us from countless life threatening diseases such as polio, measles, and pertussis. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2010) assures that vaccines are extensively tested by scientist to make sure they are effective and safe, and must receive the approval of the Food and Drug Administration before being used. “Perhaps the greatest success story in public health is the reduction of infectious diseases due to the use of vaccines” (CDC, 2010). Routine immunization has eliminated smallpox from the globe and led to the near removal of wild polio virus. Vaccines have reduced some preventable infectious diseases to an all-time low, and now few people experience the devastating effects of measles, pertussis, and other illnesses.
In today’s world there are always people trying to come up with a new way to explain something. There will always be people trying to pedal a new product or story about an innovative new way to look at things. Some of these ideas will really be ground-breaking, but many of these will be false ideas. Many of them will just be honest mistakes, but just as many will be ideas from people trying to trick other people. Carl Sagan recognizes this and writes about it in his article The Fine Art of Baloney Detection. Within it he describes how he has been vulnerable himself wanting to believe things that people have told him that didn’t seem true, but was what he wanted to hear. He then goes on to talk about how people need to be skeptical about what they are told/read. He has developed a system using the scientific which he calls “Tools for Skeptical Thinking.” These are things that people can do when evaluating a situation or idea to check for “baloney.” I have picked six of these tools to explain in further detail.
diseases, many of which are deadly. Some people seem to think vaccine side effects can cause
Pseudoscience is a set of claims that seems scientific, but isn’t. In particular, pseudoscience lacks the safeguards against confirmation bias and belief perseverance that characterize science. Any 100 level psychology student should be able to tell you that, but so many times we forget its application (Lilienfeld). We hear Billy Mays rave about the wonders of Oxy-clean, or see that Shakira lost 60 lbs in one week from the miracle drug and all sense is lost. Perhaps the same can be said for hearing a tall tale in a book, spun by the main character. Merriam Webster’s definition of credibility is as follows: the quality of being believed or accepted as true, real, or honest. Throughout this paper I would like you to keep that definition in
Vaccines are given for many reasons. Most importantly because they can save your child’s life. Because of the miraculous advances in medical science, children are being protected against more and more diseases than ever before. Some diseases that had once injured or even killed thousands of children, have been eliminated completely. Others are close to extinction, due to safe and effective vaccines. One example of vaccine that has eliminated an illness is the polio disease in the United States. Polio, once America’s most-feared disease, that caused death and paralysis across the country has had no reports in the United States thanks to vaccinations.
Every year there are millions of children, teens, and adults who receive vaccinations. Vaccines date back in history as early as 1000 A.D. The Chinese experimented with vaccinations such as cowpox, similar to smallpox, which were eventually eliminated. There are a variety of different ingredients in vaccines. A large number of the public do not want to vaccinate themselves or their children because they are not aware of what is all in the vaccine they are receiving. Parents fear getting vaccinated will make them or their children sick, and it could leave them or their children with permanent disorders. Vaccines are put through various tests and experiments to assure they are safe before being administered to the public. There are some studies that show autism could be linked to vaccines. Multiple vaccines require more than one dose, and some vaccines require one to receive a booster as children are aging. There are some shots which have adverse side effects that come with
Many individuals do not have the critical judgment to distinguish science from pseudoscience. There are many differences between pseudoscience and science itself. One major difference is that science depends on research, whereas research in pseudoscience is an absence. Some individuals will fall for pseudoscience because this helps them cope to know and understand reality. To identify pseudoscience, there are 10 reliable claims that shout out pseudo. In the video “Unexplained Mysteries, Bizarre Beliefs”, pseudoscience is display within the video, and shows the 10 characteristics of pseudoscience.