Pseudoscience
Pseudoscience has been defined as "[t]heories, ideas, explanations that are represented as scientific but that are not derived from science or the scientific method."[1]
Examples[edit | edit source]
Typical examples of pseudoscience are:
- Astrology:
- The belief that the positions of stars and planets can be used to predict human affairs and events on Earth[2]
- Numerology:
- The study of numbers connected to a person, such as the numbers that form their date of birth or numbers derived from the letters of their name, have an important influence on the person's life and their future.[3]
Origins[edit | edit source]
Pseudoscientific theories often have origins in folk lore or "ancient" wisdom, or in selective reading without any data collection or validation to establish whether a theory is accurate.[1]
Pseudoscience often uses statements that are "vague and variable", and unlike scientific statements they are not given in a way that allows them to be falsifiable (meaning, there is no clear observation or experiment that could be used to disprove it).[1]
Contradictory evidence[edit | edit source]
Pseudoscience provides no room for challenge typically dismisses any contradictory evidence - rather than either investigating it, considering alternative theories, or adapting the original theory.[1]
While pseudoscience often uses scientific terms it is not based on a clear foundation of existing scientific knowledge. Pseudoscience often involves falsely presenting "a claim, belief, or opinion" as if is falsely presented as a valid scientific theory or fact.[1]
Mind-body therapies[edit | edit source]
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Bell, Suzanne (2009). The Facts on File Dictionary of Forensic Science. Infobase Publishing. p. 208. ISBN 978-1-4381-0944-2.
- ↑ "Definition of ASTROLOGY". Merrian-Webster dictionary. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
- ↑ Basavanna, M. (2000). Dictionary of Psychology. Allied Publishers. ISBN 978-81-7764-030-4.
