Pseudoscience

Assignment No. 1

A theory, methodology, or practise that

purports to be scientific yet is without scientific
foundation. (Jason Braithwaite Ph.D)

Muhammad Saad
10/25/2010
Scientist and researcher defines pseudoscience as a systems that pretence as science but in
real world they have little or no scientific firmness. Its look like scientific facts and theory but
do not stick to scientific methodology and rules.

A layman can hardly distinguish a theory or term which claimed as scientific but actually its
not. Pseudoscience has many characteristics that make it distinct from actual science.
These characteristics are briefly discussed below. At the same time not every
characteristic will be suitable to all form of pseudoscience. We can say that any scientific
system that shows evidence of these characteristics likely to be pseudoscientific.

Doctrinare
A set of guide lines which believe to be accepted and cannot be challenged and argued. Due
to this characteristic pseudoscience have very low tendency to evolve, since its cant be
challenged so any research that take place in the specific field is usually done for justification
of the dogma than to improve awareness.
Ultimate target is Human Beings
Pseudoscientific ideas are mostly drive from intellectual or ideological reasons, they are often
motivated by advertisement goals. Like a manufacturer who is trying to sell its merchandise
without having gone through scientific scrutiny is giving out a blabbermouth. For example
claiming something without supporting with facts and figures.
Theoretical Control
A growing inclination in modern pseudoscience is to take control of aspects from mainstream
science in an attempt to appear more scientific. The most affected areas are new research
where the public understanding is not much high. Areas of science like quantum mechanics
and string theory are couple of example. Theoretical control plays on the public’s lack of
understanding and presents complex version of science that bares little reality to truth.
Symbolic obsessed philosophy
Symbols and resemblance are good to science and theory. Complex and more abstract areas
of science rely particularly on metaphor and analogy to add clarity to knowledge and to
communicate that knowledge. This type of practice is legal and to some extent unavoidable.
In science symbols and analogy may evolve as useful ways to elaborate objective facts and
evidence. The main issue here is not the use of analogies or symbols in scientific thinking,
but the clear abuse of them.
“The mere fact that the argument is in the form of an analogy is often enough to force the immediate
irrational acceptance. There seems to be no other explanation of the extraordinary extent to which
otherwise intelligent people become convinced of highly improbable things because they have heard
them supported by an analogy whose unsoundness should be apparent to an imbecile”
(Thouless, 1968; pp146)

Pseudoscience can be define as theories, methodologies or systems that claim to be scientific

but which are offered in such a way that they cannot be challenged, argued or falsified by
pragmatic testing.