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Science and Not Science
You will be able to
- understand why science is not the same thing as technology, ideology, or scientism.
The Scientific Method
You will be able to
- list the five steps of the scientific method.
- understand the logic of scientific testing.
- understand why no scientific hypothesis can be conclusively confirmed or conclusively confuted.
Testing Scientific Theories
You will be able to
- use the steps of the scientific method and be able to explain how a scientist would go about testing a simple hypothesis in medical science.
- understand why scientists use control groups, make studies double-blind, include placebos in testing, and seek replication of their work.
Judging Scientific Theories
You will be able to
- list the five criteria of adequacy and explain what they mean.
- understand how to apply the criteria of adequacy to the theories of evolution and creationism and why the text says that evolution is the better theory.
Science and Weird Theories
You will be able to
- explain why evaluating weird claims might be worthwhile.
Making Weird Mistakes
You will be able to
- understand why it can be so easy to make mistakes when trying to evaluate weird theories.
- explain three major errors that people often make when they are trying to assess extraordinary experiences and theories.
- explain the distinction between logical possibility and physical possibility.
Judging Weird Theories
You will be able to
- use the TEST formula to evaluate extraordinary theories.
- understand why eyewitness testimony is often unreliable.