The Way of Science

Summary: Some Principles and Assumption of Science

There is a knowable reality. The world is real, and humans are capable of understanding and explaining it, within the limits set by the Uncertainty Principle, Chance, Chaos, etc. Reality exists whether or not it is observed, but mind and senses are fallible. Belief colors all interactions.

The principle of cause and effect always holds. All observable phenomena are effects of previous physical causes.

Nature is one (unified). The natural laws and theories we develop on Earth are applicable everywhere.

There are no absolutes. "Absolute truth" and "proof" are in the domains of philosophy/ religion and mathematics/logic; they are not part of science. A fact could become wrong tomorrow, although it is very unlikely to do so; in science, we build models and estimate probabilities. Natural laws could be wrong and/or incomplete, but are unlikely to be so.

If some statement is part of science, it is falsifiable. There must be, at least hypothetically, some way of testing a statement if it is to be considered part of science. If verification is not possible, if there is no way of showing that a statement might be wrong, then it is not acceptable. Consider the idea of God/Gods; invisible dragons; "power of prayer".

Verification can be accomplished by observation ("descriptive science") and/or experiment ("experimental science"). Experiments and observations should be repeatable; i.e. give consistent results on repetition). Experiments should be highly controlled (have reduction of variables, control groups, placebos, double-blind conditions, etc. Quantification (measures and statistical tests) are of great importance. The level of verification should be commensurate with the claim: "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence".

Verification should be done by qualified investigators. Remember physicists and Geller, and Project Alpha. However, even experts can be dead wrong. There are no absolutes, remember? Only probabilities.

Occam's Razor must be applied. If many hypotheses explain an event, the most parsimonious must be chosen.

In addition to knowing/understanding the items above, read:

1. "What is Science?" in Rensberger's How the World Works, pp.13-21. (Hand-out)
   
   
2. Introduction, "Scientific Literacy: What It Is, Why It's Important, and Why We Don't Have It" in Hazen and Trefil, Science Matters, pp. xi-xix.
   
   
3. Chapter 1, "Knowing" in Hazen and Trefil, Science Matters, pp.1-19. Don't worry about specifics of Newton's laws of motion; read for principles!
   
   
4. Appendix #1. This Appendix consists of quotes, many of which are relevant to this material.

There will be a big bonus question on the final exam relating to this topic. If you have time and interest, we highly recommend reading a book by Gregory N. Derry.

Derry, G.N. 1999. What Science Is And How It Works. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Film #1: Secrets of the Psychics

1. Uri Geller: Watch Geller at work, copying drawings, bending keys and spoons "psychi-cally". What happened to Geller on the Johnny Carson Show? Why? Watch Randi's spoon and key bending. Try to understand how the key "bending by itself" is done by "ratcheting".
   
   
2. Faith healers: How did Peter Popoff know all those details about his "flock"? Was he really getting "revelations"? Watch the "psychic surgery" done by Randi. We will talk more on this subject in class.
   
   
3. Fortune telling: In the film, Randi says "the trickster never works alone." Who is the accomplice? Watch the class given horoscopes. Describe what was done. What do you think of the student who was upset by the "cynical and one-sided" approach? Why did Randi bring up Santa Claus? The material by Ray Hyman (palm reading) and the horoscope both involve cold reading and the fallacy of personal validation.
   
   
4. Russia: Be prepared to talk about the scientists (good or bad?) at the Brain Institute. Also, watch carefully the segment on "charged and healing water". Describe what was done; was Randi ever able to verify the claims? We will talk about falsifiability in class.
   
   
5. Psychic detectives: Describe the two psychic detectives and their attempt to decipher the history of Ted Bundy (who was he?) These women were clearly doing cold reading.
   
   
6. Don't leave when the end credits begin! Randi has one more delightful demonstration on how to be a "psychic" spoon-bender.

Film #2: The Bermuda Triangle (Nova)

1. Who are Berlitz, Winer, and Kusche? What positions do they hold?
   
   
2. Are both sides of the question represented? Does either side leave out any points (i.e., is there any selective use of evidence)? Note the cases of the Japanese ship and the ship named "Witchcraft".
   
   
3. Watch for the extraordinary claims which are usually prefaced by phrases like "no rational explanation", "reversal of the laws of nature", "magnetic anomalies", etc.
   
   
4. Pay particular attention to Flight 19 and the Martin Mariner search plane. Who were the pilots? What were their qualifications? What verification can be produced for the "strange messages"? What facts about an Avenger's flotation time and about the Mariner's fuel systems make an alternative explanation likely?

Be sure you take notes on Flight 19; it will appear on the first exam. Keep Occam's Razor sharp and handy!