g4:Science & Pseudoscience

Catalog description

This course examines methods for determining whether given claims are science or pseudoscience. Several controversial topics will be explored, with emphasis on coming to objective decisions about such claims. Topics include logical fallacies, the scientific method, creationism, global warming and climate change, hidden codes in the Bible, relativity theory, 9/11 truth conspiracy claims, dark matter, UFO sightings, perpetual motion devices, quantum mechanics, quack medical claims, and more. SLOs. By the end of this course, students will learn how to tell the difference between science and pseudoscience; to explain how science advances, and what makes science different from pseudoscience; how psychological reasons can explain some acceptance of pseudoscience; the methods pseudoscientists use to fool lots of people; and to understand examples of successful and revolutionary scientific findings , and be able to contrast these with pseudoscience; and finally, to improve communication, writing, investigative and debunking skills.