Tips

Pseudoscience

Tips on pseudoscience.

Pseudoscience is Bad

Pseudoscience is considered unreliable and misleading because it lacks empirical evidence, scientific methodology, and rigorous testing. It often makes unsupported claims, leading to misinformation and a misunderstanding of the natural world. Pseudoscience sometimes looks like science, but it is not. It has no community-wide accepted set of practices open to criticism and refinement.

Believing in pseudoscience can lead to misguided decisions, incorrect beliefs, and potentially harmful actions. Relying on information without a basis in scientific evidence can contribute to the spread of misinformation, affecting individuals’ health, safety, and well-being. In short, it can be very bad for humanity.

Pseudoscience is bad.

List of Pseudosciences

A list of topics that are typically characterized as pseudoscience can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_topics_characterized_as_pseudoscience. Gotta love Wikipedia.

Combating Pseudosciences is Not Easy

The problem is that there are people who are more predisposed to believing pseudoscience than others. These folks seem to exhibit the following traits:

• Show no skepticism and rigor to their own statements
• Find it hard to rule out more plausible explanations
• Do not always follow their thinking to its logical conclusion
• Fall victims to beliefs that make them feel good, gives them comfort, a working explanation, and predictability
• They mistrust science when it offers a different, conflicting view
• They are attracted to some beliefs because it offers something of value to their lives

Normally, the most effective way to combat pseudoscience is through education and critical thinking. Promoting scientific literacy, encouraging skepticism, and providing accurate information can help individuals make informed decisions based on evidence rather than unsupported claims. Additionally, fostering a culture that values scientific inquiry and research helps counter the influence of pseudoscientific ideas.

But this is not easy, and the likelihood of changing their minds is so tiny that most times it is not worth the effort. Still, if you find yourself in a respectful engagement with a pseudoscience believer, maybe this small guide will help you.

• Problem
  • Remember, we are just primates, so we all suffer from the same imperfect brain circuits
  • Some of us see things with a bit more clarity, but others are less fortunate, so be humble
    • They may be less educated
    • Have a powerful desire to feel special
    • Feel a strong sense of powerlessness
    • Have a need for certainty
  • Many beliefs are inextricably tied to our identity — becoming part of who we are
  • You cannot talk some people out of pseudoscience!
    • Pseudoscientific memes are designed to resist this!
  • Only they can can dispel the false beliefs
• Solution
  • Acknowledge that you’re in a toxic tent if/when you argue with them
  • You have to step outside of the tent
  • Always speak respectfully — don’t mock or ridicule or patronize
  • Connect over shared interests and experiences to establish rapport (this is your biggest asset)
  • Help them take concrete action in pursuit of their goals
  • Help them focus on how to improve their future
  • More control equals fewer pseudoscientific theories
  • Keep talking about their goals and help them understand the steps to take to get there
  • Empower and help them make their own decisions
  • Ask good questions, and especially, give them time to respond
  • If and only if they are open, provide them with truth sandwiches:
    • A fact, then the fallacy, followed by a fact
• Notes
  • The challenge is that you alone are then competing with massive resources that are feeding the problem
  • You alone cannot win them over. The obscenely lucrative Social Media user engagement business model is too much competition!
  • Become more active to get governments to regulate misinformation
    • For example, there are bipartisan efforts in Congress to declared Q’Anon as a “dangerous, anti-Semitic, conspiracy-mongering cult.”
  • We need the First Amendment to regulate them, not ban them