Transcript Document
UFOs and Pseudoscience by Robert Nemiroff Michigan Technological University Physics X: About This Course • Officially "Extraordinary Concepts in Physics" • Being taught for credit at Michigan Tech o Light on math, heavy on concepts o Anyone anywhere is welcome • No textbook required o Wikipedia, web links, and lectures only o Find all the lectures with Google at: "Starship Asterisk" then "Physics X" o http://bb.nightskylive.net/asterisk/viewforum.php?f=39 Falsifiability The possibility that a theory could be proven false. Good theories are true but falsifiable. If a theory is not falsifiable, it may have little use. Some "crackpot theories" may sound good or cool, but if they don't make any testable predictions -- predictions unique to that theory -then there is no way to tell if they are true. Those theories are not falsifiable. UFOs and Pseudoscience Why is pseudoscience popular? • Scientists are portrayed as unpopular authority figures o Unelected o Self-proclaimed, unavailable o “Not like you and me” o It is cool to say “they” are wrong UFOs • • • Unidentified Flying Objects Never yet confirmed to be intelligent aliens from another planet “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence” A Lenticular Cloud Over New Hampshire Credit & Copyright: J. D. Rufo, J. Koermer, PSC APOD: 2003 April 30 A Lenticular Cloud Over Hawai'i Credit & Copyright: Peter Michaud (Gemini Obs.) APOD: 2005 August 21 A Supercell Thunderstorm Cloud Over Montana Credit & Copyright: Sean R. Heavey APOD: 2010 November 30 Examples of Pseudoscience • • • • • • • Astrology UFO-logy Moon landing “hoax” Ghosts Creationism o Intelligent design, etc. o Ask: Why don’t most universities teach creationism? o Ask: Why does the Pope believe in evolution? “Face on Mars” Many recent criticisms of global warming Goals of Pseudoscientists • • Appear smart by creating doubt o Everything is “only” a theory o “My theory is just as good as yours” o “Scientists are trying to undermine religion” o Practiced sound bites o Hard data “is there,” will be presented “later” Might further a political agenda Science: Predictability, Reproducibility • • A scientific theory o Makes testable predictions o Creates reproducible results (falsifiable) o Passes “peer review” Occam’s Razor o A scientific theory should be no more complicated than it needs to be Mars Then and Now Credit & Copyright: Tom Ruen, Eugene Antoniadi, Lowell Hess, Roy A. Gallant, HST, NASA APOD: 2003 November 12 A Face On Mars Credit: The Viking Project, NASA APOD: 1998 April 6 Debating Pseudoscience: "Grab the Frame" The Frame: what is normal • • • • Your doctor is a scientist You send your kids to schools to learn from scientists Your car is fixed by a mechanic who uses science Your house was built by engineers using science o Don't live in a house built using the occult Debating Pseudoscience: "Grab the Frame" RJN advice: Don't let crackpots portray science and scientists as fringe. • Science is normal • Scientists are like you and me o "Every cook is a chemist" • • The occult is the fringe Occultists are not like you and me Debating Pseudoscience: "Grab the Frame" No major religion endorses creationism • Or UFOs • Or other pseudoscience No major university teaches creationism • Or UFOs • Or other pseudoscience Debating Pseudoscience: "Grab the Frame" How can you tell if a claim is pseudoscience? • To start, be skeptical, not gullible • Look up the claim on Wikipedia • Extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence • Read C. Sagan: "The Demon-Haunted World"