wledge. Or: Horoscopes work, but you have to understand the theory behind it.)
- statistics of small numbers: similar to observational selection (e.g., My parents smoked all their lives and they never got cancer. Or: I don’t care what others say about Yugos, my Yugo has never had a problem.) Simply because someone can point to a few favorable numbers says nothing about the overall chances.
- straw man: creating a false scenario and then attacking it. (e.g., Evolutionists think that everything came about by random chance.) Most evolutionists think in terms of natural selection which may involve incidental elements, but does not depend entirely on random chance. Painting your opponent with false colors only deflects the purpose of the argument.
- two wrongs make a right: trying to justify what we did by accusing someone else of doing the same. (e.g. how can you judge my actions when you do exactly the same thing?) The guilt of the accuser has no relevance to the discussion.
Science versus Pseudoscience:
Science attempts to apply some of the following criteria to the production of knowledge:
- Skepticism of unsupported claims
- Combination of an open mind with critical thinking
- Attempts to repeat experimental results.
- Requires testability
- Seeks out falsifying data that would disprove a hypothesis
- Uses descriptive language
- Performs controlled experiments
- Relies on evidence and reason
- Makes no claim for absolute or certain knowledge
- Produces useful knowledge
Characteristics of pseudo-science, religions or other belief systems:
- Has a negative attitude to skepticism
- Does not require critical thinking
- Does not require experimental repeatability
- Does not require tests
- Does not accept falsifying data that would disprove a hypothesis
- Uses vague language
- Relies on anecdotal evidence
- No self-correction
- Relies on belief and faith
- Makes absolute claims
- Produces no useful knowledge