AK/NATS 1850 6.0A

Science and Pseudoscience

Problems in Scientific Thinking

1. Theory Influences Observations
2. The Observer Changes the Observed
3. Equipment Construct Results

Problems in Pseudoscientific Thinking

4. Anecdotes do not Make a Science
5. Scientific Language does not make a Science
6. Bold Statements do not Make a Claim True
7. Heresy does not Equal Correctness
8. Burden of Proof
9. Rumor do not Equal Reality
10. Unexplained is not Inexplicable
11. Failures are Rationalized
12. After-the-Fact Reasoning
13. Coincidence
14. Representativeness

Logical Problems in Thinking

15. Emotive Words and False Analogies
16. Ad Ignorantiam
17. Ad Hominem and Tu Quoque
18. Hasty Generalization
19. Over-reliance on Authorities
20. EitherŠOr
21. Circular Reasoning
22. Reductio ad Absurdam and the Slippery Slope

Psychological Problems in Thinking

23. Effort Inadequacies and the Need for Certainty, Control and Simplicity
24. Problem-Solving Inadequacies
25. Ideological Immunity, or the Planck Problem