1. Differentiate
Natural
Science from
Ryo "pseudo
science”
Mina

2. What is Natural Science
 Understanding nature of science through
evidence, meaningful experiments,
weighing of possibilities, testing hypothesis,
and establishing theories, to get to
conclusion
 Scientific hypotheses are testable.

3. Example of Science - Evolution
- Well researched by biologists
- Justifications – the Galapagos islands
- The theory can be changed when it is proven
wrong
- This theory is testable, thorough experiments

4. Pseudo Science
A claim, belief, or practice which is
presented as scientific, but which does
not adhere to a valid scientific method,
lacks supporting evidence or cannot be
reliably tested.
 Hypotheses are not testable

5. Example of Pseudo- Science:
Hollow Earth Theory
 The planet earth is either entirely hollow or
otherwise contains a substantial interior
space.
 No evidence to be proven

6. 2 ways to differentiate science
and pseudo science
 Vagueness – If a statement is sufficiently
vague, it will be impossible to verify or
falsify it. Ex: Crystology
 Adhoc exceptions – A scientific
hypothesis is general in nature and does
not keep making exceptions every time it
meets counter- examples. Ex: Black Swan

7. For a hypothesis to be a genuinely scientific,
then it must be testable, and it will be easier
to test if…
1) It is clearly stated and makes precise
rather than vague predictions
2) It does not keep making ad hoc
exceptions when it comes across
counter-examples

8.  Difference
 Tricky one s some are difficult. Advertising.
 It is hard to explain the difference
 Acupuncture
 testable, but not proven.
 Science do some mistakes
 Pseudo science and doesn’t work
 Vagueness + ad hoc exceptions  black swans.
 One instance. Falsification.
 Platos test - its true no matter who believes  against
the ad hoc exceptions
 Truth is illusive.