Bad Science

The public knowledge is being overrun and polluted by bad science in the name of entertainment. I am seeing it everywhere and although I can recognize it for what it is, I believe there may be a great number of people, especially our developing youth who don’t recognize it.

The entertainment almost always starts out with a “what if?” or “perhaps” and then a “maybe then…” The producers are very careful to not say what they are about to present has any truth or scientific method proof. Then it is a license for the imagination to run wild as a form of entertainment.

It all looks very professional with a bunch of pseudo scientists presented as believers in the premise. Of course such imagination is an important tool for developing new thoughts and new ideas. But it needs to been seen in that context and not presented as if it were proven fact. The producers use a lot of the word “if” in their presentations. As in “if” we have tested everything else, “then” this must be true. But they never say they have tested everything else. That loophole always exists, even in real scientific method. SO they cover their false premise with the usual scientific rhetoric.

I could come up with a very long list if I kept a note pad handy to jot down the many examples. I don’t do that as for me that seems a bit pointless. I already know what I am seeing is bad science. But I usually watch anyway, unless the concept is too extreme or the personalities of self-promoted experts make me disgusted. The UFO, Bigfoot, and paranormal “Ghost Busters” fall into that realm.

One thing is certain. Everything we assume to be true will eventually be proven false by some other uncertain evidence. It’s the way science works. There are far more blind trails of the unknown to follow than holding an absolute certainty as undisputable fact. But it has to start somewhere.

I always chuckle to myself. When studying math logic I learned, “If (assume) X equals Y, then Z is true.” The statement should be, “When X equals Y, assume Z to be true…”  Is there any real difference there?

Graphic Source:  http://lifehacker.com/this-graphic-is-a-rough-guide-to-bad-or-badly-reported-1567349868

Tags: cultureprofessionalpublishingscience