https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/assignment2pseudoscience Paranormal and Pseudoscience en-us 2018-06-17 03:41:41 UTC 2025-12-24 00:26:30 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Babyhead.png mashalnaeem https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/assignment2pseudoscience/wish/267475740 Mashal Naeem (working individually)]]> 2018-06-17 03:48:52 UTC https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/assignment2pseudoscience/wish/267475740 mashalnaeem https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/assignment2pseudoscience/wish/267477194
Description
The following pictures is kind of banner for all the parents that the anti vaxxers came up. It sort of summarizes everything and gives the gist of their belief; includes a list of all the disorders that they believe to be caused by the various harmful chemicals in the vaccines.
Red Flags
Confusion of correlation with causation: There may be a relationship between the children who had vaccines and were diagnosed with one or more of the following conditions but it doesn't mean that vaccines caused these disorders in the first place.
Proof by verbosity: In this following picture, a huge amount of information is present with a long list of diseases caused by the use of vaccines but there is no actual evidence. They are just stating these wrong beliefs that they come up with without any proof in order to deceive the parents.
Reasons for belief
Simplicity: one of the reasons of belief for the parents would be simplicity because foe them this is easy to understand and interpret that how there are certain harmful chemicals in the vaccines rather than understand the complex medical knowledge and reasoning behind the use and the benefits of vaccinations.
Flaws/limitations
The following pictures have so many limitations and flaws in it. One of the major limitation would be the lack of scientific knowledge and evidence. It cannot be tested by the scientific method and the results cannot be reproduced.]]> 2018-06-17 04:53:10 UTC https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/assignment2pseudoscience/wish/267477194 mashalnaeem https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/assignment2pseudoscience/wish/267477788
Description
The following picture represents the view point of the anti-vaxxers which is a mere argument with no sound proof and evidence in response to the scientific knowledge and reasoning that supports the cause of vaccinations.
Red Flags
Red herring: The use of wordy arguments to deviate the readers from the actual standpoint of the claim and an irrelevant piece of information is thrown in for distraction.
Reasons for belief
Simplicity: this is much easy and simpler to understand that un-vaccinated children should not be a threat to anyone as the children with vaccinations are safe because that is the whole reason why there are vaccinated in the first place.
Flaws/Limitations
It has been very well proven that the children who are not vaccinated are prone and highly susceptible to many infectious diseases. These diseases may also include these infections that are not curable and hence putting others who are vaccinated to the same danger as well.]]> 2018-06-17 05:19:04 UTC https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/assignment2pseudoscience/wish/267477788 mashalnaeem https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/assignment2pseudoscience/wish/267477849
Description
The following picture is a quotation by Gandhi, who is a famous historical figure. This quotation represents his strong belief against the use of vaccines  that it causes more harm than good.
Red Flags
Appeal to authority: there is a use of a authoritative image, in this case Gandhi, to lend the appearance of the credibility of this anti-vaccination theory.
Proof by verbosity: this technique is used here in a sense that a huge quantity of information has been provided with no sound proof just to show that the claim is true.
Reasons for belief
Agenticity: People believe the claim to be true because the higher authorities claim it to be true.
Emotional connection: people might fall for this false claim because in this quotation the technique of emotional arousal is used. People can get emotional by reading this quotation and may think that it is true.
Flaws/Limitations
The claims that "vaccination is a barbarous and fatal practice" has been made in this quotation is no scientific background to it. ]]> 2018-06-17 05:21:57 UTC https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/assignment2pseudoscience/wish/267477849 mashalnaeem https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/assignment2pseudoscience/wish/267478002
Description
The following video gives a historical view of how and when the concept of vaccination and immunization originated; the discovery of the first vaccine by "Edward Jenner" against small pox. It explains that how at that time there were people against this discovery. People were grossed out by the fact that the pus from sick animals (cows) are taken and rubbed against children's skin. This war and hatred against vaccines still continue but now the reasoning has changed. Now there is a unproven link between autism and vaccinations that anti-vaxxers have came up with. As a result of which, there are still are lot of people that are not getting their children's vaccinations done which is leading to the outbreaks of certain preventable diseases that were thought to be completely eradicated.
Red Flags
Confusion of correlation with causation: the number of autistic children that are vaccinated may be higher than un-vaccinated children but it does not mean that vaccinations are the cause of autism in these children.
Ideological support: a large number of parents who do not vaccinate their children do so because of their ideological beliefs. As the video gives example of certain religious groups that are against vaccinations such as Amish.
Reasons for belief
Simplicity: it is very simple and easy to understand the relationship between autism and vaccinations rather than the complicated scientific and medical reasoning behind the use of vaccines.
Ideology: most parents are anti-vaxxers because that is part of their ideological beliefs.
Agenticity: People believe that vaccines cause harm because there are higher authorities such as famous celebrities supporting this claim.
Flaws/Limitations
The is none scientific evidence or statistical study which shows that the certain chemicals in vaccines cause autism. These are just the verbal claims with no proof or evidence behind it.

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Description
This article is about how according to a research, parents taking their children to complementary health medicine such as as a naturopath or chiropractor are more likely to delay or reject vaccination.
Red Flags
All natural; many vaccine-hesitant parents believe complementary medicine is safer and more personal than Western bio-medicine as it has less side effects and it is derived from all natural components.
Ideological support: many parents that are rejecting vaccinations do so because of their cultural beliefs which are very common in alternative lifestyle communities.
Reasons for belief
Ideology: many people are against vaccinations because that is part of their cultural beliefs and ideology.
Observation/Perception: people's beliefs are based on their observations and the perceptions that they have regarding nathropathic and chiropractic medicine and according to them they are more beneficial and safer than regular streamlined medicine.
Flaws/Limitations
Nathropathy and chiropractic are types of medical pseudoscience with no scientific background or any proven research behind them. Therefore, it can be extremely dangerous or in some cases deadly to follow these practices and ignoring the modern streamlined medicine.

]]> 2018-06-17 05:39:59 UTC https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/assignment2pseudoscience/wish/267478200 mashalnaeem https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/assignment2pseudoscience/wish/267570110
Description
This video is a NBC news documentary which explains the measles outbreak in 2015 which started in Disneyland. Measles were once thought to be completely eradicated but anti-vaxxers are claiming that measles are not a big of a deal when we look at the adverse effects that the vaccines cause. Chris Christie, a political figure claims that parents must have the choice of whether they want to vaccinate their children or not and Rand Paul who is a doctor claimed that he has found children with mental disorders who are vaccinated. But according to the news reporter if they are given that choice then they are putting other children of the country at risk too and again there is no proof of the link between developmental disturbances in children and vaccinations.
Red Flag
Appeal to authority: Chris Christie and Rand Paul are eminent political figures therefore, their claim must be true that vaccines are harmful as they cause mental disturbances in humans.
Confusion of correlation with causation: according to Rand Paul vaccines cause mental disorders in children however this is not the case. Both of these factors may occur simultaneously but it doesn't mean that one caused the other.
Red Herring: Instead of providing the proof of the harms of the vaccinations, anti vaxxers put forward the argument that it should be parents choice that whether they want their children to be vaccinated or not the government's.
Reasons for belief
Simplicity: it is really easy to understand that there is a link between children with mental disorders and vaccinations as all the affected children are vaccinated.
Ideology: People believe it as it is part of their political views and they stand with the politicians making these claims.
Flaws/Limitations
Rand Paul's claim cannot be proven by scientific method as there is no link between the vaccinations and children with mental disorders.]]> 2018-06-18 06:54:50 UTC https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/assignment2pseudoscience/wish/267570110 mashalnaeem https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/assignment2pseudoscience/wish/267570570
Description
This video represents the famous celebrity: Jenny McCarty's viewpoint against autism and how she thinks that these vaccinations caused developmental problems in her son Evan and made him autistic. This video also continues to explain how there is no medical proof of the link between the two factors but Jenny still stands with her viewpoint and continues her anti-vaccine movement which can have some serious deadly consequences.
Red Flags
Appeal to authority: Jenny McCarty is an eminent television figure therefore, if she claims something to be true then it must be true.
Ideological support: anti-vaxxers claim that it is morally and ethically wrong to vaccinate your children as it cause more harm than good.
Confusion of correlation with causation: Jenny McCarthy thinks that vaccines caused autism in her son, Evan. In reality, this is not the case as there is no proven link between the two.
Reasons for belief
simplicity: it is easy to understand the link between autism and vaccinations as explained by Jenny McCarty that it is what caused her son to be autistic.
emotional connection: people may fall for it because Jenny McCarthy is loved by millions and her story has that emotional aspect to it.
ideology: people may believe it to be true because it has become part of what they believe as portrayed by these celebrities.
Flaws/Limitations
As this video explains itself that there is no scientifically proven link between autism and vaccines therefore, Jenny McCarty is in a huge misconception herself and she is publically portraying her claim to be true without any studies or research.]]> 2018-06-18 06:58:51 UTC https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/assignment2pseudoscience/wish/267570570 mashalnaeem https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/assignment2pseudoscience/wish/267571409
Description
This article explains that how Jenny McCarthy's claims are a threat to public health as evidenced by the measles outbreak. It also explains the how the science writer Seth Mnookin debunks the the myth of a link between the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism.
Red Flag
Appeal to authority; as Jenny McCarthy is an eminent media figure therefore, people take her claims into consideration and they are thought to be true without any scientific proof or evidence.
Confirmation bias: Oprah Winfrey and other people treated her as an expert of autism because she had that "mommy instinct" which confirms to their believes and make everyone think that she is correct.
Confusion of correlation with causation: Jenny McCarthy's son may have diagnosed with autism after he was vaccinated but it doesn't mean that vaccinations caused him to be autistic.
Reasons for belief
Simplicity; Jenny McCarty's claims against vaccinations are very easy to understand.
Paternicity: people believe Jenny McCarthy's claims to be true because they can see a pattern between the autism in children and the MMR vaccinations that they had.
Flaws/Limitations
Jenny McCarthy's claim cannot be proven by any scientific study and research that MMR vaccine causes autism in children. Moreover, she cannot be claimed as the expert of autism just because her son is autistic and she has the "mommy instinct" for it.]]> 2018-06-18 07:05:56 UTC https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/assignment2pseudoscience/wish/267571409 mashalnaeem https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/assignment2pseudoscience/wish/267572380
Description
this article gives a detail about Jim Carrey another famous television figure, who has joined the teams with Jenny McCarty in her anti-vaccine movement. It also tells about Andrew Wakefield, who started all this fraudulent study of the possible link between autism and vaccines and came up with this myth along with Jenny McCarty.
Red Flags
Appeal to authority; Jim Carrey is a famous television and movie star and he openly condemns the California governor claiming that vaccines have poisonous substances in them such as Mercury.
Ideological support: Jim Carrey claims that it is not morally and ethically right to make all parents have their kids vaccinated as there are certain poisonous substances in vaccines such as  thimerosal and mercury which are very dangerous for them.
Confusion of correlation with causation: Carrey does not understand the difference between ethyl-mercury and methyl-mercury or the fact that there is virtually no mercury of any kind left in vaccines instead there is aluminium which is completely safe.
Reasons for belief
Simplicity: People can easily understand that vaccines are harmful because they have mercury in them which is highly poisonous.
Observation/perception: people just look at the fact that vaccines have mercury in them but they don't see or understand that what form and percentage of mercury is actually there in it.
Flaws/Limitations
There is virtually no mercury in vaccines. There is just aluminium and its derivatives present in them which is only there as an immune system stimulant and is well handled by the body. Therefore, Carrey's claim has no proof or evidence rather it is debunked by scientific knowledge and research. ]]> 2018-06-18 07:14:19 UTC https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/assignment2pseudoscience/wish/267572380 mashalnaeem https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/assignment2pseudoscience/wish/267675749 Here is the link for the word document containing the answers to the reflective questions.

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