Assignment 1 - Pseudoscience Red Flags by Kennedy Adams https://padlet.com/adamskennedy/i1y9p2freds6j9p6 en-us 2022-10-03 12:25:23 UTC 2022-10-05 17:18:23 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f52e.png Post #1 - Assignment 1 adamskennedy https://padlet.com/adamskennedy/i1y9p2freds6j9p6/wish/2323636759 Kennedy Adams 100632983
Working individually ]]> 2022-10-03 12:27:00 UTC https://padlet.com/adamskennedy/i1y9p2freds6j9p6/wish/2323636759 Post #2 - Red Flag - Appeal to Authority (article) adamskennedy https://padlet.com/adamskennedy/i1y9p2freds6j9p6/wish/2323638558 Definition:
The red flag Appeal to Authority is using authority figures to popularize or products or confirm ideas.

Object:
Halle Berry endorsing the Keto Diet.

Connection:
This article is about Halle Berry endorsing the Keto Diet. This article contains the red flag Appeal to Authority because Halle Berry is a famous American actress and model. The critical thinking and skepticism that can be applied to this claim about the Keto Diet being healthy is: "Does Halle Berry have any medical knowledge about this diet?" and "What do other sources, specifically medical professionals, say about this diet?". ]]> 2022-10-03 12:28:08 UTC https://padlet.com/adamskennedy/i1y9p2freds6j9p6/wish/2323638558 Post #7 - Reason of Belief - Patternicity (image) adamskennedy https://padlet.com/adamskennedy/i1y9p2freds6j9p6/wish/2323647542 Definition:
The reason for belief Patternicity is the phenomenon of finding patterns where patterns do not exist.

Object:
Green peppers with faces.

Connection:
This image shows patternicity because when someone looks at this image of green peppers they will see a face containing two eyes and a mouth. Humans see faces where there aren't faces intentionally there. To go into even more detail the shape of the face portrays a scared look, depicted by the shape of the mouth. A pseudoscience watchlist is show: often appeals to emotion, as we see the emotion in the face and connect with it, which helps us see the pepper more clearly as a face.]]> 2022-10-03 12:33:12 UTC https://padlet.com/adamskennedy/i1y9p2freds6j9p6/wish/2323647542 Post #3 - Red Flag - Mystical Energy (article) adamskennedy https://padlet.com/adamskennedy/i1y9p2freds6j9p6/wish/2323647712 Definition:
The red flag Mystical Energy is replacing the actual definition with the word "energy". Using terms such as mysterious energy, force, or vibrations tend to suggest the power of healing or balance, without actually accredited facts.

Object:
Healing Crystals

Connection:
This article demonstrates the red flag Mystical Energy because it claims that crystals promote the flow of good energy and rids the mind of negative energy. One connection to the pseudoscience watchlist is use of scientific-sounding language that is meaningless. This article uses terminology such as positive and negative energy which in other context can be meaningful scientific language but in this context has no scientific background. There is a serious lack of scientific evidence regarding the uses of crystals in this manner. Another connection is is that it often involves money. Sellers use vulnerable people that need "healing" and use that to promote their sale of crystals.]]> 2022-10-03 12:33:19 UTC https://padlet.com/adamskennedy/i1y9p2freds6j9p6/wish/2323647712 Post #4 - Red Flag - All Natural (article) adamskennedy https://padlet.com/adamskennedy/i1y9p2freds6j9p6/wish/2323648103 Definition:
The red flag All Natural is a product that is comprised of no artificial ingredients, and all ingredients come from the earth naturally. Just because a product is all natural, doesn't mean it is safe. Many naturally occurring ingredients are toxic.

Object:
Essential Oils

Connection:
This article demonstrates the red flag All Natural due to the fact that essential oils claim to be all natural and have health benefits. In reality, though essential oils are all natural, they can interfere with the natural production of your hormones, and can result in dermatologic allergy symptoms. Also many essential oils are very harmful to pets. According to the pseudoscience watchlist this can pertain to often involves money, as well as appeals to emotion. Sellers love to use people's emotions to make money. Promoting your product as "all natural" and as a healing product appeals to vulnerable people that want a healing all natural product, and will spend copious amounts of money to obtain this.]]> 2022-10-03 12:33:31 UTC https://padlet.com/adamskennedy/i1y9p2freds6j9p6/wish/2323648103 Post #5 - Red Flag - Suppressed by Authorities (article) adamskennedy https://padlet.com/adamskennedy/i1y9p2freds6j9p6/wish/2323648194 Definition:
The red flag Suppressed by Authorities is higher authorities such as big companies or the government are covering up or hiding discoveries.

Object:
Area 51

Connection:
This article demonstrates Suppressed by Authorities because nobody except the government (a higher authority) knows what is actually going on in there. There are many conspiracies about what is in Area 51, but all can be debunked using the pseudoscience watchlist. Some believe there are aliens behind those gates; some believe there is nothing extra-terrestrial. Area 51 deliberately creates mystery by having so many different possibilities, and no confirmation.]]> 2022-10-03 12:33:35 UTC https://padlet.com/adamskennedy/i1y9p2freds6j9p6/wish/2323648194 Post #6 - Red Flag - Ancient Wisdom (article) adamskennedy https://padlet.com/adamskennedy/i1y9p2freds6j9p6/wish/2323648552 Definition:
The red flag Ancient Wisdom is using ways of life or ideas that pre-date modern society to endorse your claim. Just because it has been around for a long time doesn't mean it is right.

Object:
Acupuncture

Connection:
This article demonstrates Ancient Wisdom because acupuncture dates back to around 100 BC in China, and is based on the traditional Chinese concepts such as qi (life force energy) and meridians (the path of flow of qi). To further provide that this is Ancient Wisdom, multiple studies have failed to demonstrate any scientific evidence. This also demonstrates the red flag Mystical Energy, because of the "life force energy" it is based on. According to the pseudoscience watchlist is relates to the use of scientific sounding language, such as "life force energy". It also relates to "does not show progress", which is the very definition of ancient wisdom.]]> 2022-10-03 12:33:49 UTC https://padlet.com/adamskennedy/i1y9p2freds6j9p6/wish/2323648552 Post #8 - Reason of Belief - Ideology (image) adamskennedy https://padlet.com/adamskennedy/i1y9p2freds6j9p6/wish/2323651427 Definition:
The reason for belief Ideology is a set of ideas that are often used for beliefs and decisions.

Object:
The 10 commandments of Christianity.

Connection:
The 10 commandments is a perfect example of Ideology, as it is literally a set of 10 ideas that the Christian faith is based on. This contains a few items on the pseudoscience watch list: convinces by faith and belief, as faith is not science, and deliberately creates mystery, as spiritual agents are at work, and does not progress as the 10 commandments have not changed and are very old.]]> 2022-10-03 12:35:29 UTC https://padlet.com/adamskennedy/i1y9p2freds6j9p6/wish/2323651427 Post #9 - Reason of Belief - Agenticity (image) adamskennedy https://padlet.com/adamskennedy/i1y9p2freds6j9p6/wish/2323651540 Definition:
The reason for belief Agenticity is the idea that there are "agents" or invisible beings that are responsible for things that happen. People tend to assign meaning and intentions to these agents.

Object:
The idea of the Christian God.

Connection:
The idea of a Christian God perfectly represents Agenticity, as it is assigning meaning to a spiritual being that cannot be seen. This contains a few items on the pseudoscience watchlist: convinces by faith and belief and deliberately creates mystery, as spiritual beings are present, does not progress as the Christian faith and idea of a God dates way back, also this often appeals to emotion, as the Christian God is a very emotional God.]]> 2022-10-03 12:35:34 UTC https://padlet.com/adamskennedy/i1y9p2freds6j9p6/wish/2323651540 Post #10 - Critical Thinking Process Response adamskennedy https://padlet.com/adamskennedy/i1y9p2freds6j9p6/wish/2323655252 I chose to evaluate the article Healing Crystals 101: Everything You Need to Know


Define Problem:
Do healing crystals work?

Gather Information:
This article is on the website Healthline, written by Emily Rekstis, a beauty and lifestyle writer. The article was reviewed by Dr. Kerry Boyle, a nationally board certified licensed acupuncturist. The article lists out various crystal that they claim to help with certain aspects of life.

Evaluate Evidence:
Emily Rekstis is a writer with no science or medical background, and although Dr. Kerry Boyle is has medical and science background, she is a acupuncturist, which is also a pseudoscience. In the section that states the science behind crystals, it quotes a "master crystal healer", Sonali Saujani, who has used crystals to heal her mental illness. She has no science or medical background though.

Recognize Assumptions, Emotions, Biases: 
I'm going to focus on the science section of the article, Emily quotes Saujani, a "master crystal healer", who used crystals to heal her mental illness. There is no scientific evidence for this and is purely based off of her views and emotions, making the "science" biased.

Synthesize Evidence, Identify Alternatives: 
Alternative 1: Crystals do heal, by balancing out the frequency of the electromagnetic currents in our body, according to the article.
Alternative 2: Crystals do heal, using a placebo effect.
Alternative 3: Crystals do not heal.

Select Best Alternative:
I would say crystals do not heal, but if they were to it would be purely a placebo effect.
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