Paranormal and Pseudoscience Assignment #1 by https://padlet.com/francescagennaro1/lirfszhbe65m10h3 By Frankie Gennaro :) en-us 2021-10-10 11:08:09 UTC 2021-10-13 03:53:14 UTC hello@padlet.com Assignment #1 francescagennaro1 https://padlet.com/francescagennaro1/lirfszhbe65m10h3/wish/1805203427 By: Frankie Gennaro]]> 2021-10-10 11:10:37 UTC https://padlet.com/francescagennaro1/lirfszhbe65m10h3/wish/1805203427 Red Flag #1: Confusion of Causation and Correlation francescagennaro1 https://padlet.com/francescagennaro1/lirfszhbe65m10h3/wish/1805213333 Definition: A phenomenon that happens when people mistake coincidences of events as being a direct causation of one another. Often used in propaganda to trick people into thinking  that two unrelated events have any connection.

Example: Back in the 50’s, when there was much less scientific research being conducted, there was plenty of propaganda to convince people to buy cigarettes. As we know today, smoking definitely causes lung cancer, but that wasn’t quite common knowledge back then. Many cigarette companies used the “correlation does not equal causation” argument when it came to the connection between smoking and lung cancer. They would say that perhaps people that were already more predisposed to developing lung cancer were simply more likely to enjoy cigarettes, or even that the connection between smoking and lung cancer was a mere coincidence. Here I have attached an article from towardsdatascience.com explaining this example in greater detail.


]]> 2021-10-10 11:20:28 UTC https://padlet.com/francescagennaro1/lirfszhbe65m10h3/wish/1805213333 Red Flag #2: All Natural francescagennaro1 https://padlet.com/francescagennaro1/lirfszhbe65m10h3/wish/1805226774 Definition: When an item is labeled as “All Natural” on products such as cosmetics, food, and skincare that often doesn’t have any actual certification and is merely a selling tactic. This red flag conditions people into believing that “all natural” is better than processed which isn’t always true.

Example: This red flag reminded me of a situation I saw on social media a few months back: The amber teething necklace craze. Amber teething necklaces are often given to babies and young children as an all natural way to help with teething pain, however they have caused many injuries and health risks to the children who have worn them. Many parents gave them to there children believing that the all natural amber would be better for their children than any sort of rubber or plastic teething toy. This quickly proved false, however, as the beads would often easily snap off the necklace becoming a choking hazard and the necklace in itself quickly became a strangulation hazard for young children. The idea of putting a rope of rocks around a child’s neck didn’t alarm many parents simply because it was labeled as “all natural” and “holistic” even though it’s an obvious choking hazard. This article explains the dangers of amber teething necklaces and warns parents not to use them.

]]> 2021-10-10 11:33:10 UTC https://padlet.com/francescagennaro1/lirfszhbe65m10h3/wish/1805226774 Red Flag #3: Mystical Energy francescagennaro1 https://padlet.com/francescagennaro1/lirfszhbe65m10h3/wish/1805565408 Definition: Different from the scientific term of energy, mystical energy describes any sort of paranormal, supernatural, or other worldly force, often being described as coming from the universe.

Example: Crystals are beautiful, precious stones and rocks which form naturally in nature, but some believe they have healing capabilities. Many people (including myself from time to time) like carrying crystals with them to manifest certain positive energies into their lives. Others may use them to align their chakras or use them for meditation. Scientists have actually conducted research on if crystals do in fact have any healing capabilities. One study described in the article I have attached had people holding both fake and real crystals to see if their “energy” felt different. The results showed that most all believers felt a warm, tingling sensation when holding the crystals regardless of them being real or not. ]]> 2021-10-10 14:59:02 UTC https://padlet.com/francescagennaro1/lirfszhbe65m10h3/wish/1805565408 Red Flag #4: Confirmation Bias francescagennaro1 https://padlet.com/francescagennaro1/lirfszhbe65m10h3/wish/1805624704 Definition: The act of ignoring, avoiding, or disregarding information that disproves one’s own point but highlighting information that proves one’s own point.

Example: In the video I have attached, Andreas Ekström talks about how moral bias and the public’s opinion of a person can impact search results. Confirmation Bias often plays a role in politics and news. Most news outlets are biased in some way and many politicians and their supporters use confirmation bias to prove their points more often than not. Andreas describes two instances where confirmation bias affected people's search results and how both situations were differently handled by google. The video is about 9 minutes long but I found it rather interesting.]]> 2021-10-10 15:31:53 UTC https://padlet.com/francescagennaro1/lirfszhbe65m10h3/wish/1805624704 Red Flag #4: Proof By Verbosity francescagennaro1 https://padlet.com/francescagennaro1/lirfszhbe65m10h3/wish/1805678750 Definition: This is when someone gets their point across simply by using many large, intelligent sounding words and often talking over other people or avoiding questions. 

Example: For this red flag, I wanted to find a real life example to use. In doing my research I found a video of the former US President, Donald Trump being interviewed. Trump was talking about several things but mostly hate he gets on the internet and his thoughts on it. To me, this was a perfect example of proof by verbosity, as he was talking over the interviewer and ignoring his questions at several points during the interview. In doing so, he was ignoring crucial questions that may have deterred his point. He was getting his point across solely through talking, using big words, and ignoring questions. Even the interviewer seemed a bit bothered by this behavior at certain points.]]> 2021-10-10 16:01:42 UTC https://padlet.com/francescagennaro1/lirfszhbe65m10h3/wish/1805678750 Reason for Belief #1: Ideology francescagennaro1 https://padlet.com/francescagennaro1/lirfszhbe65m10h3/wish/1812499821 Definition: A reason for belief based around one's religious, political, and social ideologies about specific things.
 
Example: I found a very interesting website while doing my research called pewforum.org which states various statistics across America. When finding examples of ideology as a reason for belief, I turned to the intersect between religion and  politics. I found that a whopping 85% of conservatives in America are Christian and that only 1% identify as Atheist. Personally I believe that this is a perfect, real world example of Ideology at play because it shows the direct ties between religious ideologies and political ideologies. Certain people tend to find it rather difficult to separate these two types of ideology and use their religious beliefs to back their political opinions.




]]> 2021-10-13 01:44:32 UTC https://padlet.com/francescagennaro1/lirfszhbe65m10h3/wish/1812499821 Reason for Belief #2: Perception and Observation francescagennaro1 https://padlet.com/francescagennaro1/lirfszhbe65m10h3/wish/1812649589 Definition: This reason for belief describes how the difference between perception and observation are often confused. Perception is defined as being aware of something through our senses such as sight, sound, smell, etc. Observation is defined as the gaining of information through what we have perceived or noticed.

Example: A perfect example of perception and observation at play is optical illusions! I have been fascinated with illusions since I was a small child. The way that simple images can completely confuse our minds is so interesting to me. Many optical illusions play with your mind's need to solve things and find patterns. Certain illusions have images that actually appear different to different people. For example, the classic vase or two faces illusion. The illusion that I have attached above appears to be moving but is, in fact, a completely still image. Our brain perceives the bright colours and patterns and we observe that it's moving even though it isn't. This is how perception and observation works as a reason for belief. Our mind has the ability to make us believe that we saw, heard, or felt things that weren't actually there. That's the main reason why so many people believe in ghosts and spirits. ]]> 2021-10-13 02:46:29 UTC https://padlet.com/francescagennaro1/lirfszhbe65m10h3/wish/1812649589 Reason for Belief #3: Unexplained francescagennaro1 https://padlet.com/francescagennaro1/lirfszhbe65m10h3/wish/1812735212 Definition: A reason for belief that stems from one trying to solve and unexplainable scenario in any way possible, usually resorting to supernatural or other-worldly explanations.

Example: The human brain will always find a way to explain things, and it loves mysteries and problems to solve. Sometimes this problem solving turns to the supernatural as a way to explain the unexplainable. An article on Psychology Today describes a study of how people explain the unexplained. They interviewed people of various ages and presented them with "unexplainable" scenarios and coincidences and asked them how or why they happened. They discovered that young children were most likely to find a realistic and natural reasoning for why something happened, while adults and older children often turned to the supernatural as an explanation for these scenarios. ]]> 2021-10-13 03:24:06 UTC https://padlet.com/francescagennaro1/lirfszhbe65m10h3/wish/1812735212 Optical Illusion in a hallway francescagennaro1 https://padlet.com/francescagennaro1/lirfszhbe65m10h3/wish/1812741537 2021-10-13 03:26:47 UTC https://padlet.com/francescagennaro1/lirfszhbe65m10h3/wish/1812741537 Crystals francescagennaro1 https://padlet.com/francescagennaro1/lirfszhbe65m10h3/wish/1812743475 2021-10-13 03:27:40 UTC https://padlet.com/francescagennaro1/lirfszhbe65m10h3/wish/1812743475 Critical Thinking Process francescagennaro1 https://padlet.com/francescagennaro1/lirfszhbe65m10h3/wish/1812788027 Amber Teething Necklaces
Define Problem: Does the amber teething necklace help babies without putting them into harm's way?
Gather Information: "teething jewelry puts children, including those with special needs, at risk of serious injury and death," Gottlieb, S. (Dec 20 2018)   https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-warns-about-safety-risks-teething-necklaces-bracelets-relieve-teething-pain-or-provide-sensory
Evaluate Evidence: Evidence shows that many children have choked on the amber beads on teething necklaces and several were even strangled by the necklace itself getting caught on something. Many doctors advise parents to stay away from teething necklaces as they can pose serious health risks for babies. 
Recognize Biases/Emotions: Many parents who use teething necklaces simply want to alleviate their child's pain and probably considers a material such as amber to be much safer due to it being "natural". I assume most of the parents who swear by amber teething necklaces like to keep things in their home natural and avoid any processed materials, despite the fact that they may, in fact, be safer for their child. 
Synthesize Evidence, Identify Alternatives: A much safer teething toy that is still fairly natural and is made with limited chemicals is the Calmies Natural Teething Toy. It is made of 100% natural rubbers and is "free from BPA or PVC." Healthline (July 26 2018) https://www.healthline.com/health/parenting/rashes-with-teething#prevention
This toy presents absolutely no choking hazards and is completely safe.
Overall: The parents who use amber teething necklaces are simply misguided. They are trying to do the best thing for their child but they aren't listening to doctors but rather falling for the pseudoscience that is "all natural". There are plenty other safe, doctor-recommended teething toys out there that are much better for a teething child. 
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