Assignment no. 1 Paranormal and Pseudoscience by Mashal Naeem https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/Psedoscienceassignment1 Made by Mashal Naeem en-us 2018-05-27 02:53:58 UTC 2023-03-10 05:33:19 UTC hello@padlet.com Post #1 Title: Assignment 1 mashalnaeem https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/Psedoscienceassignment1/wish/263827206 Made by Mashal Naeem, working individually.]]> 2018-05-27 02:58:57 UTC https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/Psedoscienceassignment1/wish/263827206 Post #2 Red Flag: Appeal to Authority (Image) mashalnaeem https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/Psedoscienceassignment1/wish/263827538
Definition
Appeal to authority is classified as one of the pseudoscience red flags. It is simply associated with attributing truth to a statement based on the authority of the speaker or on the authority of someone who supports the statement. In this case, truth is considered to be a function of power rather than objectivity. The reason why someone commits appeal to authority fallacy is because when there is a recognized authority on a subject, people hesitate to question that person's statements. Even if we sense that person may be wrong about something, we assume that they have considered the matter carefully in light of their expertise and have come to a specific conclusion.

Connection
Doctors and dentists are good authorities on health.  However some are significantly biased by large financial gains. The following picture represents a cigarette advertisement where the company chose to have picture of a dentist in the ad. The dentist is claiming that "Viceroys" brand cigarette filters the most smoke and he highly recommends to use this brand of cigarette.

Retrieved from: http://www.appealtoauthority.info/home/media-examples]]> 2018-05-27 03:09:44 UTC https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/Psedoscienceassignment1/wish/263827538 Post #3 Red Flag: Confusion of Correlation with Causation (Article) mashalnaeem https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/Psedoscienceassignment1/wish/263828750
Definition
Confusion of correlation with causation is considered another red flag of pseudoscience. When two events are occurring together, they can be considered to have established a "cause-and-effect relationship". But just because two quantities are correlated does not necessarily mean that one is directly causing the other to change. Correlation does not always imply causation, both of which are always confused together especially in statistical studies.

Connection
The following article shows a statistical study which can be considered a very good example of confusion of correlation with causation: in a widely studied case, numerous epidemiological studies showed that women taking combined hormone replacement therapy (HRT) also had a lower-than-average incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD), leading doctors to propose that HRT was protective against CHD. But randomized controlled trials showed that HRT does not protect against CHD but rather it increases its incident.

]]> 2018-05-27 03:48:34 UTC https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/Psedoscienceassignment1/wish/263828750 Post #4 Red Flag: Red Herring (Book) mashalnaeem https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/Psedoscienceassignment1/wish/263829721
Definition
A red herring is something, especially a clue or an argument that misleads or distracts one from an important issue. It intends to lead the readers or audiences towards a false conclusion.  "Red herring is considered a seemingly plausible, though ultimately irrelevant, diversionary tactic, which may be used intentionally or unintentionally" (https://literarydevices.net/red-herring/).

Connection
The character of "Bishop Aringarosa", in Dan Brown’s novel Da Vinci Code, serves as an example of a red herring throughout the novel. The character is presented in such a way that the readers suspect him to be the mastermind of the whole conspiracy in the church.
Later, it is revealed that he is innocent. This example of a red herring in the novel distracts the readers from who the real bad guy is, and thus adds to the mystery of the story. Interestingly, the Italian surname of the bishop “Aringarosa” translates in English as “red herring.”
]]> 2018-05-27 04:19:29 UTC https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/Psedoscienceassignment1/wish/263829721 Post #5 Red Flag: All Natural (Image) mashalnaeem https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/Psedoscienceassignment1/wish/263834789
Definition
All natural is the idea that foods with the label "all natural" are healthier. This fallacy occurs when something is assumed to be good because it is "natural" or bad because it is "unnatural". This is not true, and the standards for being all natural are so low that these labels are virtually meaningless because a lot of things can be extracted naturally but it does not mean that they are better for our health than synthetic productions and not harmful to us, not to mention that many things found in nature are deadly. Things like poison oak, scorpion venom, lead, mercury and bubonic plague are all natural but they are not safe!

Connection
All Natural red flag can be seen on labels and advertisements for food, clothing, and alternative herbal remedies. Labels may use the phrase "all-natural", to imply that products are environmentally friendly and safe. The picture below shows a supermarket shelf with four different brands advertising themselves, in some form, as "natural".
Retrieved from: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Appeal_to_Nature_Example.jpg]]> 2018-05-27 06:42:52 UTC https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/Psedoscienceassignment1/wish/263834789 Post #6 Red Flag: Proof by Verbosity (Video) mashalnaeem https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/Psedoscienceassignment1/wish/263875641
Definition
Proof by verbosity is an argument that is far too complicated and verbose for an opponent to reasonably address all the particulars, or the person making the argument is so well-reputed that one takes his claims as truth. It includes presenting an intentionally unclear, imprecise or cluttered argument which is not the modus operandi of those honestly wanting their argument to be vetted. This technique persuades by overwhelming those considering an argument with such volume that the argument sounds plausible.

Connection
The following video has some examples of arguments that are made too complex by the use of proof of verbosity. As a result, it leaves the listener with no choice other than to accept their proposed claims.

]]> 2018-05-27 16:56:28 UTC https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/Psedoscienceassignment1/wish/263875641 Post #7 Reason for Belief: Unexplained (Website) mashalnaeem https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/Psedoscienceassignment1/wish/263894275
Definition
"We don't know what we don't know." Most of the paranormal beliefs are taken into consideration because there are no definitive descriptions for that particular cause. The reasoning and explanations are beyond the scope of the rationality of the human brain. We don't know the cause of a certain phenomenon so we try to explain it ourselves because we know that there is a reason to everything.

Connection
The "Bermuda triangle" covers the area just off the coast of Florida to Puerto Rico and the island of Bermuda. There had been a lot of incidences that took place in that area. Planes and ships have disappeared there in a number of high profile cases over the years. Scientists have so far been baffled by the disappearances, which have claimed at least 1000 lives over the past 100 years, according to reports. The cause of such unusual phenomenon is unexplained.

]]> 2018-05-27 20:34:13 UTC https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/Psedoscienceassignment1/wish/263894275 Post #8 Reason for Belief: Patternicity (Image) mashalnaeem https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/Psedoscienceassignment1/wish/263903887
Definition
Patternicity is defined as trying to find connections and meaningfulness of something unusual or completely unrelated.
A renowned skeptic Micheal  Shermer came up with the word "patternicity" defining it as "the tendency to find meaningful patterns in meaningless noise."

Connection
The following picture is a good example of patternicity. It is a black and white sketch of a duck but when you see the picture sideways, it looks like its a rabbit.  The duck's beak looks like the rabbit's ears if looking at the picture vertically.
Retrieved from: https://psychologyacademia.wordpress.com/2013/02/11/apophenia-patternicity-conditioned-seeing-and-the-meaningless-the-science-of-being-fooled/]]> 2018-05-27 22:22:18 UTC https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/Psedoscienceassignment1/wish/263903887 Post #9 Reason for Belief: Agenticity (Article) mashalnaeem https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/Psedoscienceassignment1/wish/263906122
Definition
Agenticity refers to associating certain events or phenomena with agents such as angels, demons, ghosts, spirits, aliens etc. People believe that these invisible agents haunt them and control their lives.

Connection
The following link is to a web article by a famous skeptic Dr. "Michael Shermer" where he explains the concept of agenticity with some examples and also explains that how it is confused with other reasons for belief.


]]> 2018-05-27 22:56:34 UTC https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/Psedoscienceassignment1/wish/263906122 Post #10 Critical Thinking Process (Word File mashalnaeem https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/Psedoscienceassignment1/wish/263933956 Question responses.]]> 2018-05-28 03:31:53 UTC https://padlet.com/mashalnaeem/Psedoscienceassignment1/wish/263933956