Voodoo Science

I've decided to post some of my school papers on my blog for the enjoyment (or suffering) of anyone desiring to read them. Sometimes I think that I can really pump out some good papers. This one is based off of the book "Voodoo Science." It's pretty fascinating :-D I read it as an assignment from my Biology Class. I scored a 24 out of 25 of the paper, and THAT'S the BRIGHT-side of life! :D

The assignment we had was thus:

Assignment:

1)Complete the reading assignment for the book Voodoo Science: Preface, Chapters 3, 5, 7, 8.

2)Consider the supporting questions posted on Blackboard.

1.What are the inherent attributes of the scientific process that minimize spurious claims by scientists?

2.Based on your reading of the assigned chapters in "Voodoo Science", discuss how the government fails to take advantage of the methods of real science in addressing policy issues.

3)Your task is to write a two-page, double-spaced, typed essay addressing the question:

How can we discriminate between real and “voodoo” science?

Discriminating Between Real and “Voodoo” Science

The title of the book, “Voodoo Science,” is a neologism, or a newly coined word, created by the author, Dr. Robert Park, referring to pseudoscience or junk science. In “Voodoo Science,” Dr. Park addresses several of the forms of foolishness that leads to fraud in science. Most of the examples he gives derive from personal experiences in the world of real and voodoo science. His experiences help us to understand what it is we can do to discriminate between real and voodoo science.

One of the biggest problems which creates a following for voodoo science is people “judge science by how well it agrees with the way they want the world to be” (ix). When even the smallest piece of evidence is found which might support their ideal, many times, in Dr. Park's experience, some uneducated people can jump to conclusions and present claims, without first going through the necessary steps to ratify their observations.

One example of this is a “miracle medical magnet,” which presumably is supposed to help in the healing process. Dr. Park quotes the “Health Report” segment of ABC World News Tonight on August 11, 1997. A plastic surgeon, Daniel Man tells us that “magnets provide a static or magnetic force that allows changes in the tissue.” This statement is followed by Bill Roper, CEO of the company selling the magnets, who adds “all humans are magnetic, every cell has a positive and a negative side to it.” (59-60) These statements are typical of foolish or fraudulent claims, particularly in the examples that Dr. Park gives. Not only are they vague, but they are also scientifically not true.

Why do they get these facts wrong? It seems, with the so-called “experts” endorsing the many “discoveries” and products, they ought to have their facts in order. The simple answer to that question lies within the proven scientific method. As mentioned earlier, the scientists have an idea of what they want the the world to be, whether it be the way it is or not. So, they go about trying to prove this particular way correct, without looking at possibilities of it being wrong. This principle couldn't be stated better than by the author when he says “what began as wishful interpretations of sloppy and incomplete experiments had evolved into deliberate obfuscation and suppression of data.” (122-123)

Another big contributor to why they get these facts wrong is knowledge. For example, “Newman, it appeared, had simply rushed ahead with his idea without fully understanding the physics.” (102-103). If Joe Newman had simply acquired more knowledge on the subject of physics, he would have realized how his energy machine could not possibly defy one of the most basic laws of physics, the law of conservation of energy.

This same attribute of knowledge is what helps us decipher between real and voodoo science. To be knowledgeable doesn't necessarily mean that we must get a PhD in nuclear physics; simply to be informed. For us to make any decisions when we are told of some great new discovery, we must study out the issue before believing all that we're told (particularly in the media, as history proves).

As we see that spurious claims from scientists can be based on greed for money, power, prowess, or simply a lack of knowledge, it would be advantageous for certain policies to be instated. This is addressed by Dr. Park especially concerning homeopathic drugs. It seems that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has allowed homeopathic drugs to go untested. This not only puts people in danger of fraud to know whether or not it even does what it claims to do, but it also endangers those taking them because of the potential harm that these drugs could cause, in many cases having been developed with “sloppy and incomplete experiments.” (122-123)

So we see, the best way for us to discriminate between real and voodoo science is for us to see the typical vague and physically impossible statements and do a little research, to educate ourselves, so we do not get pulled along on “The Road from Foolishness to Fraud.” (Cover Page)