The term, ‘Pseudoscience’ denotes one or more assertions, faiths or traditional practices that are presented as science. These practices or claims fail in adhering when measured or tested by methods of science. The reliability of pseudoscience cannot be trusted and it lacks scientific reasonableness. Pseudoscience have different importance and should not be discarded even if there are some issues with them. Pseudoscience may appear valueless in modern society but it has guided and regulated the civilization for a quite long time. This paper intends to discuss pseudoscience and discusses how it is difference from science along with analyzing that pseudoscience is valuable and it should exist.
There are several differences in Science and the pseudoscience. Pseudoscience believes in fictions instead of facts and arguments. Pseudoscience never revises and it remains the same however science updates regularly. Pseudoscience books are same in the beginning, middle and even in the last. These books do not have anything new to present before readers however science books come with new editions and updates every year due to various developments and changes in the area of science and scientific methods.
Pseudoscience claims to do researches and claims that its findings are based upon scientific researches. Pseudoscientists, as well as people who support pseudoscience, present hearsay, cite various mythological works and examples of various traditional practices in order to corroborate their version. These people are never able to prove their claims on the basis of facts, research and scientific methods. Pseudoscience researches are very sloppy and are based on ambiguous invariables. Science believes in scientific methods of research, facts and reliable variable sources. Scientists present evidences and results to prove their claims. Scientists prove their claims by proving things and not by citing mythological stories.
Pseudoscience starts with an emotional theory and tries to influence people. Pseudoscience has a tendency to see that is in its favor. Pseudoscience always tries to overlook on things that are in contradiction of its stories. Pseudoscientists do not prefer talking about things that are logical and are based on evidences. Pseudoscientists jump on conclusions by taking help of traditional and mythological theories. Science believes in concrete findings and not in propounding congenial conclusions. Science presents facts and results whether someone likes it or not.
Having observed the differences and features of pseudoscience and science, it can be said that pseudoscience and science have their own ways to see things. Though science is more accurate and beneficial for human world today but contribution of pseudoscience cannot be completely discarded. There are various contributions of pseudoscience and it has guided the humanity when there was not a particle of scientific inventions. Pseudoscience used to guide the humanity in different forms and people were not less happy than they are today. Pseudoscience has contributed a lot in the journey of civilization and it is sheer thanklessness to discard its contributions.
Pseudoscience used to guide people in the ages when there was nothing. People used to rely on traditional methods and so-called mythological things to get relief and feel good. Various pseudoscientific methods were used to provide relief in cases where people used to suffer and no other method or science was available to relieve them. Pseudoscience is not baseless and all the methods of pseudoscience are based on longer experiences and faith. All these methods are usually harmless and less expensive.
Pseudoscience is not injurious for civilization in any sense. It is tested and trusted method of our ancestors that have benefited humanity. Today science has replaced pseudoscience and pseudoscience is completely ignored that is a sheer loss for the humanity. There was a need to develop pseudoscience by applying various modern methods. There was no harm in associating science and pseudoscience and both of them could have benefitted the humanity in better ways. Pseudoscience could have developed in order to serve people but unfortunately it was abandoned for the science.
The Division of Perceptual Studies, University of Virginia is a fascinating place that was formed in year 1967 by Doctor I. Stevenson. The main objective of this division is to study various relations between consciousness or state of mind and matter that are not presently explained by the science. Survival of human characters or personality even after death of person is something that is not answered by the science. It can be said that energy transformed into different form and impact human consciousness.
At DOPS teachers not read the mind of others and also do not walk like ghosts. However, they study people who claimed memories from prior birth, out-of-body experiences, near-to-death experiences, and poltergeists. Dr. Tucker mentioned the possibility of ‘life after death’ and reincarnation. According to Tucker, during his study on the children he finds some real-life children who lived during the past in nearby location or may be far away location. Dr. Tucker gave examples from various case studies, James is one of them. James used to have nightmares about plane crash. James recalled that he was with air force and shot by Japanese near Iwo Jima. Tucker said to NPR “It seems absolutely impossible that he could have somehow gained this information as a 2-year-old through some sort of normal means” (Flanagin).
Cryptozoology refers to the study of animals that are not known such as animal with big foot, yeti, and animals from other continents, monsters, and various unknown spices. The International Cryptozoology Museum is the only museum in world that display scholarly work performed on the subject. The museum displays various evidences that support existence of pseudoscience.
Coleman mentions he is studying mental state related with suicide. Coleman mentioned that he believe that there are some relationships exists that need to be answered. He says, “So, trying to look at the mysteries of animals, from a very early age on, I knew we were animals, and there’s this kind of artificial separation. But I saw looking at mental health, looking at Freudian phenomena, looking at cryptozoology, all kind of merge—without me going fringy or crackpotty, just trying to keep very grounded in a scientific way looking at all of those. To me it’s never been separate. I see them interrelated in a way a lot of people don’t” (Connelly).
Science has travelled a long way to reach where it is today. Science has evolved due to continuous experiments and faith of people in it but it was unfortunate that the same was not done in case of pseudoscience. Pseudoscience was mocked and it was left to remain outmoded. Our society is so fascinated with the aura of science that it completely forgot our traditional methods that benefited us for centuries. There may be some problems with pseudoscience but these problems were also with science in the beginning. Science gradually crossed various hurdles and appeared as a tested and trusted method. Continuous innovations, practice and faith of people made the science what is today and lack of all of these made pseudoscience to stay where it is today.
Science has gifted humanity a number of things but at the same time, it has also made our life complicated. Science has created many things that are not curable. Science cannot present solutions of the problems that are created by science itself. Pseudoscience was soft and whether it is based on facts or not but it relieved people in various ways and never created a problem that had no cure. But science is very harsh and it has produced various things that are not curable. science has created various machines that make human life easy, but at the same time science has created nuclear bombs that has no solution and once it is used, nothing, not even science itself can prevent millions of people from dying.
Having observed an overview and succinct analysis of the abovementioned subject, this paper concludes that there are various differences in pseudoscience and science. Both pseudoscience and science have their arguments and both of them keep saying that they are more relevant. By analyzing the claims and results of pseudoscience and science, it can be concluded that science is based on facts, scientific methods while pseudoscience is based upon mythological theories, traditional practices and claims. Even though there are various lacunas in pseudoscience, it cannot be discarded because pseudoscience has helped the humanity in different ways. Pseudoscience has guided and supported humanity in the time when science did not even exist. On the basis of its contributions, it can be proclaimed that pseudoscience is valuable and it should exist.
Works Cited
Connelly, Martin. "The Private Lives of the Cryptozoologists." themorningnews. 20 November 2014 <http://www.themorningnews.org/article/the-private-lives-of-the-cryptozoologists>.
Flanagin, Jake. "There Is a Paranormal Activity Lab at the University of Virginia." 10 Feb 2014. theatlantic. 20 November 2014 <http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/02/there-is-a-paranormal-activity-lab-at-the-university-of-virginia/283584/?single_page=true>.
