Skepticism and the Scientific Method

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Watching video, read article and answer the questions.Put on your skeptics hat on, write at least one 4-5 sentence paragraph in response to

each prompt

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English 100 Prof. Mark Harrison Skepticism and the Scientific Method WATCH YouTube (Course Website) • Skeptic Presents: What is a Skeptic • The Scientific Method: Steps, Terms, and Examples • 4 Things We Believed Before the Scientific Method • Baloney Detection Kit by Michael Shermer • Scientific Method Monty Python READ From Course Website • What Is Skepticism? • A Skeptical Manifesto • Smart People Believe Weird Things • What Is the Scientific Method? • 10 Things We Thought Were True Before the Scientific Method • The Fine Art of Baloney Detection by Carl Sagan • Baloney Detection Kit • SciBabe's Rules for Bullshit Detection How to Think About Weird Things • Chapter 1: “Introduction: Close Encounters with the Strange” (1-13) • Chapter 2: “The Possibility of the Impossible” (14-32) WRITE Put on your skeptics hat on, write at least one 4-5 sentence paragraph in response to each prompt and upload to the appropriate folder on turnitin.com. To help me more easily read your text, write your response in the color of your choice and leave a blank line before and after your paragraph. 1. Skeptics are often accused of not believing in anything and are only interested in “debunking” extraordinary claims, such as the existence of ghosts. In your own words, explain what it means to approach a claim from a skeptical point of view. What role does compelling, rational, scientific evidence play in skepticism? 2. In your own words, explain the scientific method and its importance to skepticism. English 100 Prof. Mark Harrison 3. In your own words, explain what it means for a claim (hypothesis, idea) to be falsifiable. Why is it important to the scientific method that a claim is falsifiable? 4. Evaluate EACH of the following claims. Is the claim reasonable? Why or why not? Can you think of a rational counter argument to the claim? a. Madame Zelda claims to be able to talk to the dead. Her clients swear she has delivered messages from their dead friends and relatives. There’s nothing on record to indicate she’s a fake. Therefore, she must be genuine. b. Ever since we moved into the house, the lights have sometimes flickered and gone dim. We’ve checked the wiring and found no problems. So the house must be haunted. c. You shouldn’t be skeptical of ESP (Extra-Sensory Perception) because scientists have never proven that it doesn’t exist. d. Scientists have no evidence of life on other planets. So Earth must contain the only life in the universe. e. The Egyptians couldn’t have built the pyramids because the precision with which the stones are cut is far beyond their primitive capabilities. Therefore the pyramids must have been built by extraterrestrials.
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Running Head: SKEPTICISM AND THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

Skepticism and scientific method
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SKEPTICISM AND THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
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Skepticism is a belief and attitude that people have doubt about something and is usually

used in morality, religion, supernatural and knowledge domains. Therefore, to approach a claim
from a skeptical point of view means that any form of claim is made by an individual withholding
judgment on the belief related to the claim and there is limited scientific reasoning in such claim.
The Skeptics view what is a truth based on their belief and attitude rather than reasoning.
Compelling evidence in skepticism plays the role questioning people’s mind and making
assessment critically based on the evidence. The skeptics considers if the evidence is enough to
prove what is the truth.
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The rational evidence in skepticism ...


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Just what I was looking for! Super helpful.

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