ASTR1020 Fall 2008 Dr. Duncan

The ASTR1020 final will have an essay question about good and bad science worth 10 points. YOU MAY CHOOSE TO DO YOUR ESSAY AHEAD OF TIME. If so it will take the place of the essay question on the final. The limit is one page. Do not write more. Be concise! The purpose of the question is to allow you to demonstrate scientific thinking. Whenever possible, please comment on whether the topic you choose presents good science, pseudoscience, or a mix. I encourage you to refer to the common characteristics of good science and of pseudoscience that we’ve posted on the class website. Mention them specifically when you can. Be careful to put your name on your work. Or we can’t give credit!

Please choose one of the following topics. You are encouraged to do any needed research.

1. Some people say that we faked the Apollo moon landings. Some say they were genuine. Examine the two links (link 1 and link 2) and discuss them with respect to science, pseudoscience, and their methods. What that you read in these articles do you believe? Why? (Here is link 1 with an embedded video.)

2. Proponents of Intelligent Design say that the complexity of the universe proves that it was designed by a higher power. Is this a scientific theory? Why or why not? Note that you’re not being asked if it is true, but if it is scientific.

3. Imagine that you are a school principal. A group of parents come to you and say that due to the danger of terrorism they do not want their children to go on a school trip that was going to fly them from Colorado to Washington D.C. Instead they ask you to send the children on a bus. How would you respond? What considerations would you think about? You need not give any precise numbers, but approximate ones may be valuable - such as when we decided that the number of stars in the Milky Way is much greater than the number of marbles that would fit in our classroom.

4. Read the Larry King live transcript, "Are psychics for real?"  Do you believe that some people have psychic power, or can what they say be explained by ordinary though careful powers of observation?  What aspects of our “Common Elements of Pseudoscience” do the psychics on the show exhibit? Is Larry King very critical in his questioning? You may wish to refer to other class readings.

5. Read about Uri Gellar here: http://www.nbc.com/Phenomenon/about/uri.shtml, and on Wikipedia. For many years he was very popular on TV, bending spoons and doing other things with his "psychic powers."  Then watch an interview with James Randi. Randi is an accomplished magician as well as a famous investigator of the paranormal (http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/about-james-randi.html). Form your own opinion  about how much of what Uri Geller does is due to psychic power, and how much to magic and explain what you think and why. Why do you think Geller's so popular and made enormous amounts of money? Why do you think he is now hosting “Phenomenon?”

I always ask this on the final exam. Any answer is worth a small bonus.

Has this class changed the way you think about science or pseudoscience? If so, describe how, and whether this is likely to affect anything you do in the future (classes you might take, your behavior, etc.)