HINKING CRITICALLY ABOUT SCIENCE

1) Introduction
Science plays a large part in our living successful and healthy lives. However, many people and organizations attempt to exploit science, its principles, and its approach to thinking for their own financial and political gain. This exploitation can take the form, for example, of quackery (promising quick and complete cures for complex medical conditions), of consumer fraud (offering products which are promised to work wonders in creating a convenient, stress-free life), or in environmental issues (attempting to convince residents that commercial waste dumps into waterways and low-income areas do not cause health risks). Often, pseudo-scientific principles or misinformation is used to forward these positions or activities.

The Assignment
Pick a topic covered in one of the websites listed in “Resources” or in other web or print resources such as parapsychology, cold fusion, environmental racism, medical fraud, the debate between creationism and evolution, or extraterrestrial life. Explain what the issue is, what pseudo-scientific principles or concepts are being used for purposes of persuasion, what the possible motives of the “practitioners” or advocates are. Then explain what scientific principles need to be used to refute or “expose” the inaccuracies or fabrications therein.

Resources

• Pseudo-Science or Proto-Science?
• Pseudo-Science and Environmentalism

Specifications

1. Acceptable Length: 1-2 pages
2. Formatting Requirements:
   1. Doublespace
   2. Use 12 point Times New Roman font
   3. Place your name and page number at the top right of every page
3. To get a top score, your paper should be clear, precise, and in-depth and should:
   1. Identify the pseudo-scientific concepts being used
   2. Demonstrate the weaknesses in the thinking being presented
   3. Explain how the ideas can be strengthened or reformed to give them more validity

   THINKING CRITICALLY IN THE HUMANITIES
   Introduction
   The study of the humanities causes us to reflect on what it means to be human, how a rich life comprises knowledge, exploration and activity in several spheres of human endeavor, and how an educated person is able to move fluidly in several fields, understanding how they are interconnected and how understanding of one supplements understanding of another.The Assignment
   To practice this interdisciplinary, humanistic approach, pick a historical event, a political, social, economic, or philosophical movement, or some other subject matter which has a degree of complexity. Try to formulate questions and possible study strategies as was done with the Holocaust in the lecture notes.

   1. Identify the event, movement, or topic.
   2. List the questions and explain why they are relevant.
   3. List the aspects or components which would need to be addressed and again explain why they are relevant and how they could be woven together into a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter.

   Resources
   See Online Resources for Module Six and select a topic/areaSpecifications

   1. Acceptable Length: 1-2 pages
   2. Formatting Requirements:
      1. Doublespace
      2. Use size 12 Times New Roman font
      3. Place your name and page number at top right of every page
   3. To get a top score, your paper should be clear, precise, and in-depth and should:
      1. Describe in detail your choice of subject matter.
      2. Explain fully the questions you generated and your study strategy.
      3. Discuss how those questions and study strategy enhanced your understanding of the topic.

      These 2 are discussion posts:

      SCIENCE

      Introduction
      The ideas we have about the world and how it works, about how one action yields another, consequences and sequences, can substantially impact what kind of life we enjoy, how we measure up as moral agents, and whether we cause harm or prevent it. By learning how to evaluate the principles on which we predicate our beliefs and actions, we can become better at filtering out unwise, unhealthy, and unproductive choices through closer scrutiny of the information we embrace, the methods we use to test our thinking, and the results of our behavior and any need for modification. The Prompt
      Submit your response to this question to the Discussion Board located in the Communication section of the course:

      How can the use of pseudo-scientific principles or ideas affect the quality of your life?
      

      In your response, refer to specific pseudo-scientific products, services, or ideas that you have seen on television or the Internet or have heard about. Use specific examples and provide background information where needed. Include also a discussion of your own potentially pseudo-scientific beliefs by answering the following questions.

      1. What areas of your life might be negatively or positively impacted by your use of either scientific or pseudo-scientific thinking methods?
      2. Why do you choose to use those methods and subscribe to the beliefs that you have?
      3. How can you improve the quality of your thinking in those areas?

      Your response will be richer if you include the specific beliefs and how you came to hold them. Specifications
      A thoughtful opening response will be clear, precise, and in-depth and will cover both aspects of the prompt.For a top score, you must respond constructively to at least 2 other students.For more information about how to participate effectively in a discussion forum, please view the directions in the “How this Course Works” folder in “Getting Started.”

      ASSESSING CREDIBILITY

      Introduction
      
      A critical thinker must place a great deal of emphasis on the source of the information he or she uses to evaluate thinking, draw conclusions, and make decisions. It is important to know how to assess credibility, what kind of questions one must ask about the source, why it exists, and how it is constructed.
      The Prompt
      
      Respond to the following question in the discussion forum for this module located under “Communications” and “Discussion Board.”

      What is credibility, and why is it important to the critical thinker? Think through the following points as you construct your response:

      1. The definition of “credibility”
      2. Effective criteria for assessing credibility
      3. The consequences of using deceptive thinking in written and oral communication on one’s ability to persuade others of one’s position

      Resources
      
      Use these resources as you complete this assignment:

      • Evaluating Web Pages
      • Evaluating Web Sources Guide

      Please do the first two in individual documents, and you can just put the 2 discussions in the same document, so there should be 3 documents total.