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📘 3 Parts of Science

Systematic Empiricism

Science relies on carefully gathered evidence—not guesses or opinions. We make observations and use data to understand how things work.

The Scientific Method

A step-by-step way to study the world:

Ask a question

Form a hypothesis

Test it (experiment)

Analyze the results

Share what you found

Publicly Verifiable Data

Scientists share their data so others can check or repeat the work. This is where peer review comes in—other experts look over the research.

Solvable Problems

Science focuses on questions that can be tested and answered with evidence—not just guesses or beliefs. Some mysteries might be solvable later when we have better tools.

🔬 Three Types of Scientific Studies

Observational Studies

Just watching and recording what happens—no control or manipulation. Example: Watching people in a park to see how they behave.

Quasi-Experiments

Similar to real experiments, but no random assignment. Example: Comparing two existing groups, like people from different schools.

Experiments

The gold standard! You manipulate one variable and randomly assign people to groups to see what causes what.

❗️10 Signs of Pseudoscience

(These help you spot fake science.)

No peer review

Uses testimonials instead of real evidence

Relies on personal stories (“It worked for me”)

Makes big claims without proof

Uses vague or confusing language

Avoids testing or ignores results that don’t fit

Can’t be disproven

Has an agenda (money, fame, etc.)

Doesn’t evolve or change with new info

Focuses more on beliefs than facts

👉 Main Difference: Science uses real evidence and testing. Pseudoscience relies on opinions, beliefs, or manipulation.

👤 Personal Experience vs. Real Evidence

“It worked for me” is not solid proof.

Other factors could’ve caused the result—these are called alternative explanations.

Testimonials are personal stories, not scientific evidence.

🧠 Language Tricks & Framing Effects

The way something is worded changes how we see it.

(Example: “90% success” sounds better than “10% failure.”)

👮‍♂️ Authority & Obedience

From Milgram’s study: People are surprisingly likely to follow authority, even if it feels wrong.

🎩 Why We Believe in Magic or the Unexplainable

Our brains look for patterns, even when they’re not real.

We tend to believe rare things happen more often than they do.

🕵️‍♀️ Conspiracy Theories

Roles: There’s always a “bad guy” or someone pulling the strings.

Components: Suspicion, secrecy, and rejection of mainstream ideas.

Skepticism: Be curious, not gullible.

Ask: What’s the evidence? Can it be tested?

🎲 Randomness & Media Paradox

We’re bad at seeing what’s truly random.

Media shows us rare events a lot, which makes them feel common.

(Example: Plane crashes are on the news, but they’re super rare.)

🧾 Terms to Know

Heuristics: Mental shortcuts.

Representativeness: Judging based on how much something seems to fit a stereotype.

Availability: Judging based on what comes to mind easily (like recent news).