AK/NATS 1850 6.0A

Science and Pseudoscience

Readings

-- Readings are to be read for the day they are assigned --

  • Boldface Numbers with an 'S' preceding them (e.g., S3) refer to chapters in Michael Shermer, Why People Believe Strange Things (New York: W.H. Freeman, 1997), available at the York University Bookstore and also on reserve in the library.

  • Boldface Numbers (e.g., 14) refer to articles in the course kit, available at Copywell copy shop, 4699 Keele St., Alternately, you may track a fair number of them down at the library if you choose, although none of these sources has been put on reserve.

    • Week I: Introduction to Science & Pseudoscience
    M 28 June
    Intro - no readings
    T 29 June
    01 Frances A. Yates, "The Hermetic Tradition in Renaissance Science," in C.S. Singleton (ed.), Art, Science, and History in the Renaissance (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1970), pp. 255-74.
    02 I.C. Jarvie and Joseph Agassi, "The Problem of Rationality in Magic," in B.R. Wison (ed.), Rationality (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1970), pp. 172-93.
    W 30 June
    S1 Shermer, ch. 1, "I Am Therefore I Think," pp. 11-23.
    S2 Shermer, ch. 2, "The Most Precious Thing We Have," pp. 24-43.
    03 Erich Von Daniken, "Easter Island", from Erich Von Daniken, Chariots of the Gods; Unsolved Mysteries of the Past (New York: Bantam, 1970), pp. 90-96.
    04 Clifford Wilson, "Easter Island, The Pyramids and Embalming" (part), in Clifford Wilson, Crash Go The Chariots (New York: Lancer Books, 1972), pp. 19-24.
    05 Mary Vetterling-Braggin, "The Ancient Astronaut Hypothesis: Science or Pseudo-Science?" from Patrick Grim (ed.), Philosophy of Science and the Occult first edition, (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1982), pp. 278-287.
    06 Lawrence David Kusche, The Bermuda Triangle Mystery Solved (New York: Warner Books, 1975), pp. 17-30, 88-89, 148-152, 169-172, 182-184, 262-263, 289-292
    07 Lawrence David Kusche, "Critical Reading, Careful Writing, and the Bermuda Triangle", in Kendrick Frazier (ed.), Paranormal Borderlands of Science (Buffalo: Prometheus Press, 1981), pp. 382-287.
    R 1 July
    NO CLASS -- Canada Day
    F 2 July
    08 Jean Saindon, "Cognitive, Rhetorical, and Social Analysis and Legitimation Strategies."
    09 Criteria for the Evaluation of Scientific Claims (Jean Saindon).
    10 The Norms of Science (Jean Saindon).
    11 William Broad and Nicholas Wade, "The Flawed Ideal" from William Broad and Nicholas Wade, Betrayers of the Truth: Fraud and Deceit In Science (Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1985), pp. 11-21.

    Week II: Astronomical "Sciences" I : Astrology, Velikovsky, Bermuda Triangle
    M 5 July
    12 Hans J. Eysenck and D.K.B. Nias, "What Is Astrology? From H.J. Eysenck and D.K.B. Nias, Astrology: Science or Superstition? (Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1982), pp. 21-31.
    13 Eysenck and Nias, "Could Astrology Be True?", op. cit. , pp. 33-48.
    14 Eysenck and Nias, "Sun Signs and Personality", op cit. , pp. 49-67.
    T 6 July
    15 Geoffrey Dean, "Does Astrology Need To Be True?: Part 1: A Look at the Real Thing" from Kendrick Frazier (ed.), The Hundredth Monkey and Other Paradigms of the Paranormal: A Skeptical Inquirer Collection (Buffalo: Prometheus Press, 1991), pp. 279-296 [originally published in The Skeptical Inquirer (Winter 1986-87), pp. 166-184]
    16 Geoffrey Dean," Does Astrology Need To Be True?: Part 2: The Answer Is No", from K. Frazier (ed.), The Hundredth Monkey... , pp. 297-319 [originally The Skeptical Inquirer (Spring 1987), pp. 257-273]
    17 Geoffrey Dean," Does Astrology Need To Be True?: Part 2: The Answer Is No", from K. Frazier (ed.), The Hundredth Monkey... , pp. 297-319.
    18 Astrology Data Sheets (Jean Saindon).
    W 7 July
    NO CLASS
    R 8 July
    19 Carl Sagan, "Venus and Dr. Velikovsky", from Carl Sagan, Broca's Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science (New York: Ballantine Books, 1979), pp. 95-115, 122-128.
    20 R.G.A. Dolby, "What Can We Usefully Learn from the Velikovsky Affair?" Social Studies of Science , 5 (1975): 165-175
    F 9 July
    Research Biblio-Essays Due

    Week III: Astronomical "Sciences" II: UFOs, Aliens
    M 12 July
    MIDTERM #1: multiple choice only
    T 13 July
    21 J. Allen Hynek, The UFO Experience: A Scientific Inquiry (New York: Ballantine Books, 1972), pp. 1-35, 41-58, 242-257.
    22 Robert Shaeffer, The UFO Verdict: Examining The Evidence (Buffalo: Prometheus Press, 1981) pp. 90-110.
    W 14 July
    23 Charles Ziegler, "Introduction" and "Mythogenesis: Historical Development of the Roswell Narrative," from Benson Saler, Charles Ziegler, and Charles B. Moore, UFO Crash at Roswell: the Genesis of a Modern Myth (Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1997), pp. ix-xii, 1-29.
    R 15 July
    S6 Shermer, ch. 6, "Abducted!"
    24 Carl Sagan, "UFO's: The Extraterrestrial and Other Hypotheses," from Carl Sagan and Thornton Page (eds.), UFOs: A Scientific Debate (New York: W.W. Norton, 1974) pp. 265-278.
    F 16 July
    25 Dorothy Nelkin, "Social Sources of Textbook Disputes," from D. Nelkin, The Creation Controversy: Science or Scripture in the Schools (New York: W. W. Norton 1982), pp. 165-183.
    25A Dorothy Nelkin, "Science and Personal Beliefs," from Nelkin, op. cit. , pp. 185-197.

    Week IV: Biological "Sciences": Evolution, Creationism, Eugenics, Sociobiology, Rushdon Affair, "Geneticism"
    M 19 July
    S9 Shermer, ch. 9, "In the Beginning"
    S10 Shermer, ch. 10, "Confronting Creationists"
    S11 Shermer, ch. 11, "Science Defended, Science Defined"
    T 20 July
    26 Henry B. Morris, Scientific Creationism: Public School Edition , ch. 1, "Evolution or Creation?" (San Diego: Creation-Life Publishers, 1974), pp. 1-18.
    27 Tim Berra, Evolution and the Myth of Creationism: A Basic Guide to the Facts of the Evolution Debate (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1990), pp. 1-30.
    ---- see also end of 25
    W 21 July
    28 Angus McLaren, Our Own Master Race: Eugenics in Canada, 1885-1945 , ch. 1, "The Birth of Biological Politics" (Toronto: McLelland and Stewart, 1990), pp. 13-27.
    29 Jeffrey Blum, Pseudoscience and Mental Ability: The Origins and Fallacies of the IQ Controversy (New York & London: Monthly Review Press, 1978), pp. 11-22, 145-160.
    R 22 July
    30 David Barash, "Sexism: Strategies of Reproduction, or When is Beeswax Like a Ferrari?" from David Barash, The Whisperings Within: Evolution and the Origin of Human Nature (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1979), pp. 46-60.
    31 Anne Fausto-Sterling, "Putting Woman in her (Evolutionary) Place", from Anne Fausto-Sterling, Myths of Gender: Biological Theories About Men and Women (New York: Basic Books, 1985), pp. 156-203.
    F 23 July
    32 Richard Herrnstein and Charles Murray, The Bell Curve (Toronto, Free Press, 1994), pp. xxi-xxiii, 1-24.

    Week V: Historical "Science": Revisionism, Hoaxes
    M 26 July
    MIDTERM #2: multiple choice and short answer
    T 27 July
    S13 Shermer, ch. 13, "Who Says the Holocaust Never Happened, and Why do they Say It?"
    S14 Shermer, ch. 14, "How we know the Holocaust Happened"
    S15 Shermer, ch. 15, "Pidgeonholes and Continuums"
    W 28 July
    33 Stephen Williams, Fantastic Archaeology (Philadelphia: University of Pensylvania Press, 1991), ch. 1, "The Byways and Forgotten Pathways of Fantastic Archaeology," pp. 11-27.
    R 29 July
    34 Stephen Williams, Fantastic Archaeology , ch. 9, "Westward to Vinland: the Vikings are Coming," pp. 189-223.
    F 30 July
    S5 Shermer, ch. 5, "Through the Invisible"

    Week VI: Psychological "Sciences": ESP, Parapsychology
    M 2 August
    NO CLASS - August Civic Holiday
    T 3 August
    35 Ruth Reinsel, "Parapsychology: An Empirical Science" in Patrick Grim (ed.), Philosophy of Science and The Occult , 2 nd revised edition (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1990), pp. 187-204.
    36 C.E.M. Hansel, "The Pearce-Pratt Experiment" in C.E.M. Hansel, ESP and Parapsychology: A Critical Re-Evaluation (Buffalo: Prometheus Books, 1980), pp. 111-123.
    W 4 August
    S4 Shermer, ch. 4, "Deviations"
    S16 Shermer, ch. 16, "Dr. Tipler Meets Dr. Pangloss"
    S17 Shermer, ch. 17, "Why Do People Believe Weird Things?"
    R 5 August
    FINAL EXAM : multiple choice plus one essay
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