Ray Saintonge saintonge@telus.net writes:
Yes! Even a noted skeptic like Michael Shermer is very careful about using the word. Pseudoscience literaly means false science.
Stop playing word games. Pseudoscience has a much wider meaning than that. In any case, mainstream scientists and skeptics use this word quite a bit. They only use this word, of course, when there is no other alternative.
In reality many of the subject areas popularly encompased by the term have never been proven true to the satisfaction of the traditional scientific community. To say that not proven equates to proven false is to apply the fallacy of the excluded middle that is often phrased "If you're not with us you're against us."
Untrue. This not how science works, or how the skeptical community deals with claims of the paranormal. Propoents of pseudosceince are unable to defend themselves from the actual claims that scientists make, so they create a straw-man carcicature of science, and attack that strawman. That is shameful.
The term "pseudoscience" is as much a pejorative as "kike" or "faggot" which have been discussed in a concurrent thread
That's a bald-faced lie, and an attempt to slander scientists. I am shocked at the hateful way that proponents of pseudoscience claim to be victims of religious-like discrimination. The truth is that proponents of pseudoscience push statements that can not be proven, and when scientifically analyzed in controlled studies, are found to be false - or fraudulent.
I am appalled that you publicly slander scientists, instead of dealing with the issues.
RK
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