Chapter 3 - Science, Pseudoscience, & the Law Flashcards
Science
The systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation.
Pseudoscience
- A discipline or approach that pretends to be or has a close resemblance to science.
- It cannot be tested.
- Relies on trust while science relies on experimental validation and evidence.
Evidence
Information that can and should influence the beliefs of an observer about a specific legal question.
The Scientific Method
- Observation
- Hypothesis
- Prediction
- Experimentation
- Analysis and refinement or abandonment of hypothesis
Pseudoscience Characteristics
- Exaggerated/untestable claims.
- Based upon hearsay.
- Reluctance towards experimentation.
- Reliance upon confirmatory experiments rather than open testing.
- Random disregard of some facts/data.
- Tries to fill voids of scientific understanding.
- Use of new terminology.
- Does not lead to new discoveries/knowledge.
Is religion psuedoscience?
- Differences between religion and science: Science is objective. It is derived from facts and logic.
- Religion is subjective since it is derived from beliefs that are not backed by any proof.
Examples of Psueudosciences
- Crop circles
- Alien landings
- Flat Earth Society
Confirmatory Test
An experiment designed to simply support the tenants of the original hypothesis or idea itself rather than to be broad-based inquiry in scope.
Distribution (statistical)
The way in which the data points spread out over all possible values.
Error Bars
A line through a data point on a plot indicating the standard deviation for each data point.
Ethics
A part of philosophy that deals with questions that surround our understanding of right and wrong and helps us make the “right” decisions.
Event
- One actual particular outcome, often from among several or many choices, from an experiment.
- Example: rolling a 4 on a die.
Flasifiability
The possibility that a hypothesis can be shown to be false by reproducible observation/experiment.
Frequency
The number of times that a particular value/event shows up in an experiment.
Hypothesis
A statement or explanation made on the basis of the limited data available that serves as a starting point for further investigation.
Likelihood Ratio (LR)
The ratio between the probability of two hypotheses being correct.
Mean
The average.
Median
- The halfway point in the data.
- Half the data have lesser values and half have more than the median.
Outcome
One possible result from an experiment.
Probability
- The field that deals with representing the likelihood that a particular event or set of events will occur given a set of reference data.
- Based on what’s in the pail, what’s in your hand?”
Q-Test (Dixon’s)
A rough test to justify ejecting an outlying data point from a set.
Range
The difference between the lowest and highest value in a data set.
Standard Deviation
A numeric value that gives an indication of the breadth and the distribution of data in a set.
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
A set of rules/procedures for performing an analysis/experiment that conforms to a standard that is widely accepted as best-practice in the field.
Statistics
- The field that focuses upon the collection, handling, validation, and interpretation of data.
- “Based on what’s in your hand, what’s in the pail?”
Theory
- An explanation that has been generally accepted by a large number of scientists as valid.
- Is supported by a large amount of experimental data.
