What is Science?

In a world where sharing information is rampant, pseudoscientific claims have become a public health threat. This is further reinforced by algorithms and filter bubbles that personalize the user’s feed by detecting what has been shared or liked in the past. This might not be a problem for those trained in the sciences where skepticism, logical reasoning, and critical thinking skills are often applied, inoculating them against pseudoscientific advice that lacks any evidence of effectiveness. For others, these filters trap the user in a knowledge bubble and…

Skepticism is derived from the word skepsis, which means inquiry, examination, or investigation of a perception. More specifically, scientific skepticism refers to a method of systematic doubt used to objectively examine a premise, usually on the basis of empirical evidence, wherever possible. It is about cultivating critical habits of mind to weigh evidence. Scientific skepticism is a balance between being open to new ideas and being skeptical of claims that lack supporting evidence.

Holding skeptical views about science in the media and the accuracy of claims is central to…

In part I, we discussed the concept of knowledge and introduced the Justified True Belief theory as a possible framework for establishing how it is that we might be able to say that we know anything at all. We also introduced the notion that science doesn't actually ever prove anything. That is, due to the philosophical structure of science, we never can be absolutely certain about any of the knowledge attained through it. This may appear problematic, but it is the…

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage throughout the world including the United States which averaged 243,503 cases and 3119 deaths over the last seven days [1]. The surge in post-holiday cases has pushed hospitals past capacity. As of January 10th, there are 128,710 active COVID-19 hospitalizations [2]. 35% of intensive care units are 90% or more occupied [3]. The overwhelming number of hospitalizations has caused staff and equipment shortages and fundamentally altered the way that we deliver care. These shortages will…

It is certainly interesting times that we find ourselves in. Fake news, pervasive science denial, a new conspiracy theory seemingly every week, tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths from the pandemic that could have been easily avoided by acknowledging the recommendations coming from the scientific community, and many more examples. Society is swimming in false information that is literally costing people their lives at this point and driving us apart through polarization [1]. But what can we do? Quite a bit actually…

At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) did not recommend wearing masks to prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. As the pandemic has raged on, however, these organizations now recommend the opposite. As a result, an increasing number of cities and states within the United States require the use of a mask when in public settings. The shifting guidelines by…

Establishing the credibility of information and claims in today’s information-dense world can be challenging. How do you know that information and claims you hear about are worth trusting as accurate? How do you avoid mistakes in your own thinking when deciding if something is true or when deciding on a particular course of action? Critical thinking is a method for…

In May, the United States began relaxing restrictions that were put into place to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Although federal guidelines for the reopening process were published, states have created and implemented individual plans for reopening. The result has been an unmitigated disaster. While certain states, including former hotspots such as New Jersey, New York, and Illinois have managed to “flatten the curve,” the majority of other states, including Florida, Texas, California, Arizona, and others, have seen record numbers of new cases of COVID-19 [1]. The United States, as a whole, is…

Whether you believe that COVID-19-related estimates, specifically infections and deaths, are over- or under-reported depends almost entirely on where you get your news. This is an unfortunate result of these sources having diverging motives. Some aim to inform the public while others are advancing their own agendas. Discerning which is which can prove difficult, especially because many of the arguments made by nefarious individuals and organizations are…

Coronavirus, COVID19, or SARS-CoV-2 are all names that you've heard for the novel virus that was first identified in Wuhan China in 2019 and that's currently severely disrupting our way of life throughout the world. This is the same virus that has overwhelmed the healthcare systems of various countries, has been called a “hoax” by certain world leaders, has led to social-distancing practices implemented throughout the world, and forced us to…

The technological revolution, with its explosion of data and far reaching accessibility, has forever changed the way humanity consumes information. Whereas once upon a time, before the days of the World Wide Web, information (along with accessibility) was limited; those days are now long gone. Today, humanity is constantly barraged with digital information. Whether it is the overwhelming surplus of questionable content or clickbait that serves no other purpose than driving traffic for the sake of sales, there’s….

My first cell phone, back in the early 2000’s, was a Nokia 1100. The extent of its capabilities were basic calling, basic text messaging, and surviving high velocity impacts into hard surfaces.  Despite 3G networks being commercially available two years before the Nokia 1100’s release in 2003, the phone operated solely within the 2G network. But what do these 2G, 3G, 5G networks mean, anyway?  Do we just add a new digit every couple of years when the networks get better? Why are people worried about….

Perhaps since the dawn of the human race, people have looked to the stars and theorized colonizing our moon and other planets. The rapid technological advancements of recent decades, especially as it relates to space travel, have begun to make this interstellar proposition a genuine possibility in the not so distant future. Considering the rapid decline of our current planet due to climate change, among other serious concerns, many people are…

The revival of psychedelic medicine and its profoundly therapeutic implications in treating mental illness has been recently bolstered by some astonishing preliminary research. Headlines, such as the FDA “fast-tracking” psilocybin treatment for depression and declaring it a “groundbreaking” therapy” are certainly hard to miss [1,2]. Still, in the past such tenuous excitement has often been met with….

The magnitude of people across the globe affected by mood disorders, such as anxiety and depression, is astonishing. Unfortunately, the overall efficacy (or lack thereof) of standard treatments is somewhat depressing in and of itself. As such, the need for new or complementary therapies that are at least as effective, if not more, is pressing. In recent years,….

In the news we often hear stories of ‘scientific studies’ which make claims such as: ‘the most addictive food is pizza’, or ‘the MMR vaccine causes Autism’ [1,2].  Those same news outlets will also report on studies that have found new evidence of climate change, or the effects of cannabis on opioid deaths [3]. Often, the same studies are discussed on multiple news outlets regardless of….

In today’s day and age, health related content marketing is constantly bombarding us. Be it by the burgeoning CBD industry claiming their oil or tincture can remedy everything from anxiety and chronic pain, to countless health supplement retailers regaling the….

The advent of the Internet has arguably been one of mankind’s most innovative and powerful creations. The ability to share information has truly never been easier, and….

The scientific method is arguably the most valuable instrument for knowledge that we have ever invented. Nonetheless, it is not perfect as bad research does sometimes get published and the volumes of evidence generated are….

The term “consensus” is often encountered in daily life on the news, in causal conversation, on social media, etc. and most would interpret this word as the majority of opinion. However, once you attach the word “scientific” in front of it, you move beyond the colloquial terminology into….

We have been introduced to the Scientific Method in a previous post.  To recap, the process goes a bit like this:…

The scientific method is a process implemented in experimentation that is used to answer questions surrounding an observation. However, this is a loose definition as scientists often will modify this process when direct experimentation is not available. For example, scientists studying climate change over large time periods cannot fast-forward time to….