Summary:
This is one of my favorite weeks of this course (I know I say this a lot). This week we are going to focus HARD on pseudoscience, specifically as it relates to health. Remember that pseudoscience is different from something that’s just not science. Pseudoscience is actually trying to deceive you and convince you that it is science while lacking all of the hallmarks of science we’ve been talking about all semester.
There are a lot of so-called treatments out there that are based on ZERO evidence and yet they are easily available and widely used. When does this practice become harmful? Where do we go to find information we trust. We’ll start with a classic example of pseudoscience, homeopathy, and from there you’ll be exploring all of kinds of pseudo-medicine.
This week also features the STEAM Festival!
Poster Presentations – We will hear from every member of your group. Half will present on Monday and half will present on Wednesday. Your presentations a 2 minute elevator pitch. You should include the main question you’re asking and why it’s interesting/important, what you did/what data you used, your main result and conclusion, and where you would go from here if you were to continue this work. You are NOT reading every word on your poster or presenting necessarily every section. This presentation is less formal than a talk and much more conversational. Everyone will need to present because everyone is responsible for knowing their poster in and out for the STEAM Festival.
Learning Objectives:
- understand the nature of pseudoscience and be able to distinguish it from science
- evaluate evidence for different pseudoscientific medical interventions
- practice poster presentations
Unit 14, Class 25 [day/date] Required Readings/Videos:
- Science Forward Video: Cancer
- Science Forward Video: Science & Ethics (note that we watched this already in Week 1, so you may just need to review your notes)
- Video: SciShow Placebos & Nocebos: How Your Brain Heals and Hurts You (we’ll also need this one on Wednesday)
- Reading: FDA Drug Review Process website. Go to Page 1 AND Page 2
Unit 14, Class 25 [day/date] Optional Reading
Garber, K. 2009. Melanoma drug vindicates targeted approach. Science. 326:1619.
Unit 14, Class 25 [day/date] Self-Assessment
[insert form]
Unit 14, Class 26 [day/date] Readings/Videos
- Video: from Monday: SciShow Placebos & Nocebos: How Your Brain Heals and Hurts You
- Video: Chemistry Now: Facundo Fernandez
- Reading: Chapter 26 from Bad Medicine by Christopher Wanjek. See reading list.
- Reading: Grimes. 2021. COVID Has Created a Perfect Storm for Fringe Science. Scientific American.
Unit 14, Class 26 [day/date] Self-Assessment
[insert form]
Unit 14 Major Assignments
FINAL POSTER DUE on the STEAM Festival site by [time/date]
