Indicators of bogus science
From Robert Park’s Voodoo Science, here are his seven warning signs that a claim may be pseudo-scientific. While some of these signs may apply to a given technology it does not mean that it is therefore bogus, however it is a strong indication that you should be extra skeptical.
“An extraordinary claim requires extraordinary proof” - Marcello Truzzi.
- Discoverers make their claims directly to the popular media, rather than to fellow scientists.
- Discoverers claim that a conspiracy has tried to suppress the discovery.
- The claimed effect appears so weak that observers can hardly distinguish it from noise. No amount of further work increases the signal.
- Anecdotal evidence is used to back up the claim.
- True believers cite ancient traditions in support of the new claim.
- The discoverer or discoverers work in isolation from the mainstream scientific community.
- The discovery, if true, would require a change in the understanding of the fundamental laws of nature.
personal:
I cannot give my name as I currently work for one of these particular companies I have come to find out that some of the sales techniques are not only misleading, bu also outright lies, who can I report these lies, missinformation, and shady business to? who monitors these people, I have had my good name tarnished by these practices,and only went to work for them after I was shown evidence that the products worked, only to find out later that the evidence had been altered, I myself ran some individual tests, and although the products worked, thee were a mere % of what they claimed !!! I want some retribution, and some of these people should be jailed.
11 July 2012, 11:01 pm