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Home , Skeptical movement, Steven Novella

ISSUES IN & : 40th Anniversary Celebration

Why Skepticism?

wenty years ago, I became actively involved in the hand-in-hand with and when I and several others founded , and therefore skep- T tics also promote understanding a humble local skeptical group. We were inspired by of these fields and the promotion CSICOP (now CSI) and to add of skills. what we could to efforts to make the world a more skep- Science vs. : Skep- tical place. tics seek to identify and elucidate Over the past two decades, as possible in our beliefs and the borders between legitimate the skeptical landscape has opinions. This means subjecting science and pseudoscience, to changed quite a bit, but one all claims to a valid process of expose pseudoscience for what it constant has been the endless evaluation. is, and to promote of question: What is skepticism? Methodological : how to tell the . What exactly do we do and why? Skeptics believe that the world Ideological Freedom/Free In- As the movement has grown and is knowable because it follows quiry: Science and reason can diversified, the question has be- certain rules or laws of . flourish only in a secular society come only more complex. The only legitimate methods in which no ideology (religious for knowing anything empirical or otherwise) is imposed upon individuals or the process of sci- What Is the Mission of the about the universe follows this ence or free . Skeptical Movement? naturalistic assumption. In words, within the realm of the Neuropsychological Humility: I have come to understand that empirical you don’t get to invoke a functional skeptic re- scientific skepticism is a weird or the . quires knowledge of all the var- beast that is often difficult to Promotion of Science: Science ious ways in which we deceive understand, especially from the is the only set of methods for ourselves, the limits and flaws in outside. We are not exactly sci- investigating and understanding human perception and memory, entists or journalists or lobbyists the natural world. Science is the inherent biases and fallacies or educators, and yet we are all of therefore a powerful tool and in cognition, and the methods those things to some extent. one of the best developments of that can help mitigate all these I think the best way to ex- human civilization. We therefore flaws and biases. plain scientific skepticism is that endeavor to promote the role of : Skeptics it is expertise in everything that science in our society, public endeavor to protect themselves can go wrong with science and understanding of the findings and others from fraud and , and it includes execution, and methods of science, and deception by exposing fraud and communication, education, and high-quality . educating the public and policy- regulation. It combines knowl- This includes protecting the makers to recognize deceptive or edge of science, philosophy, and integrity of science and education misleading claims or practices. critical thinking with special ex- from ideological intrusion or Addressing Specific Claims: pertise in flawed reasoning and antiscientific attacks. This Skeptics combine all of the above deception. also includes promoting high- to address specific claims that are To understand this better, quality science, which requires flawed, biased, or pseudoscien- here is a list of what scientific examining the process, culture, tific and to engage in the public skeptics promote and do. and institutions of science discussion of these claims. Respect for Knowledge and for flaws, biases, weaknesses, Cultural Memory: Skeptics as : Skeptics value conflicts of interest, and fraud. a whole act as the cultural mem- and what is true. We therefore Promotion of Reason and Crit- ory for and scams endeavor to be as reality-based ical Think ing: Science works of the past. Such beliefs tend to

40 Volume 40 Issue 5 | Skeptical Inquirer repeat themselves, and remem- topics to address as part of my able moment criterion is pub- bering the past can be very use- skeptical activism. lic interest. The whole point is ful in quickly putting such beliefs Teachable Moment: One very to engage the public, and one into their proper perspective. important criterion is this: Would technique for doing so is to go Science Journalism: Many addressing a claim or topic pro- to where the people already skeptics spend a large portion of vide a useful teachable moment? are. The public is interested in their time doing straight science Since one (if not the) primary , cryptids, and UFOs, and communication and journalism, goal of skepticism is education, in they often learn patholog- which is important because sci- this is a crucial criterion, and in ical science from popular treat- ence is so central to our mission. fact it is often sufficient reason to ments of these topics. This is also an important skill to explore and develop because it is so rarely done well. Correcting and criticizing bad science news reporting, especially in the Inter- net age, has become a large part Ghosts and UFOs are of what skeptics do. the hook; the payoff is

What Topics Do We Cover? and Traditional skepticism addresses the ability to think a very broad range of topics: all a bit more critically. of alternative , parapsy- chology, , conspir- acy theories, scams, postmodern- ism, self-help, education, science and the media, neuroscience and address a topic. If we leave these popular self-deception, , This is the primary reason I subjects to the charlatans, they and a long list of topics that have never addressed issues such happily spread scientific have political, religious, or social as ghosts, , , or illiteracy unopposed. This is, implications: genetically modi- the (classic however, a great opportunity fied foods, organic farming, free skeptical topics all). I honestly to teach the public about and other energy issues, don’t care at all about ghosts, and how science actually operates, climate change, , mir- I agree that this has extremely mechanisms of self-deception, acle claims, -healing, proph- low priority as an issue. How- how to tell if a claim is valid, and esy, channeling—the list is mas- ever, hunters engage in a how to detect pseudoscience. sive. variety of pseudoscientific activi- Addressing pseudoscience There has been frequent dis- ties and defend their claims with and the is a way to cussion about which topics skep- numerous logical fallacies. popularize science, such as writ- tics “should” cover. My approach There are many generic les- ing about the physics of Star has always been that everyone, of sons about science and critical Trek or the philosophy of The course, should feel free to cover thinking that can be learned by Simpsons. Ghosts and UFOs are whatever topics suit their inter- examining any pseudoscience, the hook; the payoff is scientific ests, motivations, and talents. and often the most obvious ones literacy and the ability to think a There are no right or wrong top- are the best examples. bit more critically. ics to cover. I have also found that by ex- Impact: The relative impact There are, however, many amining the full spectrum of or importance of an issue is defi- considerations worth discussing. pseudoscience, I have been able nitely important, and nothing I Skepticism is a method of apply- to see recurring patterns that en- write here should be interpreted ing science and critical thinking able me to understand pseudo- as dismissing or minimizing that to all areas. It is worth thinking science much more thoroughly point. In fact, as the skeptical about how those methods relate and then apply those lessons to movement has matured over the to any particular topic of interest. more important areas such as past few decades I have noticed a Here are some of the factors medicine. definite shift to issues of greater I consider when deciding what Interest: Related to the teach- social importance.

Skeptical Inquirer | September/October 2016 41 ISSUES IN SCIENCE & SKEPTICISM: 40th Anniversary Celebration

My primary issue is alterna- ing and speaking on their area of tend not to get attention from sci- tive medicine, the abject infiltra- scientific expertise. So, skeptical entists, who don’t want to waste tion of fraud and pseudoscience doctors focus on medicine, as- their time. Whether or not this into the institutions of health- tronomers on astronomy, biolo- is a reasonable position is debat- care. This results in the wasting gists on issues such as evolution able, but meanwhile skeptics are of billions of dollars and divert- and creation, physicists on free happy to fill the void. As a skepti- ing of funds, and it energy, and so on. cal neurologist, for example, I am causes direct harm to the health If we have a bias, it is toward not going to spend my time delv- of individuals. the areas of expertise that also ing into and engaging in debate Other important issues we tend to attract people to the over the possible mechanisms of tackle regularly are re- skeptical movement itself, but Parkinson’s disease. There are fusal, global climate change, this is hard to avoid. It is also not scientists who are doing that. But genetically modified foods, our simple to correct, and straying I will engage with those claiming energy infrastructure, future outside of our areas of expertise is that near- are , teaching creation- not a good solution. At the very evidence for an because ism and other pseudoscience in least, it takes a lot more work to most scientists don’t bother to do science classes, issues surround- address an issue about which I am that. ing mental illness, the self-help not already fairly . Journalistic Integrity: This last criterion is a bit of a personal choice. Some journalists and The world needs outlets unapologetically advocate for a political ideology. Everyone all kinds of , knows the Huffington Post is a liberal news source, for example. and scientific skepticism Some journalists, however, try to is a legitimate area of be as politically neutral as possible so that they will be viewed as a expertise. fair arbiter of factual information and analysis. Similarly, some skeptics com- bine their skeptical activism with ideological activism. I have no problem with this, and most are industry, scams, racial or gender Filling a Need: Very relevant upfront about it. Some skeptics, pseudoscience, and other issues to the question of what targets however, choose to be political that have a direct impact on peo- skeptics choose is who else, if or ideologically neutral in their ple’s lives and our civilization. anyone, is already addressing activism, except for a defense of We also may consider how much those problems. For example, re- science and reason. I think this of an effect we can have. Some viewing evidence and establishing can be helpful. issues are more amenable to sci- a standard of care for a particular While I certainly do have po- entific information than others. issue within mainstream medi- litical opinions, I try to keep them Expertise: The world needs cine is very important, but there separate from questions of science all kinds of experts, and scien- are already professional societies and evidence. If, for example, I tific skepticism is a legitimate that do that. All physicians and am discussing global warming, I area of expertise. It involves a scientists should be skeptical, but want to focus on the science and deep knowledge of pseudosci- in areas where mainstream scien- not be dismissed as liberal. Or ence, the , tists are already doing just fine at if I am writing about GMOs, I mechanisms of deception, neu- addressing misperceptions, phy- do not want to be dismissed as ropsychological humility, scams, sicians who have an expertise in conservative or libertarian. That logic, and other aspects of critical skepticism are not needed and can still happen, sometimes si- thinking. This includes knowl- have nothing particular to add. multaneously, because people edge of the of pseudosci- We tend to focus our efforts make unwarranted self-serving ence. where there is the most need, assumptions, but it helps when it Within skepticism, individu- meaning where there is a current is untrue. My opinions on these als also tend to focus their writ- lack of attention. Fringe ideas and similar topics are informed

42 Volume 40 Issue 5 | Skeptical Inquirer by the science, not my politics. When a believer states that In other words, skeptics can This becomes a harder sell when they believe something to be true address faith claims epistemolog- you are also advocating for a po- based upon their own personal ically without making the same litical position. I also think it is faith, there are a number of valid epistemological error as the be- helpful to have a movement that approaches. It is important to liever in order to falsely claim that is based upon evidence and logic point out that the principles of empirical methods can disprove and is agnostic toward ideologi- freedom of and separa- beliefs that are not empirically cal positions or values, which are tion of church and state require based. tangential. that their personal faith not be Finally, it is more challenging imposed upon others. They don’t Conclusion to be neutral and unbiased when have a right to make other people dealing with an issue about which follow their faith, to deprive their Being part of the skeptical move- you have a passionate ideological children of the basic necessities of ment for most of my adult life belief. You can make a reasonable life, or expect government to leg- has been extremely fulfilling and argument for steering clear of islate their faith. tremendously educational. After such issues when trying to com- municate objective science, or at least proceeding especially care- fully. Otherwise you risk damag- ing your reputation as a science Either the science communicator. stands on its own What about Religion? or it doesn’t. More often than not, the question of what skeptics do and what top- ics we address comes to the topic of religion. While I believe I have addressed all the relevant issues above, this is a common enough question that it is worth special It is also useful to point out two decades, I still find it among mention. that beliefs based purely on faith the most rewarding work that No skeptical activist I know are not subject to scientific analy- I do. There is also a continued treats religious claims differently sis, and therefore they do not be- great need for the expertise and from any other type of claims. long in the arena of science. They work of activist skeptics. We are Any claim to empirical truth or therefore cannot mix faith and engaged in work that will never scientific knowledge, whether science. Either the science stands be completed. Our goals are based ultimately in religious ide- on its own or it doesn’t. You can- generational, to slowly move our ology or social or political ideol- not legitimately use faith to rescue species in the direction of science ogy, is fair game. The criteria I bad science from refutation or to and reason. outlined above apply. Philosoph- render it immune to falsification. Count me in until entropy ical arguments are also fair game, This applies to faith-based be- prevails over my temporary bio- ■ as the tools of logic and critical liefs that are not overtly religious. logical processes. thinking apply. It is not uncommon for believers Steven Novella, MD, is a professor However, it is important to in alien visitation or extrasen- and academic neurologist at the Yale recognize that faith statements sory perception (ESP) to retreat University School of Medicine. He is are simply different from scien- to faith-based claims when the founder and senior editor of the Sci- tific or philosophical statements. evidence does not support their ence-Based Medicine blog, founder This does not mean they are ex- position. They are effectively re- of the Skeptics Guide to the Universe empt from critical thinking; it futed by simply stating that they podcast, president of the New En- just means you need to be aware have left the arena of science and gland Skeptical Society, and a fellow of the context and address them therefore have ceded this territory. and member of the Executive Council properly. This distinction, how- If they wish to have a religion of of the Committee for Skeptical In- ever, is often misinterpreted as ESP, then so be it, but they cannot quiry, which in 2011 awarded him avoiding religious claims, which simultaneously claim to be backed its P. Balles Prize in Critical is patently not true. by science. Thinking.

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