Spotting voodoo science is a skill that every citizen should develop

Robert L. Park reminds us that although there is

no scientific claim so preposterous that a scientist cannot be found to vouch for it...Before 1993, court cases that hinged on the validity of scientific claims were usually decided simply by which expert witness the jury found more credible.

But then the Supreme Court instructed federal judges to serve as "gatekeepers," screening juries from testimony based on scientific nonsense. So there is such a thing as progress! Park then offers seven indicators that a scientific claim lies well outside the bounds of rational scientific discourse, things that everyone should keep in mind:


1. The discoverer pitches the claim directly to the media.

2. The discoverer says that a powerful establishment is trying to suppress his or her work.

3. The scientific effect involved is always at the very limit of detection.

4. Evidence for a discovery is anecdotal.

5. The discoverer says a belief is credible because it has endured for centuries.

6. The discoverer has worked in isolation.

7. The discoverer must propose new laws of nature to explain an observation.

(via Arts & Letters Daily)