National Research Council. "1 The Road to Reality: Scientific Method." Quantum Leaps in the Wrong Direction: Where Real Science Ends...and Pseudoscience Begins. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2001. 1. Print.
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QUANTUM LEAPS in the Wrong Direction Where Real Science Ends... and Pseudoscience Begins
The fields can be divided into two distinct groups:
anthropology
astrology
astronomy
creationism
biology
divination
chemistry
dowsing
geography
homeopathy
geology
iridology
history
magick
physics
numerology
psychology
palmistry
sociology
phrenology
The left-hand column is a list of SCIENCES that systematically study phenomena and try to understand those phenomena in a general way. The right-hand column is a list of fields that also study phenomena and try to understand them in a general way. These fields, however, do not qualify as sciences.
To understand why members of the right-hand column are not true sciences, we'll first examine the activities that characterize truly scientific endeavors. Then, we'll contrast these with the activities of false (or pseudo) sciences and see how and why they differ.
Scientific Method
Science can seem mysterious, especially when presented in great detail. In essence, however, it is remarkably straightforward. Scientists simply try to gain a fundamental understanding of natural phenomena.
