pretender - science theories are a little like puppies . They ’re fun , fluffy thing to talk about , and most of the time they ’re harmless . Sometimes , however , they get big , mean , belligerent , and have to be put down . Here are a few pseudo - science theories that need the Old Yeller intervention .
10. Phrenology
When I was consider about this list , I thought about mentioning graphology – handwriting analysis that supposedly reveals personality characteristic and is still used by some companies to evaluate job applicants . I think about body language expert who lay claim that slouching shows inscrutable things about a soul ’s psyche . I imagine about typology , which canvas body shape and make conclusions about the personality . But it ’s all just phrenology . Phrenology was the first clock time ribbon - readers cloaked themselves in science , and although phrenology itself has been beheaded , it sends out new head , like the Snake .
Want to love what someone ’s like ? Get to do it them , or spill to a lot of people who have intercourse them . Handwriting wo n’t secern you anything , unless the letters are written in rake . If you think someone ’s military posture indicates their character , I wish you an uncomfortable chairwoman for the relief of your life . And as for decide that someone ’s body material body is an meter reading of what they ’re like in spite of appearance – we got instruct to know comfortably than this in kindergarten , people . Get it together . I have no doubtfulness that there will always be new forms of this crap blow around . Some mountebank will always find a way to exact strong-arm characteristics bespeak moral character . Give it the hydra treatment . Chop off its point and combust its neck stump .
9. Aliens Built the Ancient World
face , I know it ’s comfortable to think that aliens came down to Earth thousands of year ago than it is to think that the ancient multitude of Egypt or South America and Central America had any skill , brains , or artistry . But you still have to fill in interrogative sentence like , “ Why , of all the things aliens could do with the world , did they pick out to make gargantuan rock pyramids ? ” If you went to an foreign world , would you need to make jumbo stone Pyramids of Egypt , or would you prefer to loot the man of all of its precious material ? ( Or , if you were more charitable , instruct the natives how to train penicillin ? ) While we ’re on the subject , why did stranger give up their interest in architecture ? It ’s only been a duad of thousand years , and we could really utilize some aid construct erect farm or supercities , or , I do n’t know , outer space ship . But I get it : We ’re smart , ancient people are not . Keep it to yourself from now on .
8. The Vaccinations and Autism Hoax
Yeah , I jazz . We ’ve talked about this result on this site so many clip . Still , it ’s just an tremendous , soul - sucking monster of a pseudo - science hypothesis . Just think about the fourth dimension , the money , the crusade , the honest scientific question , and , of course , the lives that were consumed by this possibility take in me so tired . It get me want to formulate meter - travel engineering and take up a collection , so I could go back in time and give Andrew Wakefield a passel of money and set up him up as a “ conceptual creative person ” or a fashion photographer or something . Anything that gives him the money and attention he so evidently craves without doing the scathe he did . If it cost half a billion dollars , it would still be a bargain .
inoculation Image : CDC / Reuel Waldrop
7. Genetic Memory
A little sentimentalism about one ’s ascendant can be quite pleasant . It ’s interesting to look around an older family line house , or take a trip to the “ homeland . ” Things get a little more complicated when people pose title to the gifts and talents of their ancestor . What works in novel does n’t work in real life , and “ congenital noesis , ” conduct to all kinds of pseudo - scientific folderal . We ’re not salmon . We do n’t have a instinct that leads us back to our stock .
6. Baby Genius Programs
There are two possible ways to be a whizz : extraordinary destiny or extraordinary hard workplace . Either you go incredibly hard to train your Einstein to make connections that other hoi polloi ca n’t make , or you are born with a mental capacity that has a slap-up talent for a sure subject . There is no other route to mastermind , and most of the expert differ on even these two route . The one thing they agree on is it ’s not possible to make your kid a genius via the savvy purchase of consumer products . If you recall fifteen minute word secret plan , or a serial of videos , or playing classic euphony at a inadequate fraught woman ’s womb is going to make your kid a wizardry , you better hope your tyke have the willingness to work heavily , because they for sure do n’t have luck on their side .
5. Polygraphy
I ’m not saying that Trygve Halvden Lie detector tests never work . I ’m just saying that they do n’t mould well enough . Consider the undermentioned conversation :
“ She passed a lie demodulator test . ”
“ Really ? I still call back she ’s guilty . How would I prove that ? ”

“ I guess you go out front and investigate her just the fashion you would if she had n’t fleet a prevarication demodulator test . ”
“ Why did we have her take one , then ? ”
“ I forget . ”

Pretty bleak , but not as speculative as the alternative conversation :
“ She failed the prevarication sensing element run . ”
“ fall her ! ”

See the job ?
4. Homeopathy
Homeopathy claim water can heal you , because it once hold medical specialty . That ’s like say you may feed off an empty shell because it once harbor food . Cut it out , masses ! You ’re better than that ! Everyone is good than that .
3. Quantum Mysticism
Quantum mechanics does toss the tables on our sense of the way of life the populace solve . There are limits to what we can know , it seems to say . atom can communicate over a distance with no link between them , it seems to say . One particle can be in two places at once , it seems to say . I sum up “ seems to say ” at the end of every one of these sentences , because scientists and lie in hoi polloi turn over each and every one of these points fiercely . If you desire some clip - waste sport , go to quantum mechanics Word of God on Amazon , especially those that sport “ the Copenhagen Interpretation , ” as a submarine sandwich - headline , and take the five - star review or the one - star topology reexamination . You ’ll observe good deal of multitude , expert and ballad , fight down about what quantum mechanically skillful deportment means .
They are fighting about what the physics signify . They are not asserting that your judgement , your inner gist , or your dead pet has the same properties as a photon.(I know Schrodinger did it , but he did it with his natural language in his boldness . ) New Agers have a spoilt habit of claiming that quantum shop mechanic implies that the great unwashed and single particles portion out the same prop . It does n’t work like that . Quantum mechanic no more proves that we can teleport than ornithology proves that we can fly .
https://gizmodo.com/10-scientific-ideas-that-scientists-wish-you-would-stop-1591309822

2. Intelligent Design
I ’m not here to argue about whether Intelligent Design is true , because I do n’t think we should even get that far . If the ultimate answer to every question you could possibly ask is “ because God need it that way , ” you are n’t studying development of any kind . You are doing a psychological work - up on God . Read The Bible and Jung , and leave the people doing actual evolutionary research alone .
1. “Toxins”
Here is a scientific definition for a toxin : It ’s a vicious substance produce by survive cells , especially one that , when introduce into a unexampled body , spur the origination of antibody . That ’s a toxin . That ’s what it is , where it ’s made , and what it does .
Here is a definition for a “ toxin ” : It ’s a occult bad matter that ’s in all the stuff I do n’t like . I do n’t know what it really looks like , or its chemical musical composition . I do n’t know exactly how it ’s produced . I do n’t know the precise appendage it sets off in the dead body . I only cognise that it emphatically , definitely cause the awful affair that I always thought would , and indeed should , happen to people doing hooey I do n’t like .
We need to maltreat on the idea of “ toxins . ” We want to pace on it until it ’s idle . We ’re not going stop people from nail woo at us any time we run through anything that ’s not kale or know anywhere that ’s not the windswept peak of a mountain , but with cooperative effort , we can at least make them vocalise ludicrous when they do it . I reckon the new term for toxin should be “ malign pixie dust . ”

Bacteria Image : Tom Kirn , Ron Taylor , Louisa Howard – Dartmouth Electron Microscope Facility
Alienspseudo - scienceScience
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