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FROM COLOURFUL CRYSTALS that 'harmonise auras' to research groups studying 'unexplained' phenomena such as Bigfoot, crank science is everywhere. Some of it has gone mainstream, such as homeopathy, the treatment of ills with solutions so dilute they have no active ingredients. Another is astrology, the study of how the movements of the stars and the planets dictate our personalities and daily affairs.
Most present themselves with a peppering of real science, or at least sciencey sounding jargon. Their purveyors, too, come decorated with the trappings of science.
Historically, faith healers and shamans would adorn themselves in spiritual symbols such as masks, amulets and perhaps the odd chicken's foot. Today, many still peddle snake oil, but often disguise themselves with surgical gloves and white coats. With a little bit of window dressing, the supernatural becomes the scientific.
Pseudosciences may sound harmless, but don't be fooled, says James Randi, a former magician turned professional sceptic, based in Fort Lauderdale, USA. "Any misinformation or misrepresentation, particularly if it appears in the guise of science or other genuine sources, can be, and often is, damaging," he says. "We need to receive dependable data in order to design, alter and direct our lives."
But for anyone caring to scratch the surface, says Randi, the frauds are easy to detect. Real science searches for the truth through rigorous methods; it strives to leave no questions unanswered; it provides solid evidence any other researcher can reproduce. Criticism and questioning is encouraged and constantly leads to an evolution of science in the face of new evidence.
Paranormal and alternative practices, such as channelling the dead and homeopathy, disregard the scientific method, cherry pick data that support their cause and promote claims that are difficult to test. Such practices distort our view of the world and remain tightly closed to scrutiny.
While purporting to be part of the scientific spectrum, and therefore trustworthy, pseudosciences also often claim to be beyond explanation by science, warding off criticism with descriptions of the mystical, the otherworldly or the divine. But, as sceptics are fond of saying, "Before we say something is out of this world, we should first make sure it's really not in this world." Let's take a quick tour of claims that are not quite as they seem.
