Psychology 131: Science and Pseudoscience
Spring Semester 2016
Weir 129
Tuesdays and Thursdays
5:00 to 6:15 (Sections 1 & 3)
6:30 to 7:45 (Sections 2 & 4)
Instructor: Dave Thomas
Office: Cramer 109, By Appointment
Phone:575-835-5113
E-mail:[email protected]
Office hours: Instructor will endeavor to be present Thursdays at 12:30 PM at his office (Cramer 109),
but emailing ahead of time will still be a good idea.
Course Learning Outcomes: By the end of this course, students will learn how to tell the difference
between science and pseudoscience; to explain how science advances, and what makes science
different from pseudoscience; how psychological reasons can explain some acceptance of
pseudoscience; the methods pseudoscientists use to fool lots of people; and to understand examples of
successful and revolutionary scientific findings , and be able to contrast these with pseudoscience; and
finally, to improve communication, writing, investigative and debunking skills.
Program Learning Outcomes: The requirements for obtaining a major or minor in Psychology are
listed here:http://infohost.nmt.edu/~psychd/our-program.html
Course requirements:
Grading is based on quizzes, writing and debunking assignments, attendance, and participation.
Generally, quizzes and writing assignments are alternated from week to week; sometimes students can
choose either a quiz or an essay. The Final project/presentation is optional. Essays will be graded on
content, clarity, grammar, and originality. Plagiarism is not tolerated, and suspected incidents of
plagiarism will be reported to the Dean. Quizzes are scored via Canvas, and test comprehension of class
content. Debunking Practice is like the lab/field exercise for the course.; students will be asked to
evaluate various websites, and explain why they are pseudoscience (or why they are legitimate).
Students will sign the attendance sheet during each class they attend. If a student is unable to attend
class, they should let the instructor know by email beforehand, or as soon as is feasible, and the absence
will be excused. If a student is unable to attend class, however, they should not have someone else “sign
in” for them. This can result in a Zero or further disciplinary action. Student Soapbox: students will get
credit for commenting on class-related topics in the “Student Soapbox” forum. The students who post a
topic on the Student Soapbox for that day will get a minute or two to talk to the class about it, in hopes
of getting a dialogue going on the forum. Participation is in the form of group discussions and
worksheets, class testing of psychic abilities, and so forth.
Homeworks/quizzes are assigned on Tuesdays or Thursdays, and are due by start of class on the
following Tuesday/Thursday. Submission by Canvas is required. Late assignments will be accepted, but
may be marked down. Students should include their last name in the file-name of submitted
assignments, plus include their name, date, and assignment title in the text of submissions.:
To help make emergency response as effective as possible, cell phones be set on vibrate. The reason: if
all phones vibrate at the same time during your class, everyone will know there is an emergency that
must be responded to immediately.
Grading:
Grades are calculated as follows: Essays and Uploads – 20%; Quizzes – 30%; Debunking Practice –
20%; Attendance – 15%; Student Soapbox – 10%; Participation – 5%.
Tentative course schedule:
16 weeks of classes will include the following topics: Class Intro, Logical Fallacies, Newton Abuse,
2012 and the End of the World, Niburu and Planet X, Oxfordians (those who question Shakespeare's
authorship), the Monty Hall Problem, Hits & Misses, Optical Illusions, Pop Psychology, Scientific
Consensus, Energy for Space Travel, Nuclear Power; FTL (Faster than Light) Claims, UFOs –
(Roswell, Aztec, Socorro), Hidden Messages, Zero-Knowledge Proofs and Cryptography, Face on
Mars, Controls in Science, Pareidolia, the Bible Code, Code 19 in the Quran, the Oxford Code, the
Arnold Code, Sabbath Patterns, 9/11 Truth, Relativity, Creationism and ID, Genetic Algorithms, Age of
the Earth – 6000 years or 4,540,000,000 years?, Fractals, Chaos, Thermodynamics Abuses, Entropy,
Mutations and Information, Bayes & Conditional Probability, Global Warming and Climate Change,
Free Electricity, Medical Quacks, Therapeutuc Touch, Vaccine Denial, Holocaust Denial, the
Illuminati, Birthers, Kennedy Conspiracy Theorists, Fundamental Forces, Ghosts and ESP, Quantum
Mechanics and its Abusers, Dark Matter, and Class Review.
Counseling and Disability Services:
Reasonable Accommodations
New Mexico Tech is committed to protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities. Qualified
individuals who require reasonable accommodations are invited to make their needs known to the
Office of Counseling and Disability Services (OCDS) as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment,
please call 835-6619.
Counseling Services
New Mexico Tech offers mental health and substance abuse counseling through the Office of
Counseling and Disability Services. The confidential services are provided free of charge by licensed
professionals. To schedule an appointment, please call 835-6619.
Academic Honesty: New Mexico Tech’s Academic Honesty Policy for undergraduate students is
found starting on page 60 of the NMT Undergraduate Catalog,
http://www.nmt.edu/images/stories/registrar/2014-2015_UNDERGRADUATE_Catalog_FINAL.pdf (L
inks to an external site.)
New Mexico Tech’s Academic Honesty Policy for graduate students is found starting on page 59 of the
NMT Graduate Catalog, http://www.nmt.edu/images/stories/registrar/20142015_GRADUATE_Catalog_FINAL.pdf (Links to an external site.).
You are responsible for knowing, understanding, and following this policy.
Respect Statement: New Mexico Tech supports freedom of expression within the parameters of a
respectful learning environment. As stated in the New Mexico Tech Guide to Conduct and
Citizenship: “New Mexico Tech’s primary purpose is education, which includes teaching,
research, discussion, learning, and service. An atmosphere of free and open inquiry is essential to
the pursuit of education. Tech seeks to protect academic freedom and build on individual
responsibility to create and maintain an academic atmosphere that is a purposeful, just, open,
disciplined, and caring community.”