The Online Photographer: Bad Science vs. Good Science: A Guide for the Layperson (Part 1)
Normally this is, obviously, a photographic blog. But this discussion of bad science fits in well here and thought it would be appreciated.
As a layperson, how can you distinguish Good Science from Bad Science? If one source of information says “X” and another “not-X” how do you decide which one to believe when it’s not a discipline that you know well enough to be able to evaluate on scientific merits? There are tools that’ll let you make the right decision almost every time.
Please understand that “good” and “bad” aren’t the same as “right” and “wrong.” Bad science is almost always wrong, at least 99% of the time, so it’s good to be able to sniff it out. But, on occasion, it proves correct. There are a few historical examples (Newton’s theory of gravitation). Conversely, Good Science, while usually right, is regularly proven wrong (last year’s report of faster-than-light neutrinos); that’s part of the point of science. Picking the Good Science doesn’t guarantee that you’re correct, but picking the Bad Science almost always guarantees that you’re not.
More: The Online Photographer: Bad Science vs. Good Science: A Guide for the Layperson (Part 1)