The Scientific Method

This is only a stub, with some notes for a future article.

Science like true spirituality aims at uncovering some kind of truth in some field.

The scientific method 1 is a general guideline on the best way to get to the wanted truth.

Of course, the scientific method is itself very sound and has led to a tremendous amount of scientific discoveries especially since

However, in the history of science, there are many examples of scientific or pseudo-scientific theories that were forced upon the facts, i.e. the facts were stretched or distorted to fit a preconceived idea.

Tutsis, Hutus and the Hamitic theory

European colonialists wanted to believe in their racial supremacy. They used the scientific method to prove right their own racial bias. Thus, the field of scientific racism 2 promoted the Hamitic Theory 3 according to which certain black African people were descendants of the Bibical Ham, and therefore on a somewhat higher level than the other black people. This theory was used to make a somewhat arbitrary distinction between the Tutsis and the Hutus in Central Africa 4 This and other events set the stage for the tragic ethnic cleansing that were to take place decades later, in 1994 5

Skepticism and Belief

When speaking about religions, God or gods or about any of a whole range of paranormal or psychic phenomena, many people feel a bit skeptic. However, I don't really like using the word skeptic. It often tends to mean something else than its original meaning. It belongs to a whole category of words that have lost their meaning through abuse. In no specific order, love, conspiracy theory, belief, faith and quite a few more belong to this category.

Indeed, originally skepticism was a form of curious uncertainty. "Skeptic, n.: One who is yet undecided as to what is true; one who is looking or inquiring for what is true; an inquirer after facts or reasons." (Webster’s Dictionary).

There exist today many "skeptic" web sites dedicated to "debunking" anything paranormal. Unfortunately, they take a very fanatical and religious approach to fighting anything that smacks of religiosity.

A certain dose of skepticism can be healthy, but when it reaches fanatical disbelief it can be a hindrance to discovering the Truth.

Skywind puts it nicely in the introduction of a manual teaching psychic skills:

Critical analysis and doubt have their place—that is, laboratories, not classrooms. Skepticism is not specifically disbelief. It means uncertainty: "Skeptic, n.: One who is yet undecided as to what is true; one who is looking or inquiring for what is true; an inquirer after facts or reasons." (Webster’s Dictionary) Taking a realistic view in experiments is useful. Uneducated disbelief is not useful. Fanatical disbelief is as illogical as fanatical belief. Experiments are meant for learning what is true. A person can’t learn the truth if he or she has already decided what that ‘truth’ must be.

However, new skills practice is not the time for experiments. The skills must be learned before they can be tested in a controlled situation. If a person were testing to prove whether any human could type 80 words per minute, he or she wouldn't start with people who couldn't type at all. Choosing people who had been typing for many years and already typed quickly would be wiser. Similarly, it makes no sense to try to prove psychic abilities in people who have not practiced with them. People need to learn first, and then they can test the skills later.

Sample bias

When setting up ESP experiments, one must of course avoid sample bias. We cannot prove that anything psychic occurred if the experimenter selects only the good results. On the other hand, using skywind's example above, it would be silly to test the average typing speed by taking a random sample of people, most of whom wouldn't know how to type in the first place.

((todo: link to and comment on the fourmilab psychic experiment and their result.))

1. 1. Question to self: what defines the scientific method. When was it first stated?
2. 2. See Wikipedia article: Scientific racism.
3. 3. See Wikipedia: Hamitic hypothesis.
4. 4. See Wikipedia article: Origins of Tutsi and Hutu.
5. 5. See Wikipedia article: Rwandan Genocide.