Falsity Finding Guide
GAINING A NEW PERSPECTIVE
Variations on the first two of these are used in the video, which is a prime example of pseudoscience. Begin with the very title of the video; “Stuff They Don’t Want You To Know-Ancient Aliens.” It never specifies who “they” are, nor why they don’t want you to know this. It is aimed to grab your attention and affect you emotionally by leading you to believe someone or something is keeping secrets from the public. The video opens up by saying “The universe is a big place; we have no idea how large it is and we’re
not sure what it contains.” This is yet another hook aimed to appeal to your sense of wonder. It goes on to say, and highlight in writing, “Here are the facts,” followed immediately by “Almost everyone has heard of unidentified flying objects.” While that is likely to be true, it relies on hearsay to support their argument, which is incredibly unscientific; despite the fact the creator of the video uses the word “facts” to lead you to believe it is reliable information given in the clip. It also references a “researcher,”
further leading you to believe that it is scientific, yet this researcher does not necessarily have the training to be a scientist, and even if he does, it may not be in a relevant field. No actual research is detailed on in the film, only speculation. A series of assumptions are also made. In order for the Ancient Alien idea to be feasible, one must assume that there are, indeed, aliens, and said aliens have the technology to find and visit our planet. True science does not rely on assumptions.
“Stuff They Don’t Want You To Know-Ancient Aliens”
Astrology is an ancient practice that interprets the influence that the Sun and Moon have while they are in a specific sign of the zodiac. Astrology is pseudoscience because it is based on belief and interpretation that cannot be scientifically proven.
Airborne is a immune support supplement. It is advertised as being created by a school teacher. This leads you to believe it has credibility, as schoolteachers are exposed countless germs everyday. However, a schoolteacher has no jurisdiction in creating supplements. No scientific evidence is provided by the company, and it is doubtful the effects of a "supplement" could be tested in a scientific manner.
Pseudoscience in Advertising