[WikiEN-l] Parascience subst. pseudoscience

Mon Dec 19 00:40:13 UTC 2005

G'day Ray,

> Karl A. Krueger wrote:
>> Yup.  See also [[euphemism treadmill]].  Creating a politically-correct
>> neologism won't change the situation:  People who are misleading the
>> public (by pretending to scientific research they aren't doing) don't
>> like having the fact pointed out.
>
> 20,000 Google hits is not a characteristic of a neologism.

So it's a euphemism, not necessarily a neologism.  A slight improvement; 
like being rescued from the fire and dumped into the frying pan.

> The difference is that "parascience" assumes good faith;  
> "pseudoscioence" does not.

Assume Good Faith is a community tool, not an explanation of how to 
achieve NPOV.  Describing astrology, Intelligent Design[0], the healing 
power of magnets[1], etc. as "pseudoscience" is entirely accurate.

Describing it as "alternative science" is adopting a label that 
fraudsters and dupes (e.g. I've no doubt many astrologers really believe 
they're telling the truth, which makes them more dupes than liars 
themselves) would prefer, conjuring up as it does positive thoughts of 
the spiritual knowledge of the Ancients of the Orient, as with 
"alternative medicine".

Wikipedia is an encyclopaedia.  Encyclopaedias are expected to tell the 
truth, whether they do so in a neutral tone of voice or not.  It is not 
POV to call a liar a liar; it is not NPOV to refuse to do so.  NPOV does 
not oblige us to give all sides a fair hearing.  That's called 
"journalistic balance", and it's an ethically bankrupt concept which 
inevitably hands victory to the biggest liar.  We're obliged to be 
truthful, and neutral; we're not obliged to be "balanced".  We should be 
careful that, in our rush to give pseudoscience a fair hearing, we do 
not start POV-pushing for them.

Someone, I think it was David Gerard, said recently that we won't get 
into trouble if we lean too far towards what Jack Lynch calls "SPOV": 
'tis better to be thought of as scientifically accurate than to be 
considered a haven of confused POV-pushing liars.  If it was him, he's 
exactly right.

[0] That is, the American extremist Christian fraud "Intelligent
     Design", not the concept of an intelligent designer

[1] By which I mean those who promise to send you a motivational VHS
     tape and a packet of fridge magnets for just $199.95 (+ $4.95 p&s)
     and if you pay NOW by credit card you'll get not one, not two, but
     FOUR free sets of steak knives ...

-- 
Mark Gallagher
"What?  I can't hear you, I've got a banana on my head!"
- Danger Mouse

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