World Science Day: Appraise nation to dispel pseudoscience

By Prof.Kirthi Tennakone
(ktenna@yahoo.co.uk)

After a UNESCO proclamation in 2001, November 10 is celebrated as the World Science Day. The purpose has been to create scientific awareness in society, highlighting its virtue in fostering peace and development.

Hunger, shortages, natural calamities and ideologies interrupt peace and development. The human activity which provide best possible answers to all the above troubles is indisputably science.

Modern agricultural practices, fertilizers and agrochemicals secured food, lessening incidence of famine and malnutrition. Science based technologies provided clothing, shelter and other amenities enhancing quality of life. Scientific medicine in contrast to traditional occult arts of healing, relieves human suffering, enabling longevity.

Non-material benefits of science are equally revolutionary. Science explained the folly of superstitious beliefs. Understanding helped people to seek best available practical answers to their problems. Ideologies, the propositions dictated by groups on the basis of faith, continue to be a major cause of conflict. Science tells us we need to be cautious of such untestable dogma. Above all, science created confidence in the deepest secrets of nature that can be fathomed.

Pseudoscience is a social malady akin to superstitions and ideologies, which advocate untested claims, most of them illogical or fake, as science. Sometimes, it is hard for a layman to distinguish pseudoscience from science.

Science Day and the following seven days, declared as the Science Week, would be a good opportunity to alert the public and policy makers of the dangers of pseudoscience.

Scientific method and science

According to recorded history Aristotle was probably the first to examine nature for the purpose of understanding. However, the Arabic physicist Ibn al-Haytham (960-1040) and the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) are considered as pioneers in adoption of the scientific method. Francis Bacon (1561-1626) documented scientific method and publicized the concept. Before Galileo, Ven. Thotagamuwe Sri Rahula Thera (1408-1491) argued in the Court of King of Parakramabahu in Kotte that a hypothesis can be tested by indirect inference. To prove the point he presented a rusted sword to the King and said the metal was corroded by keeping immersed in urine. Therefore it is not necessary to carry out the unpleasant task of tasting urine, to prove its acidity. Can we expect such wise statements, overriding European thought, from religious dignitaries today? Galileo was persecuted by the Roman Inquisition for declaring that the earth revolves around the sun, on the basis of indirect inference!

Scientific method is basically examination of cause and effect relationships and correlation of different natural phenomena via observation and logical reasoning. The initial steps of the inquiry open the way for a hypothesis, which after further scrutiny and confirmation points to an idea established as a fact. Sometimes continuation of the argument to correlate several observations leads to a generalization or a theory. The theory should not only explain but make verifiable or refutable predictions. If refuted, the theory is amended or abandoned. No theory is considered perfect, scientists all the time try hard to detect faults of established theories. Nevertheless, it is important to keep in mind that many scientific concepts are immutable. For example you cannot design a fertilizer, whether nano or bulky, to cut down the optimum nitrogen requirement of a plant, or invent a machine running perpetually without a supply of energy.

The salient components of the scientific method are observation or experiment, hypothesis and theory. There is no requirement of pursuing these activities always in that order. Sometimes the hypothesis comes first as a speculation or a consistency requirement, later verified by experiment. Einstein’s theory of relativity followed that pattern.

The procedure of the scientific method and the knowledge obtained that way is science.

Science is universal in the sense it has no geographical or cultural variations. Its method is the one and only way of gaining knowledge about nature. There is no evidence whatsoever to the effect that workings of nature can be understood via paranormal avenues. If life exists elsewhere in the universe; those aliens would also gather knowledge by the same method.

Pseudoscience

Pseudoscience means advocacy of claims as scientific without subjecting to experimentation, in situations where such studies are feasible or when they are ruled out by established facts. The claim that the so-called ‘paniya’ cures COVID-19 is pseudoscience because the decoction had not been tested by authentic clinical trials and due to the absence of evidence to its efficacy. Saying chemical fertilizers are toxic to humans is nonsensically false pseudoscience as world population and human longevity increased profoundly after widespread use of these products beginning in the mid-1930s. Furthermore, even laymen who had assimilated science taught at school, know that the ingredients plants extract from organic fertilizers are the same as those in chemical fertilizers.

Pseudoscience differs from unknown science. Search for extraterrestrial life is not pseudoscience but unknown science, because no fact exists to rule out that possibility.

The proponents of pseudoscience keep on searching vague arguments to support their hypothesis and silently retreat when overwhelming evidence convinces people the idea is absurd. True scientists are eager to find faults in their favourite theories. Once detected they are enthralled, realizing a new front is on the horizon.

Why do people resort to pseudoscience? It is mainly due to not being accustomed to thinking rationally because of the kind of education received. Science is taught in schools and universities as techniques necessary to acquire skills and get employed as engineers, technicians, doctors and teachers. The much broader intellectual value of science is rarely emphasized. Frequently, teachers themselves are believers of superstitions and occultism. The traditional indoctrination takes over rational thinking and evidenced based decision making.

Pseudoscience attracts politicians for diverse reasons, due to the belief that they resolve difficult issues instantly and alternatively to promote nationalism and ideologies or subscribe to those who maintain similar ideas. The real culprits are the ones qualified as professionals who propose pseudoscience to the lawmaker because of ignorance, self-interest or mean advantage.

A classic example of the disastrous consequences of pseudoscience is the mangling of Soviet agriculture by infamous agronomist Trofim Lysenko, who influenced the politburo to ban fertilizers and agrochemicals.

Lysenkoism: Reminder of grave consequences

Trofim Lysenko twisted Lamarck’s theory of evolution as a means to advance communist ideology and model agriculture.

In 1779, the French naturalist Jean Baptiste Lamarck proposed that living things evolve by inheritance of acquired characteristics. A widely cited archetypal illustration of the concept is how giraffes got long necks. According to Lamarck, a species struggling to reach higher canopies in the forest, stretched their necks and the trait passed to the next generation. Darwin’s theory, proposed 50 years later, attributes giraffe neck size to genetics. Owing to mutations, the ancestors of these animals were born with varying neck spans and those with longer necks survived better. Extensive studies supported the Darwinian view of evolution.

Lamarck’s theory introduced by Lysenko was a blessing to communist ideologists. If society is forced to do certain things, the transfer of behaviour to future generations would be a bonus. As the necessity of enforcement will lessen after each generation, ultimately turning the society to a communistic ideal! Joseph Starling ordered agronomists to strictly follow Lysenko, who said plants too can be stressed to deliver what we desire!

Farmers were compelled to terminate use of chemical fertilizers and agrochemicals and grow each kind of crop heavily crowded. The result was a crop failure starving millions. Farmers who complained were punished and dissident scientists imprisoned.

The crime of Lysenko was not his views on Lamarckism but misleading the government to adopt fake strategies to model agriculture.

The discovery of DNA greatly strengthened Darwinian Theory of evolution discrediting Lamarckism. However, recent findings based on the same development suggest that Lamarckian trends could rarely appear in nature, although the idea cannot be faked for adoption in plant breeding as Lysenko did. Lamarckism is not synonymous with Lysenkoism. The latter will continue to be remembered as a notorious evil of pseudoscience.

Folly of palmistry,

astrology and soothsaying

Palmistry, astrology and soothsaying are widespread pseudo-sciences injurious to society, prevalent in all cultures to varying extents. Their vagueness, in contrast to science, deceives people. The practitioners of occults make multiples of imprecise statements. Most of them being well seasoned, identify the client’s problem and elaborate. The client remembers and assimilates a few points directly relevant to him or her and confesses the prophecy as genuine.

A man after consulting a soothsayer had told his wife; ‘I believe him one hundred percent, because he correctly said, the well from which we draw water is on the right-side of the house.’ A thing situated on the right of one’s house as one enters, sits on the left when one steps out! It is a pity that not only laymen but holders of advanced degrees in scientific disciplines defend similar statements of palm readers and soothsayers.

In an article in The Island of October 3, 2021, Dr. Upatissa Pethiyagoda succinctly explained why there could not be any truth in astrology. How can planets influence the future of humans individually based on ill-defined times of birth? We know so much about these inanimate objects. Yet there are so-called educated men and women who resort to astrology with the frame of mind ‘when I do official work it is science and in private matters dearer to me it is pseudoscience’. Can we be confident of the services they perform?

Is it the neglect of liberal education?

Pseudoscientific beliefs and practices seem to rise alarmingly, confusing the general public, politicians and government officials. With the pandemic we witnessed many such episodes interfering with actions taken to control the spread of the virus. Then came the fertilizer and agrochemical issues nearly crippling the agriculture sector of the country.

Why do we resort to pseudoscience, when science education is a top priority and many opt for that stream? Half a century ago it was liberal education. Our schools and universities taught subjects falling under themes of arts, humanities and science with equal emphasis. Liberal education does not exclude sciences but teaches in its true spirit. The American Association for Advancement of Science portray liberal education as one that, “produces persons who are open minded and free of provincialism, dogma, preconception and ideology; conscious of their opinions and judgements; reflexive of their actions; and aware of their place in natural and social world.” The Wikipedia article on the subject states, “Liberally educated people are sceptical of their own traditions; they are trained to think for themselves rather than conform to higher authorities.” Liberal education produced persons of the above quality in all walks of profession including scientific and technological fields.

Lately, there have been curriculum revisions to emphasize science and technology and commerce. Believing these changes would generate a technical work force necessary for innovations. The intrinsic value of science as the deepest inquiry and its relationship to humanities was neglected. Science faculties of universities chopped basic science to accommodate synthetic courses in applied areas saying they are important to advance our economy. Universities and faculties meant for applied science mushroomed, branding arts and humanities as useless disciplines. Institutes supposed to engage in intellectually challenging fundamental studies adulterated their themes with trivialities in the guise of national relevance. Now we feel the repercussions of these developments. Apart from sustaining a workforce to do the routine with few exceptions, there is no glaring evidence that the expected innovations and technical advances have been realized. We have a university devoted to adding value to our minerals. But we export mineral sand and graphite in superficially processed raw form.

There is an increasing trend of absurdities and pseudoscience. Education (not only institutional but includes what people hear and read) has failed to promote rational thinking and evidence based decision making.

A more prudent approach would have been to introduce science to the arts stream to make them employable by further training and arts to science stream to enable them to think rationally.

We need to take action to explain to the nation that science is not only a means to technology but that thinking based on its method is a key to all problems. Economic aspirations of science can be realized effectively only if the scientific approach is followed in all enterprises.

Carl Sagan, an astronomer and a vociferous spokesman for science said that the answer to pseudoscience is science itself and every country should teach their children the scientific method, rights to which they are entitled. Teaching scientific method does not mean iterating the axioms of the concept but analysis providing historical anecdotes and issues of the country. Misinterpretation of scripture adds fuel to pseudoscience. Pseudo-scientists and their defenders bring in religion and scripture when they fail to resist rational argument. Our scripture has tremendous inspirational, cultural and historical values and is rich in lessons of ethics. Nonetheless, statements and stories therein are not science. Proper science education and dissemination helps to clear the myth.

Sri Lanka has so many organisations meant for science too numerous to list individually, it is the duty of these organizations to appraise the nation to dispel pseudoscience.