Talking to the Dead-Astrology-Ghost Hunters Essay Assignment
Talking to the Dead/Astrology/Ghost Hunters Research Essay Assignment
Use critical thinking and skepticism to analyzes either the pseudoscientific/paranormal claims of so-called psychics who claim to be able to talk to the dead, astrologers, or ghost hunters. Pick one. IMPORTANT: Your essay MUST focus on the scientific explanation for the claim, NOT the pseudoscientific/paranormal explanation.
This is an explanatory, research essay. Regardless of your personal opinion, you should be able to write an essay that accurately represents the scientific explanation for the pseudoscientific/paranormal claim.
Requirements:
- Your essay must focus on the scientific explanation of one of the following pseudoscientific/paranormal claims:
- Psychics can talk to the dead (i.e., communicate messages from the dead to the living).
Explain how so-called psychics use each of the following methods or behaviors to fool people into believing the “medium” is communicating with the dead, when the so-called psychic is actually performing an age-old carnival trick: 1) cold reading, 2) hot reading, 3) shotgun approach, 4) inflated hits/forgotten misses (confirmation bias), 5) the Barnum effect, 6) editing for TV shows
- Astrologers can read the position of the planets, the sun, other stars and celestial bodies at the moment of a person’s birth to determine a person’s character and predict a person’s future.
Explain how astrologers ignore the following facts and use the following methods or behaviors to fool people into believing astrology can determine a person’s character and predict a person’s future, when astrology is actually pseudoscience invented thousands of years ago based on misunderstandings of how our solar system works: 1) Earth’s wobble on it’s axis (precession), 2) lack of physical influence of gravity or light from the sun and planets on human beings (no plausible mechanism), 3) Barnum effect as applied to horoscopes, 4) cold reading, 5) hot reading, 6) the shotgun approach, 7) inflated hits/forgotten misses (confirmation bias).
- Ghost hunters can find ghosts using a variety of techniques.
Explain how ghost hunters convince other people and themselves of the existence of ghosts by misusing or misinterpreting the following equipment, observations, and behaviors: 1) EMF (electromagnetic field) meters, 2) EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) recordings, 3) photographs and videos of “spirit orbs,” 4) dowsing rods, 5) psychic mediums, and 6) pareidolia.
- Your essay must explain how at least one logical fallacy applies to your topic, such as: anecdotal fallacy, appeal to ignorance, appeal to emotion, special pleading, appeal to popularity (bandwagon), appeal to tradition or antiquity (ancient wisdom)
- Your essay must discuss the harm in belief in pseudoscience and the paranormal. How might belief in the specific pseudoscientific/paranormal claim of your topic adversely affect both the individual and the society at large. How might thinking skeptically and demanding extraordinary evidence for extraordinary claims favorably affect both the individual and the society at large? Why is it important for a person to develop solid critical thinking skills and employ skepticism when evaluating any claim, whether made by a paranormal enthusiast, website or blogger, TV commercial, politician, or spiritual leader? For examples, go to the website What’s the Harm?
- Your research essay must include a thesis statement. Underline your thesis statement.
- Your research essay must quote from at least three outside sources.
- Your research essay must be 5-7 pages (1250-1750 words) in length and conform to MLA format, including proper in-text citation and works cited page.
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