Items of interest:
School districts in many U.S. states have wrestled with whether or not to teach intelligent design, which has no basis in science whatsoever, as an alternative to evolution in science classes. Scientists argue that you have to teach science in a science class, and keep religion (and fantasy ideas, like intelligent design) out of science class.
We'll fill these spaces with current items during the term.
Aug 25 M Lecture #1: Introduction; Start reading Shermer 27 W Lecture #2: The Scientific Method; Continue reading Shermer 29 F Lecture #3: Induction and Deduction; Homework #1 due by 11:00am Sep 01 M University Holiday 02 T Lecture #4: Pseudoscience and Evidence; Quiz on foreword and chapters 1 and 2 of Shermer (Note Tuesday!) 03 W Lecture #5: Probability; Quiz on chapters 3 and 4 of Shermer 05 F Lecture #6: Probability; Homework #2 due by 11:00am 08 M Lecture #7: Conceptions about Risk; Quiz on chapters 5 and 6 of Shermer 10 W Lecture #8: How to Lie with Statistics;Quiz on chapters 7 and 8 of Shermer 12 F Lecture #9: Polls; Homework #3 due by 11:00am 15 M Lecture #10: Observation and Perception; Quiz on chapters 9 and 10 of Shermer 17 W Lecture #11: More Observing; Quiz on chapters 11 and 12 of Shermer 19 F Lecture #12: Eyewitness Identification; Midterm paper title, abstract and outline due by 11:00 22 M Lecture #13: Psychics; Quiz on chapters 13 and 14 of Shermer 24 W Lecture #14: More Psychics; Quiz on chapters 15 and 16 of Shermer 26 F Lecture #15: Still more psychics; 3-page book review #1 due by 11:00 29 M Lecture #16: Talking to the Dead?; Quiz on chapters 17 and 18 of Shermer Oct 01 W Lecture #17: More Talking to the Dead; Quiz on Chapter 1 of Schick & Vaughn 03 F Lecture #18: Yet More Psychic Stuff; Homework #4 due by 11:00am 06 M Lecture #19: Faith Healing; Quiz on Chapter 2 of Schick & Vaughn 08 W Lecture #20: Hoaxes; Quiz on Chapter 3 of Schick & Vaughn 10 F Lecture #21: More Hoaxes; Midterm paper due by 11:00am 13 M Fall Break 15 W Lecture #22: Experiment Design; Quiz on Chapter 4 of Schick & Vaughn 17 F Lecture #23: Threshold Phenomena; Homework #5 due by 11:00am 20 M Lecture #24: More Threshold Phenomena; Quiz on Chapter 5 of Schick & Vaughn 22 W Lecture #25: Alternative Medicine; Quiz on Chapter 6 of Schick & Vaughn 24 F Lecture #26: More Alternative Medicine; Homework #6 due by 11:00am 27 M Lecture #27: Dr. Snow and Dr. Marshall; Quiz on Chapter 7 of Schick & Vaughn 29 W Lecture #28: Another Failure of Thinking; Quiz on Chapter 8 of Schick & Vaughn 31 F Lecture #29: More Thinking Failures; Homework #7 due by 11:00am Nov 03 M Lecture #30: Peak Oil Background; Quiz on Chapters 1 & 2 of Sagan 05 W Lecture #31: Guest Speaker: Dr. Bob Gregory, SMU Geology Dept.; Quiz on Chapters 3 & 4 of Sagan 07 F Lecture #32: Patents; 3-page book review #2 due by 11:00 10 M Lecture #33: UFOs, etc; Quiz on Chapters 5 & 6 of Sagan 12 W Lecture #34: More UFOs;Quiz on Chapters 7 & 8 of Sagan 14 F Lecture #35: Guest speaker: Dr. Fred Olness, SMU Physics Dept.; Final paper's title, abstract, and outline due by 11:00am 17 M Lecture #36: Creationism Background; Quiz on Chapters 9 & 10 of Sagan 19 W Lecture #37: Intelligent Design Creationism Guest Speaker: Dr. John Wise, SMU Biology Dept.; Quiz on Chapters 11 & 12 of Sagan 21 F Lecture #38: Frank Scully and the Flying Saucers; Midterm rewrites due by 11:00am (no exceptions); 24 M Lecture #39: Modern Scams; Quiz on Chapters 13 & 14 of Sagan 26 W Holiday 28 F Holiday Dec 01 M Lecture #40: More Scams; Quiz on Chapters 15 & 16 of Sagan 03 W Lecture #41: Searching for the Star; 15-page paper due by 11:00am; Quiz on Chapters 17 & 18 of Sagan 05 F Lecture #42: Skeletons in the Physics Closet 12 F 0800-1100am Final Examination