The Scientific Method

Syllabus - Spring 2009

Items of interest:

• Church of Scientology on trial in France
• Bush's Shocking Biblical Prophecy Emerges: God Wants to "Erase" Mid-East Enemies "Before a New Age Begins"
  Bush explained to French Pres. Chirac that the Biblical creatures Gog and Magog were at work in the Mid-East and must be defeated. Chirac is said to have been stupefied and disturbed by Bush's invocation of Biblical prophesy to justify the war in Iraq and "wondered how someone could be so superficial and fanatical in their beliefs".
• Leilani Neumann found guilty in Wausau faith-healing homicide trial
• FDA Uncovers Additional Tainted Weight Loss Products (thanks to former student Neil Hargrove for the link)
• Activists Call on Psychiatry to Take Stand Against Scientology Organization
• "Evidence": a scientific word -- or a legal one? The British Chiropractic Association's lawsuit against science writer Dr. Simon Singh
• Comment: Don't criticise, or we'll sue by David Allen Green in New Scientist
• Plugging Holes in the Science of Forensics
• Minn. patient wants right to refuse electroshocks
• McLeroy could be near end as SBOE chairman
• The Australian antivax movement takes its toll
  • Antivax kills
  • Oprah drinks the antivax Kool Aid
  • Why Does the Vaccine/Autism Controversy Live On?
  • Court Says Vaccine Not to Blame for Autism - NY Times February 12, 2009
    • Cedillo v. Secretary of Health and Human Services Case No. 98-916V
    • Hazlehurst v. Secretary of Health and Human Services Case No. 03-654V
    • Ruling on Petitioners' Motion to Strike Certain Evidence from Dr. Stephen A. Bustin
    • Snyder v. Secretary of Health and Human Services Case No. 01-162V
• More Than Junk Science? - Cold Fusion from CBS News
  As you watch this, remember that SRI's Targ and Puthoff (the Laurel and Hardy of psi) thought Uri Geller was a genuine psychic.
• Texas wrapup: Yup. Doomed. - TX SBoE vote results.
  • Science setback for Texas schools
• Judge orders FDA to reconsider limits on nonprescription Plan B for minors - Some conservative groups voiced concern that the ruling could promote sexual promiscuity (like sex ed, Gardasil, ...). Where is their evidence?
  
  
• Pope says condoms increase spread of HIV
  • Why the pope is wrong on HIV transmission
  • Pope faces backlash for condom remarks
• New Mexico governor abolishes capital punishment
• Prostate screening: A help or a harm?
• Needle plan gets early approval from senators - Texas is the only state in the nation that does not allow needle exchange programs.
• Voter ID: Republicans push solution in search of a problem
• Lawmakers consider restrictions on the use of cellphones while driving
• Excommunicated doctor hailed for abortion on child rape victim
  • Vatican backtracks over doctors involved in providing abortion to a raped nine-year-old
• Obama Lifts Bush's Strict Limits on Stem Cell Research - his administration will "make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology,"
• Oklahoma hates Richard Dawkins
  • Richard Dawkins: banned in Oklahoma? - the land of "academic freedom"... yeah, right!
• Illinois plutocrats are frakkin' goofy - Senate of Illinois officially declares Pluto to be the 9th planet when it passes over Illinois
• Court To Examine Prisoners' Right To DNA Evidence
• Vitamin Pills: A False Hope?
• Boycott by Science Group Over Louisiana Law Seen as Door to Teaching Creationism

Jan 21 W Lecture # 1 Introduction; Start reading Sagan
    23 F Lecture # 2 The Scientific Method; Continue reading Sagan
    26 M Lecture # 3 Induction and Deduction; Magic; Quiz on preface, chapters 1 and 2 of Sagan
    28 W Lecture # 4 Class canceled due to weather
    29 R Lecture # 5 (Follow Monday schedule) What do DNA, Art Fraud, and the Shroud of Turin have to do with Scientific Hypotheses?; 
                     Quiz on chapters 3 and 4 of Sagan
    30 F Lecture # 6 Observation and Perception; Observation Exercise; Homework #1 due by 11:00am
Feb  2 M Lecture # 7 UFOs and Roswell; Observation Exercise Results; Quiz on chapters 5 and 6 of Sagan
     4 W Lecture # 8 UFOs and Roswell; Quiz on chapters 7 and 8 of Sagan
     6 F Lecture # 9 UFOs and Frank Scully; Memory Exercise; Homework #2 due by 11:00am
     9 M Lecture #10 What is Evidence?; Memory Exercise Results; Quiz on chapters 9 and 10 of Sagan
    11 W Lecture #11 Eyewitness Testimony; Quiz on chapters 11 and 12 of Sagan
    13 F Lecture #12 Eyewitness Testimony; Midterm paper's title, abstract, and outline due by 11:00am
    16 M Lecture #13 Probability; Quiz on chapters 13 and 14 of Sagan
    18 W Lecture #14 Probability; Quiz on chapters 15 and 16 of Sagan
    20 F Lecture #15 Astrology; 3-page Book review #1 due by 11:00am
    23 M Lecture #16 ESP; Quiz on foreword through chapter 2 of Schick and Vaughn
    25 W Lecture #17 Psychics; Quiz on chapter 3 of Schick and Vaughn
    27 F Lecture #18 Psychics; Homework #3 due by 11:00am
Mar  2 M Lecture #19 Methods of Talking to the Dead; Quiz on They See Dead People, Or Do They?; 
     4 W Lecture #20 Talking to the Dead; Quiz on James Randi's One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge
     6 F Lecture #21 Talking to the Dead; Midterm paper due by 11:00am
     9 M             "Spring" Break
    11 W             "Spring" Break
    13 F             "Spring" Break
    16 M Lecture #22 Experiment Design; Quiz on chapter 4 of Schick and Vaughn
    18 W Lecture #23 Threshold Phenomena; Quiz on chapter 5 of Schick and Vaughn
    20 F Lecture #24 Threshold Phenomena; Homework #4 due by 11:00am
    23 M Lecture #25 Hoaxes; Quiz on chapter 6 of Schick and Vaughn
    25 W Lecture #26 Hoaxes; Quiz on chapter 7 of Schick and Vaughn
    27 F Lecture #27 Piltdown Man; Homework #5 due by 11:00am
    30 M Lecture #28 Alternative Medicine; Quiz on chapter 8 of Schick and Vaughn
Apr  1 W Lecture #29 Alternative Medicine; Quiz on foreword through chapter 1 of Shermer
     3 F Lecture #30 Dr. Snow and Cholera; Barry Marshall and Ulcers; Final paper's title, abstract, and outline due by 11:00am
     6 M Lecture #31 Scams - guest lecture by Special Agent Paul Ahner (U.S. Secret Service);
                     Quiz on chapters 2 and 3 of Shermer
     8 W Lecture #32 Follow up on Scams; Quiz on chapters 4 and 5 of Shermer
    10 F             University Holiday
    13 M Lecture #33 Creationism; Quiz on chapters 6 and 7 of Shermer
    15 W Lecture #34 Intelligent Design Creationism Preparation; Quiz on chapters 8 and 9 of Shermer
    17 F Lecture #35 Intelligent Design is not Science - Guest lecture by Professor John Wise (SMU Biology);
                     3-page book review #2 due by 11:00am
    20 M Lecture #36 Guest lecture by Professor Ron Wetherington (SMU Anthropology);  
                     Quiz on chapters 10 and 11 of Shermer
    22 W Lecture #37 Guest lecture by Professor Mark Chancey (SMU Religious Studies);
                     Quiz on chapters 12 and 13 of Shermer
    24 F Lecture #38 Searching for the Star; Midterm rewrites due by 11:00am (no exceptions);
    27 M Lecture #39 Peak Oil; Quiz on chapters 14 and 15 of Shermer
    29 W Lecture #40 Conceptions about Risk; Quiz on chapters 16 and 17 of Shermer
May  1 F Lecture #41 Law of Unintended Consequences; Final paper due by 11:00am
     4 M Lecture #42 Student Presentations; Evaluations; Survey; Quiz on chapter 18 of Shermer

May 11 M             Final Examination: 3:00pm-6:00pm in 153 Fondren Science

Lecture Topics:

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