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Abstract: Think you can spot pseudoscience? Then take the test…<\/p>\nAbstract: Think you can spot pseudoscience? Then take the test…<\/p>\n
Craniosacral therapy is at the very frontier of a branch of neurology that hopes to find cures for many of the debilitating neuromuscular diseases that still challenge medicine; including Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and multiple sclerosis.<\/p>\n
Except it’s not. It’s actually a non-scientific, so-called ‘alternative’ form of ‘healing’ that believes that gently massaging the skull and the sacrum – the large triangular bone at the base of the spine – will align harmony within the body. It’ll make you feel good – as any good massage would – but it can’t cure you of any neuromuscular disease. The proof is in its own claims: “[it] works with the whole person and changes may <\/em>(my italics) occur in body, mind and spirit during and after sessions”.<\/p>\n And there’s that key phrase: ‘mind, body and spirit’ – the ringing bells that warn that scepticism need to be employed.<\/p>\n But don’t feel embarrassed if you did believe – even if only for a minute – that craniosacral therapy was a development within neuromuscular medicine. It’s an easy trap to fall into. That way only a trained – or sceptical – eye would dig deeper and find the cracks in the claims.<\/p>\n For example, declaring that a person’s character can be determined by examining the contours of their head is preposterous. But if you were to hear that ‘phrenology’ could do the same, you might be more open to the idea. You’d assume that it was scientific, perhaps even a development within psychology.<\/p>\n Perhaps you wouldn’t, because your sceptic radar would have picked it up. Or would it? If there were a quiz in which you were presented with, say, 20 scientific-sounding terms – a mix of real science and pseudoscience – would you be able to spot which were pseudoscience? Good, because that’s just what we’ve put together. And because we know that everyone loves a quick quiz (except those who don’t!), we’re confident you’re going to have a lot of fun testing yourself. We’re also pretty confident that we can fool you.<\/p>\n All you need to do is examine the 20 terms we’ve listed below. Write down the numbers 1 through to 20 on a piece of paper (or on a smartphone, you tech-heads), and put ‘S’ if you think the term is science, or ‘P’ if it’s pseudoscience. Once you’ve done that, look at the answers and score yourself out of 20. Then check out where your score puts you on our sceptic-o-meter, and find out what your sceptic title is.<\/p>\n The Sceptic Quiz<\/strong> Sceptic Quiz scoring:<\/strong><\/p>\n 1 – 5 ‘Pseudoscience Sucker’ – You assume the best in everyone. That’s very nice of you, but it does mean you’re easily fooled. We suggest you examine all the past editions of Guru and start questioning more. The Sceptic Quiz – Answers<\/strong>:<\/p>\n That’s right! With the exception of the first term – the rather quaint-sounding Rhinology – all the others are forms of pseudoscience!<\/p>\n Now check how you score on the sceptic-o-meter…and then test your friends.<\/p>\n
\nSo…science (S) or pseudoscience (P)? Answers below<\/p>\n\n
\n6 – 10 ‘Wobbly Sceptic’ – Oh dear, you need to seriously sharpen the sceptic in you. You’re still quite easily fooled, and there are forces of deception that will find the chink in your armour.
\n11 – 15 ‘Serious Sceptic’ – To paraphrase Yoda, “The science in you, strong it is… aahmmm.” You are committed, and have the makings of a Jedi Knight Sceptic, but you sometimes rush to judgement. You still need to be wary of pseudoscience.
\n16 – 20 ‘Jedi Knight Sceptic’ – The dark forces of pseudoscience better beware, for you have the power to seek them out and defeat them with your light sabre of science.<\/p>\n\n