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June 6: Pseudoscience

Is SETI Pseudoscience?

    Today in stem in society we broke out in to groups to discuss whether or not SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) is real Science or Pseudoscience. Our group was composed Roju Miller, Amelia Northam, Elsie Sheumaker, and Me, Austin Newman. 

    We used the following sites to build our discussion

    SETI is attempting to prove that Extraterrestrial Intelligence exist by scanning the sky for radio waves from life beyond the stars. Our group was split 50-50 on whether or not it is Science with Roju and I on team Science just really bad Science while Amelia and Elsie were on team Pseudoscience. The main debate was on whether or not the claim that extraterrestrial life exist somewhere is falsifiable. Elsie was very adamant that because the universe is incredibly large there will be no way to prove it false. I believe that it is falsifiable because although it would be impossibly difficult to prove wrong (you would have to scan all of existence for life) it is still falsifiable. SETI can eventually prove it either way just not on any timeline that is practical.

Other Thoughts      

    There is one other question I wanted to touch on that was brought up in the class discussion  that being "Is it a good use of resources?" This question was asked and I would like to ask why it matters. Is it important that this is helpful knowledge when we are getting knowledge either way.







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