Good Science or Bad Science?

Deciphering between good science and bad science seems like an impossible task. The general public is extremely vulnerable to accepting bad science when it is presented in a creative way or by big name people. I recently ran across a set of guidelines presented by TEDx.com for the purpose of filtering out the bad science which can be used by each of us in our attempt to incorporate good science into our lives. 

From TED's website:

TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. 

TED has a massive database the presents short lectures by world experts on all sorts of different topics ranging from mechanical birds to faith to cochlear implants (go Karl White!!). The lectures are all around 18 minutes long and are an invaluable public source of information.

While the letter including the guidelines is quite long, you can read the complete thing here. But I am going to pull the guts out of the letter and present it below. I have highlighted the ones that commonly lure people in with neon green.

Marks of Good Science:

• It makes claims that can be tested and verified
• It has been published in a peer reviewed journal (but beware… there are some dodgy journals out there that seem credible, but aren’t.)
• It is based on theories that are discussed and argued for by many experts in the field
• It is backed up by experiments that have generated enough data to convince other experts of its legitimacy
• Its proponents are secure enough to accept areas of doubt and need for further investigation
• It does not fly in the face of the broad existing body of scientific knowledge
• The proposed speaker works for a university and/or has a phD or other bona fide high level scientific qualification

Topics banned from TEDx stages(meaning that they are rampant with bad science):

• GMO food and anti-GMO foodists
• Food as medicine, especially to treat a specific condition: Autism and ADHD, especially causes of and cures for autism
• "Healing," including reiki, energy fields, alternative health and placebos, crystals, pyramid power
• "Free energy" and perpetual motion machines, alchemy, time travel
• The neuroscience of [fill in the blank] — not saying this will all be non-legitimate, but that it’s a field where a lot of goofballs are right now
• The fusion of science and spirituality. Be especially careful of anyone trying to prove the validity of their religious beliefs and practices by using science

Red Flags 

• Barrages you with piles of unrelated, over-general backup material, attempting to bury you in data they think you won’t have time to read
• Holds a nonstandard degree. For instance, if the physics-related speaker has a degree in engineering, not physics; if the medical researcher does not have an M.D. or Ph.D.; if the affiliated university does not have a solid reputation. This is not snobbery; if a scientist truly wishes to make an advance in their chosen field, they’ll make an effort to engage with other scholars
• Claims to have knowledge no one else has
• Sends information only from websites they created themselves; there is little or no comment on them in mainstream science publications or even on Wikipedia
• Provides data that takes the form of anecdotes, testimonials and/or studies of only one person
• Sells a product, supplement, plan or service related to their proposed talk — this is a BIG RED FLAG

Tips for Looking into a Topic.

Start with some basic web research. Wikipedia is your first stop to gain a basic background. Following primary-source links from Wikipedia, work out from there to university websites, science and health blogs, and databases of papers published in respected journals

The world is full of ideas, both good and bad. Science is the PROCESS by which we "build and organize knowlege". It is the process by which we can work together to improve our universe. Be smart out there when confronted with various ideas. There are a lot of wing-nuts in disguise.