CWU Panel To Discuss 'Pseudoscience' Friday

May 18, 2004

Contact: Dr. Andrew A. Piacsek (509-963-2723/fax: 509-963-2728/e-mail: piacsek@cwu.edu)

ELLENSBURG, Wash.-- Whether you read a newspaper or other periodical, listen to the radio, watch television or visit the Internet, there seems to be a flood of "scientific" information presented almost daily.

In fact, some verifiably unscientific ideas are actually masquerading as science.

To illuminate this problem and to show why society benefits from a scientifically-literate population, Central Washington University will host a panel discuss Friday, May 21, in the Samuelson Union Building's Yakama Room.

"One of the reasons I'm holding the panel is for science educators to become aware that, maybe, we need to teach explicitly what makes an idea scientific," Dr. Andrew Piacsek, CWU physics professor and panel moderator says. "Hopefully people will be better able to assess the validity of claims that are out there for alternative medicine, alternative forms of energy - things that may have a bearing on public policy and on their lives."

Titled "Pseudoscience: the Complexities of the Scientific Process and the Dangers of Unscientific Thinking," the free, public brown bag forum is slated for noon.

The panel will feature the keynote speaker for the 2004 CWU Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE), Dr. Lawrence Krauss. SOURCE will be held Thursday, May 20.

Krauss, chair of the physics department at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, has authored several books, including "The Physics of Star Trek." He's also recognized as a leading researcher in the field of modern cosmology - the acceleration of the expansion of the universe.

The discussion is also expected to touch on non-traditional medicine, paranormal abilities - such as fortune telling and 'water witching' - astrology and "Intelligent Design," or creationism, "an issue that Dr. Krauss has written extensively about," Piacsek points out.

Krauss will be joined on the panel by several CWU faculty members: Drs. Meghan Miller, dean of the College of the Sciences; Roger Fouts, from the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute; Patrick McCutcheon, anthropology; and, Ian Quitadamo, biological sciences and science education.

After each panelist has made a statement about pseudoscience from their perspective, the audience will be invited to ask panelists questions about this topic, according to Piacsek.

"This topic is sure to provoke some thoughts," he adds. "Along the way, the strength of the scientific process, as well as important limitations of science, will also be discussed. Hopefully, it will also foster greater understanding among scientists and non-scientists about the role science and scientific literacy should play in our society."

For more information, or for persons of disability to arrange for reasonable accommodation call (509) 963-2835, or (for the hearing impaired) TDD (509) 963-2143.