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KEY POINT: A scientific theory relies on physical laws to explain how things work, and these explanations are not bypassed or superseded by spiritual realms or spiritual phenomena.
If a theory claims that physical laws can be broken by purchasing a certain product, service, or procedure, this is pseudoscience.
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EXAMPLE: If someone insists a phenomenon has no physical mechanism which can be studied by science, or physical laws are broken by their method, they are practicing pseudoscience.
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DISTINCTION: A scientific theory will never claim that phenomena which exist outside of the physical world and do not follow the laws of the physical world can influence the physical world.
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KEY POINT: A scientific theory explains phenomena in terms of physical laws, using words that have well-articulated definitions. If a theory uses terminology without regard to its scientific or mathematical meaning, this is pseudoscience.
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EXAMPLE: If someone is talking about ‘energy’ without talking about the laws of thermodynamics, mechanics, or optics, they are practicing pseudoscience. Scientists use these terms to discuss how matter and energy and information actually work, while pseudoscience uses these terms without any concern for their meaning.
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DISTINCTION: Science employs words to articulate the nature of things, while pseudoscience uses words to muddle the truth and ornament empty ideas.
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KEY POINT: A scientific theory makes specific, falsifiable claims, and these are presented clearly to the scientific community so that experiments can be run to test these claims. If a theory only makes vague claims, or the claims are not formally testable, this is pseudoscience.
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EXAMPLE: If someone is not open to being wrong about their theory, or contemplating evidence which disproves their theory, they are practicing pseudoscience.
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DISTINCTION: Science allows us to discard old theories in light of new evidence in order to build a greater understanding of the truth, while pseudoscience does not value evidence.
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