Dustin Dwigth M.
Doctolero
Cargo Cult Science: A Reaction Paper
Category 1 (crazy science*): Witch doctors, people with alleged psychic abilities, stuff related to the paranormal and the mystic ways. Category 2 (half-hearted science*): Half-truths for commercial products, pubic lying to gain publicity (science based), scientist who are forced to experiment with shackles to earn more money for the company, scientist who do not publish their full experiments (with bad and good results) only conventional ones (easily accepted by the public)
*Opinion based categorization only.
Above, I listed the categories that I would identify as falling under cargo cult science. Category one, which I call crazy science, is something I would describe as eccentric and very unscientific. People who believe in this science are most probably: poor (they would ask the help of witch doctors if they do not have money to pay the hospital), easily manipulated, or just bored and looking for entertainment. Category two, however, is a different story. It does not speak of speculations and guesses, of spirits or psychic abilities (rather on psychological patterns and behaviors) and of dates when the world might end. Halfhearted science is again, half-hearted. It follows the scientific method and all but misses the one true essence of it all, which is, to advocate for truth. These two sciences both have something in common though: both of their goals are result oriented where the only acceptable result should be positive for them. Cargo cult science is a science where one may or may not perform the correct scientific method so long as the result is positive or in favor of the public. It fails to enlighten people with the truth but rather fill them, the public, with lies and half-truths. True science, not cargo cult science, studies about everything it can question, uses the scientific method, performs the scientific method, identifies factors that may affect the result and publishes the result with every single detail it can muster. It does not assume or judge, its just being truthful. Unfortunately, nowadays, science, truthful and honest science, is very hard to attain. Every day, when you turn on the TV, you see ads (and a lot of them) promoting different products saying theyre all effective and scientifically proven. Ive learned in my SSIP experience that not everything they say is really, whole-heartedly, the truth. Most of them state only the half-truths they want to promote. But since you cant lie on ads, they put a note, a very tiny one, at the bottom of the screen, stating the product is only effective at this certain setting or condition. Every other year, there would be some lame prediction the worlds going to end tomorrow. Every other place has a ghost story or legend it has to tell us. There are books about the paranormal/ghost stories, legends or myths, psychic abilities and even mysteries of space and time that are very much present today. During first year to second year, I was fond of going to the library to read these kinds of books. I read them because they entertain me and detach me from the very science-oriented curriculum of Pisay. I read about psychic abilities, dosing, ghosts, witchcraft and witch doctors. Once in my childhood, I even experienced being treated by a witch doctor or albularyo. It was a weird experience because nothing she did made any sense to me. The experience kind of gave me goose bumps a bit, and overall, it was a basically weird experience. I believe cargo culture science is okay as entertainment but it is rather useless when it comes to practicality and facts and figures.
