APSC 150: Applied Pseudoscience (freshman seminar)

Fall 1995 Syllabus

Required texts for the class are ``A Beginner's Guide to the Scientific Method'' by Stephen S. Carey (Wadsworth Publishing Co.) and ``Pseudoscience and the Paranormal'' by Terence Hines (Prometheus Books). Lots of additional materials will be provided. During the first month or so we will reading and discussing Casey's book. Exercises from that text will be due as follows: These exercises must be turned in during class, and must be typed (on a computer). Together they will account for 25% of your grade. When we have finished Carey's book we will read and discuss Hines' text at the rate of about 1.5 class periods per chapter. During this part of the class you will be responsible for turning in 5 two-page typed papers, each on one of the topics under current discussion. You may choose the topics on which you want to write, and up to two revisions will be allowed for each. These will be due no later than the class period one week after we have completed classroom discussions on that topic. Together they will account for 25% of your grade. A longer research paper (10 typed pages maximum) will be due at noon on 5 December 95 which will account for 40% of your grade. For the five 2-page papers you will only be required to draw upon the text and classroom materials, but for the research paper you must explore outside sources. In addition to traditional materials available in libraries, you must also use the World Wide Web as a research tool. More specifics on this paper will be given throughout the class. The final 10% of your grade will be for both classroom and e-mail discussions. Throughout the term you will be expected to e-mail me when you come across things relevant to the classroom discussions.

Two-Pager Requirements and Schedule

The 2-page papers are due in class on the days indicated. You choose which five of them to write, adjusting according to your interest and other committments. Although it is possible for you to leave everything until the end of the semester, I will make an effort to grade more and more harshly as the term progresses, on the assumption that you are learning more and more as time goes by. Also, you will get feedback from me on everything you write, which you can incorporate into later papers. Two revisions are allowed for each, due back to me as indicated in my comments. Here's the guidelines for the two-pagers:

You are a junior Senate staffer providing 2-page briefing documents for The Senator. The Senator needs to know about each of the topics we will be discussing, and The Senator will formulate a public position on these issues based on your two-pager. The Senator needs to know what is fact and what is fiction. The Senator wants to know what is controversial and what is non-controversial. In particular, what does the scientific establishment think of these phenomena. The Senator needs a short description of the phenomena for inclusion in press releases, speeches, etc. The Senator needs to know which of the phenomena warrant further study, and if so how government money should be spent. end{quotation You should write these papers as if the above scenario were true. Picture yourself actually in such a job, where the words you write later come out of The Senator's mouth and thus have real influence on people's lives. Keep in mind that in such a job you get fired for turning in work late, but if The Senator is pleased with you your carreer is made.

Research Paper Requirements and Schedule

A research paper (10 typed pages maximum) will be due in my office at noon on 5 December 95 as measured by the wall clock there. This paper will account for 40% of your grade, so failure to turn it in will cause you to fail the course. You must explore outside sources in addition to the texts and classroom materials (notes and handouts). In addition to traditional materials available in libraries, you must also use the World Wide Web as a research tool. When you include WWW material you must reference the URL, page title, and time/date you accessed the page. References are to be listed in the order cited on the last page of your paper. For the paper you must pick a topic, topic area, or sub-topic from those in Hines. Your paper should explain the subject, and then argue both sides. You must come to some conclusion based on the arguments you present (fer, agin, dunno). If your conclusion is ``dunno'' you must give specific recommendations for action. i.e. the definitive scientific study. If your conclusion is ``fer'' or ``agin'' you must provide some explanation for why so many people disagree with your conclusion. You must turn in a hardcopy draft of your paper to me in class on either 21, 28 or 31 November. I will return comments to you via e-mail the next day. Include your prefered e-mail address on your draft, and keep a copy because I won't return it. I encourage you to proofread and spellcheck what you write. Make sure the words you choose get across the message you intend in the way you intend. Spelling and grammatical errors will count against you in your final version.
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