Pseudoscience & The Paranormal, GSS 2148

Welcome to the course! The popular media and self-help industry is rife with extraordinary claims. Alien experimentation, psychic detectives, mediums, ESP, extreme therapies and miracle products are all examples of how pseudoscience and the paranormal have become prevalent, popular and even an extremely lucrative enterprise. The majority of these examples defy the basic laws of science, logic and common sense yet they appeal to a large number of people. In this course we will use science, specifically a psychological perspective to explore these popular theories and claims, and learn to think critically in order to be able to constructively evaluate them.

Syllabus

Lectures

Response Form

Class Blog Site (for on-line course)

Book List

Book Report Post Guidelines (for on-line course)