The Demarcation Problem

The video explores the challenge of distinguishing science from pseudoscience, highlighting the historical quest for a clear demarcation. It discusses the difficulty of evaluating scientific theories before they are proven and the role of consensus in the scientific community. The video also addresses the conservative nature of science, emphasizing the importance of agreement on fundamental principles across disciplines.

What historical text is mentioned as addressing the issue of distinguishing science from pseudoscience?

• The Socratic Dialogues

• The Pythagorean Theorem

• The Epic of Gilgamesh

• The Hippocratic Corpus

What is the term used to describe evaluating scientific theories after they have been tested?

• A priori

• Exante

• X post

• Post hoc

Which scientific debate from the 19th century is mentioned as an example of theories being kept in play?

• Atomism vs. Anti-atomism

• Evolution vs. Creationism

• Relativity vs. Quantum Mechanics

• Geocentrism vs. Heliocentrism

What is a key reason why scientific claims are difficult to challenge?

• They are based on ancient texts

• They are often interdependent

• They are universally accepted

• They are rarely tested

What is a characteristic of the scientific field mentioned in the transcript?

• It is always revolutionary

• It is highly conservative

• It disregards prior knowledge

• It frequently overhauls theories