Pseudoscience
In modern times, there are people who like to make outrageous “scientific” claims. For example, one such claim is that “eating a diet of only grapefruit will not only cause a decrease in weight, but will also maintain the weight loss after going off the diet.” This example of “false science” is simply false advertising. Yet, you can imagine how someone gullible enough to believe this could really damage his or her health. The primary motive for making such claims is usually personal financial gain at the expense of a hapless victim.
One reason for studying science is to be able to question the claims made by scientists and people pretending to be scientists. If you are scientifically literate, you should be able to understand a science-related article enough to assess which parts are relevant, which parts are not relevant, and what the article is actually saying. For example, while you may not be able to understand all the details of a new technology, you are likely to be able to assess the scientific principles behind it.
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In the 2nd century CE Greek astronomer Ptolemy stated that Earth was the centre of the universe—most people believed him for the next 1,400 years…
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