Aliens, Atlantis and Archeology Final Exam 2023 Graded
A+
What is science?
The systematic study of the natural world through observation and experiment
What is pseudoscience?
A claim, belief or practice which is presented as scientific, but which does not follow the
scientific method
The process of reaching a general conclusion from particular pieces of data
Induction
Which is characteristic of pseudoscientific claims?
All answers are correct (Seeks to prove rather than test claims, Ignores alternative
explanations or contrary evidence, Relies on anecdotal or untestable evidence)
In the Mysterious Origins of Man video the site of Tiwanaku in Bolivia was dated
at 10,000 BC on the basis of:
Archaeo-astronomy
What IS NOT one of the motivations of the pseudoscientist?
Eternal life
The Olympic Project was set up as an open source website to collect evidence for
Bigfoot. Evidence collected was to be assessed by a team of researchers. Was
this science or pseudoscience?
It depends upon how the data were collected and assessed
One of Kenneth Feder's first experiences with pseudoscience and archaeology
was reading:
Morning of the Magicians
According to Kida, which IS NOT one of the six mistakes we make in our thought
processes?
We are born liars
Jumping to the conclusion that mammoths still exist today, on the basis of a
grainy video, is an example of how we
Misperceive our world
In the Case of Childbed Fever in Feder's text, what was the outcome of Dr.
Semmelweis's investigation of the mystery of the differing mortality rates?
By testing different hypotheses he eventually arrived at the correct diagnosis
What constitutes a red flag indicating possible pseudoscience at work?
All choices are correct (The claim will "rewrite history", The claimant wants to "prove"
their hypothesis, The claimant implies that mainstream scientists are withholding
information)
Conservative voters watching Fox News is an example of which Kida mistake in
our thinking?
We seek to confirm
What is Occam's Razor?
The answer requiring the fewest assumptions is probably the correct one
How should one assess a fantastic claim?
, All choices are correct (Consider the claimant and other "experts" credentials, Ask if
there are any corroborating sources, Consider the source (is it a refereed publication?) )
What is a hoax?
A deliberate deception masquerading as the truth
What is epistemology?
The study of knowledge (how we know what we know)
Which is a motivation for a hoax?
All choices are correct (Financial gain, Make a social statement, To embarrass
someone)
Known as "God's hand", this hoaxer fooled the archaeological establishment in
Japan with his planted finds that pushed back the earliest dates for that island's
Paleolithic period
Shinichi Fujimura
The motivation(s) for the Cardiff Giant hoax was
All choices are correct (To embarrass a fundamentalist preacher, To make a statement
about the fallacy of using the Bible as literal history, To make money off of gullible
tourists)
According to Feder, what makes for a successful hoax?
All choices are correct (Don't be too successful, Give the people what they want, Learn
from your mistakes)
Are the Dare Stones genuine artifacts of the Lost Colony?
The first one discovered is believed by some to be genuine, the others are admitted
fakes
What is NOT a concept of Darwin's Theory of Evolution
The transmutability of species
The synthetic theory of evolution is
Combining Darwin's evolutionary concepts with Mendel's genetics
The Piltdown hoax
was the deliberate fabrication of a fossil involving an ancient human cranium and
modern ape jaw
Who IS NOT a suspect in the Piltdown hoax?
Harry Houdini
The fossil skeleton found in the Philippines, nicknamed the Hobbit, has been
classified as
Homo floresiensis
This cryptid hominid is thought by some to have survived and is now known as
Bigfoot
Gigantopithecus
This hominin was recently discovered in a Rising Star cave in S. Africa
Homo naledi
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence is said by what type of
person?
A skeptic
Columbus's notable accomplishment was
A+
What is science?
The systematic study of the natural world through observation and experiment
What is pseudoscience?
A claim, belief or practice which is presented as scientific, but which does not follow the
scientific method
The process of reaching a general conclusion from particular pieces of data
Induction
Which is characteristic of pseudoscientific claims?
All answers are correct (Seeks to prove rather than test claims, Ignores alternative
explanations or contrary evidence, Relies on anecdotal or untestable evidence)
In the Mysterious Origins of Man video the site of Tiwanaku in Bolivia was dated
at 10,000 BC on the basis of:
Archaeo-astronomy
What IS NOT one of the motivations of the pseudoscientist?
Eternal life
The Olympic Project was set up as an open source website to collect evidence for
Bigfoot. Evidence collected was to be assessed by a team of researchers. Was
this science or pseudoscience?
It depends upon how the data were collected and assessed
One of Kenneth Feder's first experiences with pseudoscience and archaeology
was reading:
Morning of the Magicians
According to Kida, which IS NOT one of the six mistakes we make in our thought
processes?
We are born liars
Jumping to the conclusion that mammoths still exist today, on the basis of a
grainy video, is an example of how we
Misperceive our world
In the Case of Childbed Fever in Feder's text, what was the outcome of Dr.
Semmelweis's investigation of the mystery of the differing mortality rates?
By testing different hypotheses he eventually arrived at the correct diagnosis
What constitutes a red flag indicating possible pseudoscience at work?
All choices are correct (The claim will "rewrite history", The claimant wants to "prove"
their hypothesis, The claimant implies that mainstream scientists are withholding
information)
Conservative voters watching Fox News is an example of which Kida mistake in
our thinking?
We seek to confirm
What is Occam's Razor?
The answer requiring the fewest assumptions is probably the correct one
How should one assess a fantastic claim?
, All choices are correct (Consider the claimant and other "experts" credentials, Ask if
there are any corroborating sources, Consider the source (is it a refereed publication?) )
What is a hoax?
A deliberate deception masquerading as the truth
What is epistemology?
The study of knowledge (how we know what we know)
Which is a motivation for a hoax?
All choices are correct (Financial gain, Make a social statement, To embarrass
someone)
Known as "God's hand", this hoaxer fooled the archaeological establishment in
Japan with his planted finds that pushed back the earliest dates for that island's
Paleolithic period
Shinichi Fujimura
The motivation(s) for the Cardiff Giant hoax was
All choices are correct (To embarrass a fundamentalist preacher, To make a statement
about the fallacy of using the Bible as literal history, To make money off of gullible
tourists)
According to Feder, what makes for a successful hoax?
All choices are correct (Don't be too successful, Give the people what they want, Learn
from your mistakes)
Are the Dare Stones genuine artifacts of the Lost Colony?
The first one discovered is believed by some to be genuine, the others are admitted
fakes
What is NOT a concept of Darwin's Theory of Evolution
The transmutability of species
The synthetic theory of evolution is
Combining Darwin's evolutionary concepts with Mendel's genetics
The Piltdown hoax
was the deliberate fabrication of a fossil involving an ancient human cranium and
modern ape jaw
Who IS NOT a suspect in the Piltdown hoax?
Harry Houdini
The fossil skeleton found in the Philippines, nicknamed the Hobbit, has been
classified as
Homo floresiensis
This cryptid hominid is thought by some to have survived and is now known as
Bigfoot
Gigantopithecus
This hominin was recently discovered in a Rising Star cave in S. Africa
Homo naledi
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence is said by what type of
person?
A skeptic
Columbus's notable accomplishment was
