Pseudoscience

It is not always easy to distinguish theories from maxims. Maxims are often presented in a way that makes them seem scientific.

This is part of the reason your reading for this week focuses on pseudoscience. Pseudoscience refers to personal opinions (i.e., maxims) that cherry-pick supporting information—or, at worst, actually use manufactured or falsified information as support.

As a leader, you want what's best for your organization. Pseudoscience basically attempts to get money out of your organization without any real or lasting effect. To help your organization succeed, sort through what is truly useful (theories and facts), what is unknowable (maxims), and what has no real support at all (pseudoscience). This course, among others in your Penn State career, is aimed at helping you become a better consumer of information so that you can guide your organization to success.