Pseudoscience

When I think of pseudoscience I automatically picture all of the weight loss drug adds on TV. I have been told by people that I actually know that some of these drugs have worked for them. I still believe that they fall in the pseudoscience category because, even if a person looses weight while taking them, I do not believe that they are working the way that they say that they are working. They just don't seem realistic. Plus, the fact that I have never heard of someones doctor prescribing or recommending any of these to any overweight person that I know, leads me to believe that they are not what they say they are. I've heard that plenty of doctors recommend diet and exercise, but I have never heard of a doctor telling an overweight patient to 'go buy some of those weight loss drugs you see on TV'.

I can't think of an example of something that I am not sure is pseudoscience or not. There are a lot of interesting scientific 'facts' that I've heard (and probably passed a long) and later wondered if they were true or not. Of course, I can't think of any at this time :) But, if they were said to me, then I pass them along in conversation, then that person says it to another and so on, I can see how little science 'rumors' or pseudoscience could lead people astray. It seems like this happens often with nutrition. Fad diets are a good example. One week doing diet 'A' is the best thing and next week it's diet 'B' that is actually the right one for you. I can see how it would be hard for a person to determine what is actually right when the media is bombarding them with so much information.

**EDIT**

I thought of something that I am not sure is real or not. Wrinkle cream. Though, I cannot decide if I really am not sure, or if deep inside I don't believe the commercials I see but am just holding out hope that something like wrinkle cream could really work. I think it is probably the latter of the two......

Living Things

There are many reasons why I know that I am alive. From last week's lesson we learned that order, regulation, growth and development, energy usage, response to environment, reproduction and evolution are all properties of life. Before knowing this definition, I would have still recognized some of these properties as being reasons I know that I am living. To me, growth and development is the most obvious one. I know that I did not start out the way that I am today. Over time I grew from a baby to an adult as well as developed mentally. I also think that reproduction is a clear sign of humans being alive. I do not have any children, but I know that I am human and know that humans reproduce. This tells me that humans are living. Self awareness is also something that lets me know that I am living. Though this is a sign that I am living, I do not think that is should be added to the scientific definition of a living thing.

I cannot say whether or not the scientific definition of life is complete. I cannot think of anything that I would add to the definition, but at the same time I wouldn't want to say that it is 100% complete.