Final answer:
Science and pseudoscience differ in methodology, with science using the scientific method, reproducibility of results, and openness to revision. Pseudoscience often lacks these components, resulting in claims that cannot be scientifically tested or revised.
Step-by-step explanation:
Differences Between Pseudoscience and Science
Pseudoscience and science are distinct in several important ways. Here are three key differences:
- Methodology: Science uses the scientific method, which involves observation, experimentation, and the ability to predict and test. Pseudoscience lacks this rigorous methodology and often relies on anecdotal evidence or untestable claims.
- Reproducibility: Scientific claims are reproducible and can be verified by others. Pseudoscience often makes claims that cannot be reliably reproduced or examined by independent parties.
- Openness to Revision: Science is open to revision based on new evidence or better explanations. Pseudoscience tends to cling to its claims regardless of contradictory evidence.
Furthermore, in science, hypotheses that do not match the natural world have to be revised or discarded. Facts, hypotheses, theories, and laws are used in science to describe different levels of understanding and certainty. Scientists view theories as well-supported explanations based on a body of evidence, while in everyday language, a theory might incorrectly be thought of as just a guess.