Question

1. In your own words, define falsification/testability.

a. The Amazing Randi mentions in the documentary that he "cannot prove a 100,000 year-old spiritual being
is NOT inhabiting a person." This is a good example of when a claim cannot be
____________________________.
2. To convince the Australian media that Carlos the Channeler existed, Randi created (circle the best answer)
a. Fake News b. a mockumentary c. interviews falsely conducted in the United States
3. The way of knowing that the Australian media used to determine if Carlos the Channeler was worthy of
reporting to the citizens was (circle the best answer)
a. Intuition b. Deduction c. Authority d. Observation
4. Would you define the Australian media as skeptical? Why or why not?
5. Psychokinesis was featured on several live television shows during the 60s and 70s. Describe one incident whereThe Amazing Randi 1) developed a hypothesis about how the moving/breaking of the objects was actually being
executed and 2) how Randi tested they hypothesis.
____________________________________________________________________________
i. Randi’s belief that there was an understandable set of causes for how the objects were moving/breaking
is an example of the ________________ canon (circle the best answer)
a. Empiricism b. Determinism c. validity d. intuition
6. The Stanford psychokinesis research featured in the documentary is an example of _________________
research (circle the best answer)
a. Basic b. Applied

Answer 1

The Amazing Randi's challenges demonstrate the concept of falsification/testability. In convincing Australian media on Carlos the Channeler and investigating psychokinesis, Randi highlighted the importance of skepticism and evidence-based conclusions in discerning truth.

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer

1. Falsification/testability refers to the ability of a claim or hypothesis to be tested and potentially proven false. In the reference to The Amazing Randi's remark, a claim that cannot be demonstrated false, such as the existence of a 100,000 year-old spiritual being, would lack such falsification or testability.
2. In order to convince the Australian media about Carlos the Channeler's existence, Randi primarily created fake news.
3. The Australian media made use of the method of Authority to determine if Carlos the Channeler was worth reporting to the citizens. This often involves relying on the views, perspectives, and judgment of experts in the field.
4. Whether the Australian media is skeptical or not is subjective but based on their acceptance of Carlos the Channeler without conclusive evidence, it can be argued that they were not adequately skeptical.
5. Psychokinesis was a topic of significant interest during the 60s and 70s. An example of The Amazing Randi's hypothesis about how the movement/breaking of objects was really performed is Randi's belief in trickery or illusion. Such a hypothesis would be tested through careful observation, replication of the phenomenon under controlled conditions, and attempts to rule out any other plausible explanations. Such a belief fits into the canon of determinism.
6. The Stanford psychokinesis research featured in the documentary would be an instance of basic research. Basic research is typically conducted to increase the general body of knowledge and understanding about a subject, often without immediate practical applications in mind.

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