Reasons for pseudo-science prevalence in this part of the world

Q: I am an Indian research scholar. I come across pseudo-science every day here in India. Why is it more prevalent here than other parts of the world? What should we do to stop spread this 'disease' as it is making us a laughing stock in the scientific world ? 

Krishna: :) I wrote on this and posted* my write ups  here earlier. But still I want to deal with it one more time.

Love Science, not its impostors!

Why Astrology is Pseudo-science

be-alert-pseudo-science-and-anti-science-are-on-the -prowl

I know my answer now, even though is fact based, is highly critical and can make some people uncomfortable. But I am not bothered. You should be fearless while walking on the path of science. So ... I am going ahead with my ruthless criticism ... in the name of science ... for the well being of India ... and this is based on my discussions with scientists who are very bothered about this menace ....

Indians love science. They love it so much that they want everything they deal with to be authenticated by science. 

We have illiteracy in large quantities. Science literacy is hardly evident here. 

Most of the Indians don't know what real science is and how it works, because of faulty education system. Even highly qualified people. They lack even the most basic tools like critical thinking to analyse whether a scientific claim is factual. The real tragedy is the so called educated folks, right up to the level of academics accept pseudoscience without questioning. Doctors, engineers, post graduates in science, PhDs in science  and science teachers, lecturers, professors, VCs of universities 're sharing such fundamentally wrong stuff that you wonder whether they have been to school at all.

Indian education system which is entirely built on rote learning and obedience instead of critical thinking and questioning which science commands, is the main culprit. When you are taught 'guru shakhat parahbrahma' or 'guru devo bhava', you fear questioning your guru. Whatever they teach you learn it, including pseudo-science, without giving a second thought to it. Compounded with the social structure which demands you to respect anyone elder to you or in a position of power above you, Indians grow up accepting fact after fact or fiction after fiction simply because it comes from the mouth of an authority figure without any questioning whatsoever. People care about only impact and not truth and share things. When they find a new thing which is coming from some 'authority',  they just blindly accept, follow  and share it.

Indians are very proud of their culture, traditions, religions, folklore etc... Okay, that is a good thing, not bad. But you feel proud to authenticate your background using science creating pseudo-science in the process! There lies the problem. And what is worse is they spread it like wild fire, feeling more proud doing so. I have seen this happening all over the net. If you try to stop this, you will be trolled, down-voted, thumbs-downed, ignored, attacked, and ripped apart. I myself have faced this several times. 

This is completely opposite to how science works. We, in the world of science, treat everything we come across with skepticism, especially if genuine evidence doesn't follow  it. Even if it is said or shown by the highest authority.

Who is responsible for this situation? Almost everybody here! 

There are  some vested interests behind these. One set is people who have an economic interest in creating pseudoscience. These are the kind of folks who peddle pseudo-medicine and create hoaxes against modern medicine, killing gullible people to make money. 

Some business people want to sell things and make money. So you have things like magnetic belts, they claim, can cure any disease or health condition. 

Then you have some God men (I need not mention their names) who try to sell their spirituality with pseudoscience. There are also the folks making money based on the number of clicks on viral pseudo-scientific videos. The other set is the religious/cultural warriors, and they seem to be particularly strong in India. Stretch and twist science until it can be made to validate some religious practice or claim cultural superiority. Most of the fake claims in circulation are the creation of a handful of sources with a deliberate agenda.

Then there are these professionals. Doctors, engineers, professors, teachers and scientists, instead of opposing this epidemic, often become part of it. They either do not realize the effect that the credibility that their support gives to such falsehoods, or do not care because it supports their religious and cultural identity. There are even academics who try to ride the current wave of cultural pseudoscience and try to get funds for absolutely ridiculous research.

Then we have journalists. Instead of doing their job of fact-checking everything they publish, they are gullible folks who will share anything they come across if it is impactful.

We have politicians who propagate it. I need not go into details, everybody knows about them. 

And finally,  what should we do to stop this disease from spreading? That is exactly what I am doing here. 

Educate people about pseudo-science. How to differentiate between science and pseudo-science.   

Call a spade, a spade. Forget fear while doing that even if you are sidelined, ignored, criticized, attacked and ripped apart. Am I not going ahead despite all these things happening to me? I am suffering a lot because of what I am doing. But still I am going on and on ... Gather courage to deal with this demon.  Dismantle it brick by brick. I never miss an opportunity to attack pseudo-science, wherever I am and whoever I am with.  Just follow me. 

Be skeptical. Don't blindly accept anything, even if it comes from the mouths of American presidents or popes or Godmen or your gurujis or even scientists themselves.  Ask for evidence. Genuine evidence. Highest form of evidence. We need people who can question everything, not the ones who follow others blindly.

Think critically about everything you hear, see, read and watch. Read here how:  Critical Thinking 

and Scientific Thinking

As a science professional — be proactive. If you see pseudoscience being peddled about your field, stand up and counter it. Write against it. Talk opposing it. If you see something like that in your family or group, reply that it is false. Without any unease. Even if you are labelled as an anti-national.

If you are standing up for universal science, you refuse to be national and regional. Yes, as scientists, we are universal in nature because being universal is much better than being national and regional.