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Skepticism 101 Trivia Quiz

Do you know how to think like a skeptic? Here's a quiz on some very basic concepts in skepticism. This quiz is about everyday skepticism, or scientific skepticism, not philosophical skepticism.

A multiple-choice quiz by MsElaine. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
MsElaine

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
322,267

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
8 / 10

Plays
1536

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Skepticism is basically the same thing as... Hint

atheism

critical thinking

cynicism

science

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Question 2 of 10

2. In order for an idea to be considered science, it must be... Hint

innovative and original

approved by scientists

testable and falsifiable

about something already studied by science

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Question 3 of 10

3. When there are two or more hypotheses that explain a phenomenon equally well, one should choose the simplest. What is the name of this principle? Hint

Sagan's Candle

Einstein's Bridge

Occam's Razor

Merlin's Beard

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Question 4 of 10

4. Complete this skeptical maxim: "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary _______." Hint

Evidence

Clarity

Data

Refutation

5. There is a big difference between philosophical skeptics and scientific skeptics. Philosophical skeptics believe there is no way of knowing what is reality. Scientific skeptics believe that... Hint

we create our own reality.

there is only one objective, testable reality.

we can never know what reality is.

there are multiple realities that haven't been discovered yet.

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Question 6 of 10

6. Which of the following is not a logical fallacy? Hint

Argument from authority

Argument from evidence

Straw-man argument

Appeal to ignorance

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Question 7 of 10

7. Why aren't anecdotes, or stories about what happened to individuals, accepted as legitimate scientific evidence? Hint

All of these

They are easily biased or misconstrued

They can't be proved or disproved

They do not represent an accurate sample

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Question 8 of 10

8. What is the belief in something in spite of a lack of evidence for it, or even the presence of strong evidence against it? Hint

Trust

Faith

Logic

Fate

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Question 9 of 10

9. A set of ideas that is presented as being scientific, but is based upon unscientific beliefs is a... Hint

Religion

Pseudoscience

Philosophy

Logical fallacy

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Question 10 of 10

10. In colloquial English, a person who is a medical professional or pretends to be a medical professional, and who provides ineffective or unsafe treatments is often referred to as what? Hint

A cluck

A quack

A lame duck

A turkey

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Skepticism is basically the same thing as...

Answer: critical thinking

The Wiktionary (Wikipedia dictionary) gives a definition of skepticism as "a methodology that starts from doubt and aims to acquire certainty." This is a form of critical thinking.

While skepticism is important in science, science and skepticism are not the same thing.

Many people think that skepticism is the same as cynicism (the Wiktionary calls cynicism a "scornful or pessimistic attitude; an emotion of jaded negativity"), but this is not what skepticism is about.

There is a great deal of overlap between skeptics as a community and the atheist community, but being one of these does not require that you be the other.

2. In order for an idea to be considered science, it must be...

Answer: testable and falsifiable

The most important part of science is testing hypotheses. Anybody can perform scientific tests, whether or not they are scientists. The more times a theory or hypothesis has been tested, the better our information about it is. If an idea can't be tested and there is no way to show if it's false, then it isn't science.

3. When there are two or more hypotheses that explain a phenomenon equally well, one should choose the simplest. What is the name of this principle?

Answer: Occam's Razor

This rule of thumb is extremely helpful to both skeptics and scientists.

4. Complete this skeptical maxim: "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary _______."

Answer: Evidence

This famous quote was popularized by Carl Sagan and is a paraphrase of a quote by Marcello Truzzi.

5. There is a big difference between philosophical skeptics and scientific skeptics. Philosophical skeptics believe there is no way of knowing what is reality. Scientific skeptics believe that...

Answer: there is only one objective, testable reality.

Philosophical skeptics believe that having a different perception means having a different reality, and we can never really know what is true. Scientific skeptics believe that there is one reality that can be observed and tested by the scientific method.

6. Which of the following is not a logical fallacy?

Answer: Argument from evidence

While there is no such common phrase as "argument from evidence," an argument based upon good evidence is typically the most logical.

7. Why aren't anecdotes, or stories about what happened to individuals, accepted as legitimate scientific evidence?

Answer: All of these

In science, you will often hear that certain evidence cannot be accepted because it is anecdotal. Anecdotal evidence is not reliable for all the reasons stated above and more.

8. What is the belief in something in spite of a lack of evidence for it, or even the presence of strong evidence against it?

Answer: Faith

Having faith in something, whether it is religious faith, superstition, or simply a "gut feeling," means believing in something that can't be proved, or has even been disproved. Skeptics try to avoid taking things on faith.

9. A set of ideas that is presented as being scientific, but is based upon unscientific beliefs is a...

Answer: Pseudoscience

People who promote pseudoscience use scientific-sounding words and techniques to try to make their claims seem more legitimate.

10. In colloquial English, a person who is a medical professional or pretends to be a medical professional, and who provides ineffective or unsafe treatments is often referred to as what?

Answer: A quack

The term "quack" comes from the Dutch word "kwakzalver," which means a "boaster who applies a salve."

Source: Author MsElaine

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor LadyCaitriona before going online.
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