Week 1, Cargo Cult

Wow, Cargo Cult Science by Richard Feyman, was an interesting articleto read. I sometimes find myself in the same situations that heexperienced. I sometimes wonder if people are for real or if theyare full of crap. Is it human nature to want people believe on falsestatements rather than on factual evidence? Feyman states "…the ideais to try to give all the information to help others to judge thevalue of your contributions; not just the information that leads tojudgment in one particular direction or another." One example that Ican think about is weight loss pills and infidelity. Advertisementon weight loss pills will promise the impossible to the consumer, butthe reality is that many of these dietary supplements will produceside affects to the consumer or they will simply not work at all. Asa consumer, he or she must first research the product or just letnature run its course if the product will actually work. I'm not sureif this is what he means by Cargo Cult Science?For example, he questions and investigates what people believe in andthe knowledge of how to educate others. He uses the example ofteachers who have some good ideas of how to teach the students howto learn how to read, but the districts or school systems have adifferent approach with out acknowledging what the teacher has tooffer on the table. I agree in his example because back in the dayswhen I was in elementary, the teachers would teach their students totake an easier approach to learn subjects in school. For example,learning how to work on a math problem was easier to understandbefore because the teachers were presenting the math problems to thestudent by introducing it with on hands training and learning. Now,the subjects are being introduced with limited review and very littlepractice for the students to learn. Is this because the schoolsystems want high numbers to compare with other schools in the nationor because they feel that this is for the best interest of thechild?