Why is this "alternative science" category here? There can logically be no such thing!?

Answer 1

Yeah...I think that section needs to be moved ...I am tired of UFO and psychic questions and parapsychology is pure bunk....but there are people who think there are other ways to the truth besides the scientific method and I guess Yahoo! is just covering its ***.

Answer 2

That is very true. It always annoys me, too, because I sometimes inadvertently click on it when I actually wanted to get into astronomy.
It really should be labeled 'non-science' as, scientifically speaking, it only works with hypotheses at best, but doing completely without empiry, theories or any independent experimenting whatsoever.
Yahoo, I guess, is putting that in here because they want to cover that market (pecunia non odet) and not put off a sizeable if silly part of the internet population. It must cater to all tastes.
Saying that, we can probably feel lucky that Astronomy doesn't have to contend itself with an 'Astrology' section right beside it, or Biology with a 'Creationism' neighbour .

Answer 3

Don't complain. Forums like "alternative science" help reduce the kook counts in the real science forums. In fact, I wish they'd create a UFO section. That and a "recycled Steven Wright joke" section would clean up A&S considerably.

Answer 4

What is not mentioned here is that YA people, the people that run YA, that is, are narrowly educated computer geeks who possible believe in a lot of the malarkey on the " alternative section.

Answer 5

I think it is listed as "alternative", not alternative science, under the subjects Science and Mathematics.
To me it means alternative answers to science questions, including acupuncture, herbal alternatives in place of "main stream" medical drugs, yoga in place of "traditional" exercise and so on.
Alternative questions along with alternative answers is one way science grows, and expands.

Answer 6

The alternative to science is pseudoscience. Actually, that would be a more definitive name for that category, no? Pseudoscience. I suppose that wouldn't be politically polite, though......