Myths and Hoaxes in the Natural Sciences

Many hoaxes and misconceptions persist in modern society ranging from dangerous prejudices on various social groups and religions to local misinterpretations of the history. Less pronounced but also widespread are various myths, hoaxes, and misconceptions in the natural sciences. From miracle cures for cancer, through "simple" receipts for body weight loss to the question of taking high doses of vitamin C and the acidification of the organism. The mentioned topics exists on the border between biology, chemistry, and medicine. Analogical misconceptions are known in physics and mathematics. After the introductory lectures devoted to the definition of terms and the analysis of the most important misconceptions, the course will focus on the student projects following collaborative analysis and understanding of selected misconceptions.
Course title: Myths and Hoaxes in the Natural Sciences
Number of credits: 2
Course duration: September - December 2022
Maximum capacity: 20 students
Language: English
Lecturer: RNDr. Šimon Budzák, PhD.
Learning hours: 13 weeks (13 learning hours, 3 hours of lectures + 10 hours of seminar)
Methodology: e-learning course (MS Teams and Moodle)