In reading biased science writing or in viewing a program which is presented as science, but which actually goes beyond hard science, there are usually some clues that there is hidden bias or major assumption in what is being presented.   Those clues include the following, any one of which should put one on the alert for bad or at least questionable reasoning:

1) Use of the phrase "I believe" or "it is believed."  Scientists are suppose to prove things by experiment. What scientists personally believe is often far beyond the facts of science and is colored by their personal interests.

2) Use of a phrase like "must be" OR "must have been" in a train of reasoning.  (Such terms essentially means that science doe not have an answer and there is an assumption being made.)

3) Use of a phrase like "only a ___________ person would doubt or could question _________".  (The blanks usually contain some derogatory term.)  It is always valid to question science and to look for and to doubt dubious assumptions or extreme extrapolations of the fact.  Good science explanations of meaning also can always be basically understood by non scientists in basic terms.

4) In nature programs, statements like "nature invented" or talking about some life form "that life form invented". the use of the term invented is a cover for many assumptions. If one were to ask how the invention took place in detail, there will be no good answer.

5) Religion is about what science cannot explain or does not address at all. Statements in books or programs with religious implications (such as the origin of the universe, the origin of life, evolution of life, etc.) are usually covertly mixing religion (usually atheistic beliefs) and science. Programs with a belief in god bias are usually open about what they believe, at least, but it should be understood that they also usually only present one side of the argument.  Programs with hidden bias making extreme extrapolations of science should almost never be considered as representing hard science.  Science cannot prove or disprove anything that cannot be tested in a laboratory.

6) Statements to students like; you're not old enough to understand __________ so just accept it on authority, or the scientific community believes, or the experts say _____________. Such statements are usually hiding the lack of hard facts. There have been many instances in the history of science where the science authorities were ultimately proven to be wrong. Many references to authority are just a cover for an inconsistency in the science.

This writer has studied most of the major basic sciences and even such deep subjects as quantum mechanics can at least be outlined so that most high school students can understand the basics of the science. So if you are of high school age or more, don't accept science only on or mostly on authority. Look for clear valid reasoning without assumptions built into the reasoning. Ask questions!

Remember, scientists are fallible human beings with personal pride/monetary interests in convincing others that their work is discovering important things which are worth additional funding.   Scientists are seldom (if ever) only unbiased observers of hard facts.

An Introduction to Critical Thinking

Inevitable illusions, how mistakes of reason rule our minds.

Labyrinths of reason, paradox, puzzles and the frailty of knowledge.

Don't believe that professors are anything like unbiased.