Is Cryptozoology Good or Bad for Science?
Is Cryptozoology a valid science? Are cryptids real? Do they exist? What do we really know about them?
There are many skeptics who believe that cryptozoology is bad science. They say that cryptid sightings are just hoaxes made by crazy people. But I’m here to tell you that cryptozoologists aren’t crazy. In fact, many of them are very smart scientists who study these creatures from a hard scientific angle.
Cryptozoology also helps us understand the natural world. It gives us insight into the unknowns of nature. And that’s something that everyone should appreciate.
Cryptozoologists are known to see the world differently, and to have different interpretations of reality. While I am skeptical of claims made by the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot enthusiasts, I do respect their passion for finding answers to their questions. So, I decided to look deeper into the subject.
I began reading everything I could find, and eventually started watching documentaries on YouTube. I soon found myself obsessed with cryptozoology, and became more interested in learning about them than I ever thought possible.
What I found interesting about this experience, however, was the difference between those who lean into the pseudoscience and those who try their best to cling to the scientific method of discovering information about the world.
I’ve seen many cryptid-obsessed kids go on to become STEM majors with a deep love for hard science. In my opinion, cryptozoology can and often does lead to better science literacy, and that passion and excitement for the mysteries of the world is what drives all scientific discovery.
What Is Cryptozoology?
Cryptozoology is a hobby that involves the search for unknown animals, such as still-living dinosaurs or legendary monsters. Cryptozoologists are interested in investigating reports of sightings of mysterious creatures, and they study tracks and possible evidence like footprints.
Many people believe that cryptozoology is based entirely upon the idea that something mysterious exists somewhere out there. But in reality, cryptozoology takes place within the context of an existing body of knowledge regarding animals and human beings. Cryptozoologists use that existing body of knowledge to determine whether certain animals exist.
Cryptozoology tends to be popular among amateur naturalists and biologists. Most people interested in cryptozoology have no formal training in biology, zoology, or ecology. Instead, they learn about cryptozoology informally, such as listening to podcasts, reading books, watching videos, or searching online forums. They rely heavily upon the collective wisdom of other cryptozoologists and scientists.
What Are Cryptids?
Most of the time, cryptids are referred to as imaginary monsters. However, sometimes they are described as having been spotted by eyewitnesses, such as the giant squid reported off the coast of Japan. There are even reports of sightings of bigfoot-like creatures in remote areas of America.
In the past, cryptids were believed to be a result of human imagination, and the only way to prove something existed was to capture it in a cage and show it to everyone. But today, cryptozoologists study and document the appearances of such creatures, trying to find out how much evidence there really is.
While some cryptids might be completely fictional, others are more likely to exist somewhere in the world. Sometimes, cryptids can share characteristics with other types of animals, such as dogs and cats, making them hard to identify.
Cryptozoologists study animals and phenomena that can’t be explained by science. It’s hard to find evidence of cryptids like mermaids, Bigfoot, Yeti, etc., but it doesn’t mean they don’t exist. It’s possible that scientists are missing something in our current understanding of natural selection, genetics, evolution, or even physics – so maybe there really are creatures out there that defy explanation!
Does Cryptozoology Push Science Back Or Forward?
Cryptozoologists (people who study cryptids) are interested in monsters and anomalous animals. They believe in the existence of unknown animals and mythic beasts like Abominable Snowman, Chupacabra, and Mokele Mbembe. They use scientific techniques such as DNA testing to prove whether an animal exists or not.
Some scientists believe that cryptozoology pushes science forward and that it helps us better understand the world around us, while others believe that cryptozoology is pseudoscience that encourages speculation and misdirection, and that it perpetuates misconceptions about animal behavior.
In any case, it seems clear that cryptozoology is here to stay. We need to come together and discuss ways we can use cryptozoology responsibly.
Cryptozoology, especially when explored with children, can easily be used to push science forward. A child curious about Bigfoot may come up with unique ideas on how to capture and catalog information about other elusive animals that we know exist.
The ability to think past what is currently possible is the only way to push science forward. And sometimes that means going into the realm of the paranormal and finding unique ways to test far out theories. The nature of science is such that it requires fringe thinkers to keep moving forward.
Cryptozoology is an excellent tool for pushing science forward into new and exciting realms.
Does Cryptozoology Encourage Science Literacy?
Cryptozoology is not necessarily resistant to scientific inquiry, but rather, it can be seen as a gateway drug to science literacy.
What makes cryptozoology a gateway drug for science? Many students find early exposure to cryptozoology fascinating, and so they seek out further information. But once they start reading cryptozoology books, they generally find that the authors try to use scientific evidence to support their claims.
However, many of these same students don’t know how to evaluate the quality of research that they encounter. Once they begin to read cryptozoology books, many students discover that the majority of cryptozoology texts are filled with misinformation, half truths, bad science, and outright falsehoods.
People interested in cryptozoology need to learn good critical thinking skills, and they need to develop a strong foundation in basic sciences. If they fail to do any of this, then they will inevitably end up believing in the nonsense that we see being pushed in today’s cryptozoology publications.
Cryptozoology provides opportunities for people with interests in such subjects to develop new skills. These include the ability to read ancient texts, analyze documents and images, build models, conduct research, write reports, etc. Such activities can help us better understand our world today.
So, while cryptozoology resembles science in terms of its methodology, it differs from science insofar as it seeks answers to questions that science cannot address. While cryptozoology relies heavily on empiricism, the theory that unknown animals exist is not proven through experiment or observation. Instead, cryptozoologists use inductive reasoning to reach conclusions about the nature of unknown species.
In conclusion, it is my belief that cryptozoology is capable of improving scientific literacy. Children who are fascinated by monsters can quickly become interested in biology, physics, and more hard sciences as they age.
How Does Cryptozoology Affect Society?
Cryptozoology is important because it makes us ask new questions, and gives us new ways to explore the unknown parts of our world. It helps us learn about ourselves. It helps us develop our own skills and abilities. It helps us build relationships with each other. And it helps us share our stories and ideas with others.
In short, cryptozoology is important because – like so much else in our lives – it is fun!
In conclusion, I believe that cryptozoology has an important role in society. We should encourage children to study cryptozoology, and we should teach them how to think critically. This is especially true if we want to make sure that future generations have access to reliable knowledge about the natural world around them.
