The Baloney Detection Kit (on RDF TV)
Does the source make similar claims?
How reliable is the source of the claim?
Have the claims been verified by somebody else?
Does this fit with the way the world works?
Has anyone tried to disprove the claim?
Where does the preponderance of evidence point?
Is the claimant playing by the rules of science?
Is the claimant providing positive evidence?
Does the new theory account for as many phenomena as the old theory?
Are personal beliefs driving the claim?
clipped from: www.michaelshermer.com