According to your textbook, some proponents of Scientology have suggested that negative statements overheard by fetuses, embryos, and even zygotes can be "reactivated" in adulthood, triggering low self-esteem and psychology difficulties. The research, however, has failed to support these claims. Which principle of critical thinking is best demonstrated by this example?

a. Occam's Razor

b. Replicability

c. Extraordinary claims

d. Correlation vs. causation

The correct answer is C.

Explanation:

According to the late astronomer and scientist Carl Sagan, "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence". This means that claims that can't be proven by the available evidence (thus considered extraordinary), require to be supported by new or hard-to-acquire evidence. In this case, these claims by some proponents of Scientology aren't supported by the available evidence, as it is currently known that kids don't start forming memories until they're 2 years old. So in order to prove their claims that negative statements can be "reactivated" in adulthood, Scientology proponents would have to come with scientific evidence that fetuses and embryos can remember what it's said to them.