Science, pseudoscience and irrationality compete for a chunk of our worldview at a memetic level. There is a sociological Darwinian utility for irrationality because its inherent quirkiness allows for profligate variations of genetic options.
If behavior was binary, based on true logic, then there is a limited outcome of inter- and intraspecies dynamics. The downer, and its failure as a ‘variety-generator’, however is that irrationality is used by ‘organized’ societies, including its knowledge and power elite, to ensure masses toe the line so society functions toward a particular outcome – reduce harm, protect the weak, improve wealth, etc.
Behavioral pattern categorization or support for one of science, pseudoscience or superstition memes then becomes an attribute of anthropological outcome. For example, as a lone wandering forager, I come to a clearing in a forest.
I see a community of somewhat hungry people standing away from this one fruit-laden tree. I assume being close to that tree is detrimental to those people’s health ergo mine and I stay away myself. I ask around for the reason and am given is that about twenty years ago a ‘bleerbet’ attacked people that got close to the tree. I don’t know what a ‘bleerbet’ is. A wide range of belief systems perpetuate – from skepticism on the existence of such a thing to actual current sightings of the ‘bleerbet’ in the branches of the tree. People who believed in the ‘bleerbet’ garners more support than the skeptics because of the obvious ‘false-positive’ bias in learning (better to run from everything and not be eaten rather than take a chance and get a lunch) and they made rules of behavior around the tree. Most of those who didn’t believe couldn’t be bothered left in search of other fruit trees. So, all that is left of that society is religiously opinionated bias against eating the fruit.
Ultimately, behavioral outcome is impacted by eating (or not eating) the fruit of the tree.
Believing – whatever sliding scale it might be at – is nothing. Eating the fruit is everything.
My 2 cents 