Additional Readings… Quiz: 25 Fallacy Questions 21 Mar 20219 Apr 2021 Critical thinking is not merely using that lump of fat-coated neurons trapped in our skulls. Critical thinking is the systematic analysis of an idea, as well as analyzing how we…
Science… Astrology put to the test 2 Dec 202019 Dec 2020 It's ok to use astrology for fun or to feel culturally connected. My wife does this & we lovingly joke about her "woo-fuckery." If she didn't know my birthday, I…
Climate How can I trust climate models when the weatherman is wrong? 3 Oct 20205 Mar 2021 When I first started as a science communicator, I reflected on my own period of harboring doubts on human-caused climate change (see my article Climate Debrief: Q and A for…
Science… Brief Vaccine Q and A 15 Sep 202021 Mar 2021 [Note: This was original a post on my page on February 9, 2019. It has undergone some revisions for clarity, as well as continues to grow--which is why you might…
Climate… Facebook’s Climate Info: A Nice Step, But They Still Zuck-Over Scientists 15 Sep 202015 Sep 2020 TLDR: Recently Facebook started offering a climate information center, which is popping up at the top of user's feeds. While I'm pleased Facebook is offering this information center, it would…
Civics… This viral 6% COVID claim is highly misleading (at best) 6 Sep 20206 Sep 2020 Did some high-profile socio-political talking head get you worried that the CDC is lying about COVID because of this whole 6% statistic? Does this viral claims (so to speak) have…
Climate Climate Debrief: Q and A for the blue-collar American 29 Aug 20202 Apr 2021 SHOW/HIDE Table of Contents PART I: WELCOME PART II: THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: POLITICS PART III: IS EARTH WARMING BECAUSE OF HUMAN ACTIVITY? PART IV: SCIENTIFIC AGREEMENT PART V:…
Climate… Nuclear Power: Climate and Energy Savior? 29 Aug 202031 Aug 2020 To build energy security and provide emission-free energy for our growing energy needs, nuclear power is an option we are very likely going to need. This isn't to bash on…
Civics… A Short History of Real Fake News (Part 3 of the Fake News Series) 14 Aug 202014 Aug 2020 In this section of the fake news series, we will take a look at the history and consequences of some famous fake news events in American history. Though this section…
Civics… What is and is not Fake News (Part 2 of the Fake News Series) 14 Aug 2020 In this section of the fake news series, we will explore what is and is not fake news, and why or why not, at least according to a (hopefully) common…
Civics Fake News and Inakurate Info: Introduction 7 Aug 202028 Oct 2020 In this short series, I take a look at the science, history, and importance of fake news. What is it? Why is it here? What makes some more susceptible to…
History… A veteran’s erratic reflection on the bigger picture. 12 Jul 20203 Dec 2020 There is a filigree of threads interconnecting us in this web we call reality. I’m not talking about chakras, chi, nirvana, the holy spirit, or the worm at the bottom…
4.2 The Fallacies, caveats, examples, and how to respond Fallacy of division 10 Jul 20209 Oct 2020 Part 4.2 of the Critical Thinking Series (CTS): The Fallacies Definition: Erroneously assuming the part/individual must have property X only because the whole has property X. This is the opposite…
4.2 The Fallacies, caveats, examples, and how to respond… Inflation of conflict 8 Jul 202016 Apr 2021 Part 4.2 of the Critical Thinking Series (CTS): The Fallacies Definition: This is very similar to the false balance effect. In the false balance effect, the public gets a false…
4.2 The Fallacies, caveats, examples, and how to respond Special pleading 8 Jul 202010 Jul 2020 Part 4.2 of the Critical Thinking Series (CTS): The Fallacies Definition: This is when someone makes up an inadequate justification for a person/situation/claim to be exempt from rules, laws, principles,…
Civics… Watering the seed: Responding to claims that atheists cannot live moral lives 7 Jul 202021 Apr 2021 A long while back, a fan (well, a fan at the time) asserted in a comment that atheists could not live moral, meaningful lives. For context, here is the post…
4.2 The Fallacies, caveats, examples, and how to respond Categorical syllogisms & silly-jisms: rules & fallacies 22 Jun 202023 Mar 2021 Part of 4.2 of the Critical Thinking Series (CTS): The Fallacies Suppose you're a slimy alien visiting Earth for the first time. (And if that's your kink, no judging, in…
Civics… Education Reform is Needed to Help All, but Especially for Children of Color 7 Jun 20207 Jun 2020 How can science and history uncover the factors that led to the socioeconomic inequalities among African Americans seen today? Evidence reveals it is a complicated web of events, rules/laws/regulations, cognitive…
Part 2: Psuedoscientific medical practices today… Chiropractic and Homeopathy (Part 2-1 of Weird Historical Medical Beliefs and Today’s Medical Quackery) 24 Apr 202016 May 2021 PART 2: PSUEDOSCIENTIFIC MEDICAL PRACTICES TODAY Part 2-1: Chiropractic and Homeopathy Chiropractic (mostly false) Chiropractic treatment might be a good massage at times. And who doesn't like that? But don't…
History… Trepanation, Quicksilver, Corpse Medicine, and Bloodletting (Part 1-2 of Weird Historical Medical Beliefs and Today’s Medical Quackery) 24 Apr 20208 Oct 2020 Continued from Part 1-1 PART 1: WEIRD MEDICAL BELIEFS IN HISTORY Part 1-2: Trepanation, Quicksilver, Corpse Medicine Trepanation Trepanation is the act of drilling a hole in the skull to…
