Author Archives: Fallacy Man

No, homeopathic remedies can’t “detox” you from exposure to Roundup: Examining Séralini’s latest rat study

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Fallacy Man

One of my main goals for this blog is to help people learn how to evaluate scientific studies. To that end, I have written several posts that dissect papers and explain either why they are robust or why they are … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature of Science | Tagged , , , , , | 13 Comments

Don’t mistake an assumption for a fact

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Fallacy Man

I want you to imagine for a minute that you have been selected for jury duty, and you are sitting in the courtroom listening to the evidence. As you watch, the prosecution calls an expert forensic scientist to the stand, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Debunking the creationist myth that mutations don’t produce new and useful information

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Fallacy Man

Genetic variation is a fundamental requirement for evolution, but many evolutionary mechanisms (such as selection and genetic drift) actually remove variation from populations. Therefore, evolution is entirely reliant on the formation of new genetic information, and without it, evolution would … Continue reading →

Posted in Science of Evolution | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

Don’t attack the straw men: Straw man fallacies and reductio ad absurdum fallacies

Posted on October 24, 2016 by Fallacy Man

People love to argue. We all have views and opinions, and we tend to promote them prominently and viciously attack opposing ideas. There is nothing inherently wrong with that as long as your views are evidence-based and you use proper … Continue reading →

Posted in Rules of Logic | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments

Debunking 25 arguments against climate change in 5 sentences or less (each)

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Fallacy Man

Climate change is arguably one of the most misunderstood and controversial topics among the general public. Misinformation abounds, and many people are left debating whether or not we are causing it, and even whether or not it is happening at … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Warming | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment