Category Archives: Nature of Science

Are scientists arrogant, close-minded, and dismissive?

Posted on August 1, 2016 by Fallacy Man

I spend a lot of time debating people who reject science, and I have observed a common tendency for people to try to dismiss scientific results by attacking scientists with accusations that they are, “arrogant,” “close-minded,” “dismissive” and don’t “take … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature of Science | Tagged , , , | 27 Comments

If cannabis and vitamin B17 kill cancer, why aren’t they approved by the FDA? Let me explain

Posted on July 4, 2016 by Fallacy Man

It seems like hardly a week goes by without some news article claiming that a simple cure to cancer has been found. Similarly, social media is full of images like the one to right claiming that cannabis oil, vitamin B17, … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature of Science, Vaccines/Alternative Medicine | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

Understanding grants in science: doing research without selling your soul

Posted on June 14, 2016 by Fallacy Man

Last week was a good week for me, because I received a several thousand dollar grant for my research, so I wanted to take a few minutes to talk about exactly what that means. Many people seem to be under … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature of Science | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Most scientific studies are wrong, but that doesn’t mean what you think it means

Posted on May 10, 2016 by Fallacy Man

When faced with scientific studies that disagree with them, many people are prone to claim that they don’t have to accept those studies because most scientific studies are actually wrong. They generally try to support this claim by either citing … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature of Science | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Science doesn’t prove anything, and that’s a good thing

Posted on April 19, 2016 by Fallacy Man

It is often the case that the most fundamental concepts in science are the ones that are the most misunderstood, and that is certainly true with the concept of “proof.” Many people accept the misconception that science is capable of … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature of Science, Rules of Logic | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments