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Tag Archives: Bad arguments
Is the “backfire effect” real?
The “backfire effect” is a psychological phenomenon in which correcting misinformation actually reinforces the false view rather than causing someone to reject it (Nyhan and Reifler 2010). This topic comes a lot in the comments on this and other pro-science … Continue reading
Science never showed that smoking was safe
“Science used to say that smoking was safe, so why should we ‘trust the science’ when it says that vaccines are safe and effective, climate change is real, or GMOs are safe?” This is one of the most common excuses … Continue reading
Posted in Nature of Science
Tagged alternative medicine, Bad arguments, cancer, evaluating evidence, logical fallacies
1 Comment
Vaccines are tested against placebos
Lately, my Facebook page has been flooded with people insisting that “no vaccine is tested against a placebo” (sometimes stated with additional qualifiers like “double-blind” or “saline placebo”). This claim, like so many anti-vaccer claims, is blatantly false. Nevertheless, I … Continue reading
Posted in Nature of Science, Vaccines/Alternative Medicine
Tagged anti vaccine arguments, autism, Bad arguments, covid, evaluating evidence, peer-reviewed studies, Vaccines
Comments Off on Vaccines are tested against placebos
Don’t be intellectually lazy
In recent conversations on this page, I have been struck by just how intellectually lazy science-deniers usually are. This is hardly a novel observation, but I think it bears discussion. I also want to note that this sort of lazy … Continue reading
Posted in Rules of Logic, Vaccines/Alternative Medicine
Tagged Bad arguments, evaluating evidence
Comments Off on Don’t be intellectually lazy
Incredulity fallacy: I’m right because I can’t believe I’m wrong
I want to briefly discuss a logical fallacy that is surprisingly common, despite being so obviously absurd. I suspect that most people committing this fallacy do so without ever actually contemplating what they are saying, and it is my hope … Continue reading
Posted in Rules of Logic
Tagged Bad arguments, logical fallacies
Comments Off on Incredulity fallacy: I’m right because I can’t believe I’m wrong
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