Tag Archives: post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacies

5 reasons why anecdotes are totally worthless

Posted on February 10, 2016 by

Personal anecdotes are often the primary ammunition of those who deny science. If you ask anyone in the alternative medicine or anti-vaccine movements for their evidence, you will almost certainly get flooded with anecdotes. A quick internet search will reveal … Continue reading →

Posted in GMO, Nature of Science, Rules of Logic, Vaccines/Alternative Medicine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Ancient knowledge and the test of time

Posted on October 19, 2015 by

The notion of “ancient knowledge” is a common theme among anti-vaccers and alternative health practitioners. It generally takes one of two basic forms. Either they claim that something is right/effective/safe because our ancestors thought so and they were somehow privy … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature of Science | Tagged , , , ,

100 bad arguments against vaccines

Posted on October 12, 2015 by

From time to time, I get directed to an article titled “One Hundred Arguments Against Vaccines” which was written by Natural Health Warriors and is nothing more than a Gish Gallop of anti-vaccine tropes. I have been loath to address … Continue reading →

Posted in Vaccines/Alternative Medicine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 36 Comments

The Value of Carefully Controlled Studies: A Thought Experiment

Posted on January 30, 2015 by

Amusingly, anti-scientists (such as anti-vaccers) always claim to have the upper hand on scientific knowledge. I have yet to meet one who hasn’t claimed to be “well-informed” or to have “done their research.” Yet when you ask anti-vaccers for their … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature of Science, Vaccines/Alternative Medicine | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

The Rules of Logic Part 3: Logical Fallacies

Posted on January 27, 2015 by

Perhaps the most common mistake that people make in debates is the use of logical fallacies. This occurs largely because people generally are not taught logical fallacies, and, therefore, don’t recognize them when they use or see them. Knowing logical … Continue reading →

Posted in Rules of Logic | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments