Thursday, September 9, 2004
Everyone downloads pirated mp3s, why shouldn't I?
Just because a certain action is a common practice doesn’t mean it’s true. Some people make the mistake of behaving badly simply because everyone else is. I call this the “Appeal to Common Practice Fallacy.” Examples: Ken: Yeah, I know downloading mp3s is questionable, but it’s common practice. Who...
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Wednesday, September 8, 2004
Crop Circles and the Law of Parsimony
Crop Circles and the Law of Parsimony In the great majority of circumstances, the simpler of two competing theories is likely to be correct. When we convolute our explanations, the likelihood of error increases. This fact is often referred to as the law of parsimony or Occam’s Razor. The law of...
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Saturday, September 4, 2004
The proper role of skepticism
The proper role of skepticism One of the most useful tools in the exercise of free inquiry is skepticism. My definition of skepticism is simply, “Take care what you decide to believe.” Proper skeptics are quick to question, and slow to believe. Skeptics, except the most radical ones, do not deny;...
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Friday, September 3, 2004
An Invisible Pink Unicorn is Orbiting the Earth! Can you disprove it?
An Invisible Pink Unicorn is Orbiting the Earth! Can you disprove it? This fallacious argument makes an appeal to ignorance in an attempt to prove something. Ideally, the burden of proof rests with those affirming a claim. Informally, I refer to this as the, “Well, you can’t disprove it fallacy.”...
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