Warrior ethos, quasi-witty pathos, almost scholarly logos
Isaac Asimov (c. 1920 – 1992) was a prolific writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. He is best known for his science fiction writing and is considered one of the Big Three (along with Arthur C. Clarke and Robert A. Heinlein). He also wrote in other fiction genres and authored numerous nonfiction works Continue reading "Quotes from Isaac Asimov on science and reason"
OVERVIEW Quick Definition This is when an argument is rejected, criticized, discredited, or even accepted, not because of its merits, but because of the (dis)likability of the source or messenger. This differs from situations where the source matters, such as being skeptical of unreliable sources or deferring to relevant expertise. Caveats and notes Naming and Continue reading "Origins Fallacy"
Science is patriotic, and pseudoscience and other forms of mis/disinformation threaten our nation. None of this is to suggest that science is uniquely American. I aim to push back against the exhausting narrative from some talking heads who have distorted patriotism into the authoritarian and anti-science nightmare plaguing our nation, or at the very least, Continue reading "Science is Patriotic"
OVERVIEW Quick definition This is assuming that “natural” is inherently good, or automatically safer, better, healthier, etc. than “artificial.” Form X is natural. Y is artificial. Assumption: natural is equivalent to health, safety, etc. Thus, X is automatically better than Y. Deeper dive into what this is and is not We are going to set Continue reading "Appeal to nature"
OVERVIEW Quick definition: This fallacy involves presenting a small subset of information that paints a substantially different picture from the total evidence. In other words, it suppresses or ignores evidence that would change the logical conclusion. Caveats This isn’t the same as summarizing. Again, this takes a partial view and makes it seem like something Continue reading "Cherry-picking"
A diagnostic to identify fallacies
If you don’t know who Bertrand Russell is, but don’t want a long biography, I’ve got your six. The short story is B-Russ was an intellectual powerhouse who contributed a fuquvalot to math, philosophy, skepticism, critical thinking, science, and making a dirty habit like smoking a pipe look sagistic AF. He was a prolific author Continue reading "Bertrand Russell quotes on science, critical…
In 1996, I was a freshman in high school, and my science teacher introduced my class and me to the 1980 television series Cosmos, hosted by the astronomer and renowned science communicator Carl Sagan. I was an instant fan. His communication style resonated with me, and I thoroughly enjoyed his portrayal of the intersection among science, Continue reading "Carl Sagan Quotes"
My main man, Alfred Russel Wallace, independently formulated the famous theory of natural selection and disproved claims of dying Martian civilizations, but his legacy is nearly… extinct. *Sad bumbumbcha* In the spring of 1948, the British naturalist Alfred Russell Wallace began his voyage to South America aboard the ship “Mischief” (my homemade movie stage name) Continue reading "Alfred Russel…
AKA: The Nirvana Fallacy, The Perfectionist Fallacy GENERAL OVERVIEW General description This is dismissing realistic solutions that offer real progress and benefits (etc.) merely because they are not perfect (or near-perfect), when such high criteria are not feasible. This deals with decisions, not factual validity. We should draw an important distinction between questions of is and ought. Most…
We recently passed the fifth anniversary of the departure of the iconic Ruth Bader Ginsburg from this Earth. I love this quote from her remarks upon receiving Harvard’s Radcliffe Medal in 2015. As a person who has studied both science and communication, I often think of this sentiment because it applies so well to several Continue reading "Reflecting on Ginsburg’s advice in 2025."
I know you don’t have to read whatever I post, especially if it’s long. Sure, it’s only about a 10-minute read, but I understand free time is scarce, and tempers are high. But if you care about America, I am not asking you to switch worldviews or to hold hands with extremists. No, if you Continue reading "In the wake of Kirk’s death: An open letter to America about political violence"
>>Overview<< General description Ad hoc is Latin for “for this,” but in English, the phrase is used for instances that offer “solutions” to problems that were not foreseen. In argumentation, it has a similar meaning. After holes are poked in a person’s argument, one uses ad hoc reasoning to preserve the original argument by adding Continue reading "Ad Hoc Rescue"
Yes, civility and asking questions are good. But asking questions without any intent to learn is a dick move. Also, "politely" feigning ignorance while spewing BS during a long, exhausting discussion is just a gift-wrapped dick move. By itself, these statements are simple, but (as with many seemingly simple things) there’s a bit more to it than that.
Because anecdotes are useful yet so often misused as evidence, this fallacy article dives deeper into the nuances than many other fallacy articles. Intro/Summary Anecdotal evidence is information and reasoning based on personal experience and observations. In many instances, this is beneficial. After all, these help many of us learn how to navigate social norms—especially Continue reading "Appeal…
I was wrong several times, including on things I was deeply convinced were true. It happens to the best of us. It happens. But it's important to be open to being wrong, to change our minds when necessary, and to normalize owning up to our mistakes.
FYI, This blog article is part of my series, A Patriot’s Look at Climate Change, and is about a 14-minute read (excluding this FYI, the extra material, and text describing the images). This heavily builds on previous articles, especially those from Section 2: Climate Basics. I highly suggest reading those first. The series is ongoing; here are Continue reading "Climate Basics 7: How do we know…
FYI, This blog article is part of my series, A Patriot’s Look at Climate Change, and is about an 8-minute read (excluding this FYI, footnotes, and text describing the images). This builds on previous articles in Section 2: Climate Basics. I highly suggest reading the previous articles. You can use the menu options to navigate: science>climate>a patriots Continue reading "Climate basics 6: How…
FYI, This blog article is part of my series, A Patriot’s Look at Climate Change, and is about a 9-minute read (excluding this FYI and text describing the images). The series is ongoing; here are links to the main sections currently available. You can also use the menu options to navigate: science>climate>a patriots look at climate change. Continue reading "Climate basics 5: How the greenhouse…
This blog article is part of my series, A Patriot’s Look at Climate Change, and is about an 8.5-minute read (excluding footnotes and text describing the images). This builds on previous articles in Section 2: Climate Basics. I highly suggest reading the previous articles. You can use the menu options to navigate: science>climate>a patriots look at climate Continue reading "Climate basics 4: How…