In a previous post, I discussed making biased arguments using logical fallacies. I used this video as a typical example of the kind of arguments that are frequently made on the internet, especially those made by those who simply wish to attack an opinion they do not hold. These arguments …
There are many different ways to make biased arguments. One way to do this is by engaging in logical fallacies. Only rarely are logical fallacies employed intentionally, but they do indicate poorly constructed arguments. It is easier to make a bad argument with logical fallacies than it is to make …
Following Trump winning the election, Twitter, Facebook, and the blogosphere exploded with adults becoming children and throwing a nationwide temper tantrum. And true to expectations, few seem to be learning anything thing from what happened. Adults threatened to unfriend Facebook friends because they hold a different viewpoint.1 A rare few …
The straw man fallacy is simple: instead of arguing against someone’s (or for your own1) established opinion, you argue a weakened form of it. This makes it easier to ignore the difficult parts of the argument while convincing yourself (and others) that you are correct. While it is intellectual dishonesty …
It is extremely improbable that we have suddenly become better and smarter than our predecessors. In fact, what has happened is that we have lost the ability to understand functional social patterns other than markets and bureaucracies. The result is that the past appears irrational, our society is plagued by …
In the Illustrated Guide to Tibial Hemimelia, I discuss my daughter’s treatment journey for her condition. I also mentioned the controversy surrounding such treatment. Some doctors and parents believe amputation is the absolute right choice while others believe that a reconstruction is the best choice. And then there are people …
This guide is a work in progress. It will be updated as the journey continues. Introduction A normal human leg consists of a femur in the upper leg connected to the hip and a lower leg consisting of a tibia and a smaller fibula connecting to the small bones in …
A recent study on police use of force by Harvard economist Roland Fryer found no evidence of racism in police shootings. This was lauded by those who wish to deny the existence of an anti-black bias. But lethal use-of-force incidents make up a tiny fraction of police interactions. The study found widespread systemic racism in …
In the last 60 years the Supreme Court of the United States has had exhibited two trends: the number of both unanimous decisions and 5-4 split decisions has grown to historical highs. All the stuff in between is in decline. It is in those split decisions where the problem lies. …
This post is a tribute to Sarah Barr, who at the age of 19, lost her seven year battle with Ewing’s sarcoma, a childhood cancer. She now resides in the hands of God. In 2013, Sarah Barr made an oil painting based on one of my monarch butterfly photos. As the …