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No Nonsense

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Anti-pseudoscience, anti-woo, pro science, pro critical thinking, no conspiracy theories, no spin. Count the logical fallacies. No Nonsense!

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Latest Activity: on Sunday

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"Keep an open mind – but not so open that your brain falls out" -unknown

"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." -- Carl Sagan

"What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence." -- Christopher Hitchens

What is a logical fallacy? All arguments have the same basic structure: A therefore B. They begin with one or more premises (A), which is a fact or assumption upon which the argument is based. They then apply a logical principle (therefore) to arrive at a conclusion (B). An example of a logical principle is that of equivalence. For example, if you begin with the premises that A=B and B=C, you can apply the logical principle of equivalence to conclude that A=C. A logical fallacy is a false or incorrect logical principle. An argument that is based upon a logical fallacy is therefore not valid. It is important to note that if the logic of an argument is valid then the conclusion must also be valid, which means that if the premises are all true then the conclusion must also be true. Valid logic applied to one or more false premises, however, leads to an invalid argument. Also, if an argument is not valid the conclusion may, by chance, still be true. For a more thorough discussion of logical fallacies and how to structure a logical argument, see the New England Skeptical Society's article, How To Argue.

Top 20 Logical Fallacies (in alphabetical order) taken from -

The Skeptics' Guide To The Universe

The New England Skeptical Society The Skeptics' Guide To The Universe Science-Based Medicine
The James Randi Educational Foundation
Propaganda
snopes.com
Bad Science by Ben Goldacre
Simon Singh and his fight to mend British libel laws
Professor Richard Wiseman
PZ Myers' Pharyngula
Dr. Phil Plait and Bad Astronomy
Skeptic Blog
Michael Shermer's Baloney Detection Kit
The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan
The Skeptics' Dictionary
List of cognitive biases
Don Watson - Weasel Words
QuackWatch
A List of Fallacious Arguments

Chat #NoNonsense

"No skeptic, to my knowledge, ever made a major scientific discovery or advanced the welfare of others."

-- Deepak Chopra (yes, he actually said that)

"The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds the most discoveries, is not "Eureka!" (I found it!) but That's funny..." -Isaac Asimov

The scientific world view is full of awe and wonder. Understanding how truly awesome the universe is – in its elegant complexity, its staggering beauty, and the many intricate systems of which it is comprised – gives a profound feeling of connectedness and sparks the imagination. And it has the advantage of being real. -Steven Novella

The glory which is built upon a lie soon becomes a most unpleasant incumbrance. How easy it is to make people believe a lie, and how hard it is to undo that work again.
— Mark Twain

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Comment by sacha on September 23, 2010 at 4:24pm: why is that Chinese medicine spam still up?

Comment by sacha on September 23, 2010 at 4:23pm: quote of the day:

"I'm still waiting for news of evangelical atheists traveling to distant lands and killing people by encouraging ignorance."

-PZ Myers

Comment by JayBarti on September 23, 2010 at 4:22pm: Sigh... given the response I just don't know if it is even worth the argument.

Comment by sacha on September 23, 2010 at 1:51pm: we missed yesterdays quote, does anyone have one or two to post?

Comment by sacha on September 22, 2010 at 3:31am: quote of the day:

"Not confronting an asshole just lets everybody know that the asshole rules the roost. This has to be at least as alienating to everyone on the thread as calling him an asshole.

And finally, since the asshole has invaded our clubhouse with the effect (leaving intent aside) of making things unpleasant for us, it is useful to attempt to make things sufficiently unpleasant for the asshole to encourage them to play nice or to leave. It has not been my experience that continuing to be polite to assholes accomplishes anything worthwhile. On the other hand, returning their abuse in kind can make them go away."

-Jason Spicer

Comment by sacha on September 21, 2010 at 4:17am: How wonderful that Lincoln was gay. He is such an important part of history in the US, and I'm quite sure that would really piss off those who are so "Pro America" and anti-gay.

Comment by sacha on September 21, 2010 at 4:14am: quote of the day:

"...If I could change just one thing, it would be to dissociate the idea of faith from virtue—now and for good—and to expose it for what it is: a servile weakness, a refuge in cowardice, and a willingness to follow, with credulity, people who are in the highest degree unscrupulous.”

-Christopher Hitchens

Comment by Sentient Biped on September 19, 2010 at 7:20pm: Sacha,
thank you for quoting a famous gay president.
(couldn't let the moment pass without comment)

Comment by sacha on September 19, 2010 at 6:42pm: quote of the day:

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

-Abraham Lincoln

Comment by Jason Spicer on September 19, 2010 at 4:33pm: Perhaps I haven't been personally embroiled in enough contretemps, but I don't seem to have too much trouble just ignoring the clowns and the low quantity of moderation. Like I keep saying, A|N beats the hell out of a lot of places I've been on the internet.

If somebody pisses me off on A|N, I let them know it isn't appreciated. If they keep it up, I Report An Issue. Maybe two or three times. After that, I just kinda let it go. There are worse injustices in the world.

If the mods came down on my ass unfairly, I'd defend myself, but even then, this little Speakers' Corner is just one possible outlet for me. I do value it, but I also value my time and my blood pressure. I'm not inclined to fixate overmuch on the lesser slings and arrows.