#WB Critical Thinking
Can a fat, out of shape person give valid nutritional advice?
Good advice doesn’t become wrong because the person giving it fails to follow it. Truth stands or falls on evidence, not appearances.
Is anecdotal evidence ever useful to prove something?
Anecdotal evidence can show something exists, but it cannot prove broad claims on its own.
Is the Big Bang singularity scientific or philosophical?
Physicists often talk about the idea that the universe exploded from nothing in a singularity, that idea is more philosophical than scientic. The universe's expansion ...
Did most humans live in caves 30,000 years ago?
Despite popular belief, we did not spend a lot of time in caves. We do find lots of artifacts in caves, and we tend focus ...
If evolution is true, why haven’t humans evolved in 50,000 years?
Humans have evolved in the last 50,000 years, just not into a new “species."
Is the idea of superposition multiple states irrational?
Superposition describes multiple possible states mathematically; treating those possibilities as simultaneously real is a speculative interpretation.
What is the difference between a true believer, an empiricist, and a true skeptic?
The empiricist stands between dogma and paralysis—open to revision, grounded in evidence.
What is a straw man fallacy and how can I avoid it?
A straw man fallacy replaces a real argument with a weaker version, making it easier to attack but harder to reach truth. Do not fall ...
If your friends are bad, are you bad?
Judging people by association rather than evidence confuses proximity with character. That's the guilt by association fallacy.
Is Terrance Howard correct when he says zero does not exist?
Zero represents the absence of a quantity, not the existence of metaphysical nothingness.
Why is “inductive” reasoning not as reliable as deductive?
Induction identiffies patterns and can be strong, but deduction is tighter because its conclusion must follow. Use induction to explore. Use deduction to prove.
Are personal spiritual experiences believable?
A spiritual experience may shape a life, but private experience alone does not establish an empirical or rational claim about reality.
Thinking: How does social media fuel the “grass is always greener” problem?
Social media fuels the “grass is always greener” problem by making us compare our lived reality to other people’s curated representations.
Does the absence of evidence prove anything?
God of the Gaps < Logical Fallacies < Four Mind Traps < TST Framework < Critical Thinking
Is it fair to judge a colleague based on how they dress?
Guilt by association, a type of ad hominem, mistakes correlation for causation. In this case, it mistakes appearance for evidence.
Who was William of Ockham, and what principle is named after him?
When competing explanations exist, prefer the one that requires the fewest unnecessary assumptions.
What is a false choice?
A false choice pretends there are only a few options when more exist.
What is the difference between reason and logic?
To think well, use inference to move forward, logic to check that step, and allow reality to push back to establish truth.
Are there more Christians or Muslims in the world today?
About 50% worldwide identify with one of the Abrahamic religions. Christians about 31%, Muslims about 24%, and Jews a tiny .2%.
Why do we rely on authority figures for information?
Authority is a cognitive shortcut for managing complexity. Choose your authorities carefully, and never stop auditing them.