video guide to critical thinking

[imPsimon]

Edit:Spicegnosis posted a podcast below with a superior more in depth(and academic) look at
critical thinking and explanations for fallacies that
we are all exposed to all of the time most of whom we may be
unaware of.
This is definitely worth your time.

(I updated the link for this podcast as it was outdated. Listen!!)
Logical Fallacies: The Critical Thinking Meme - An Interview with Dr. Michael Labossiere

Dr. Michael Labossiere interview, pt. 1 – “Logical Fallacies: The Critical Thinking Meme″ – #062 (+ video)

What would happen if everyone in society received an immunization against all of today's media and political propaganda? Is there a simple, logical process to arm ourselves against such attempts at mind manipulation and control? What if you had the ability to quickly and easily break down words...

www.gnosticmedia.com

Here's a list of fallacies discussed and their written explanations

Fallacies - Nizkor

Matteo Dell’Amico provides this feature in Italian Index Ad Hominem [page not ready] Ad Hominem Tu Quoque [page not ready] Appeal to Authority [page not ready] Appeal to Belief [page not ready] Appeal to Common Practice [page not ready] Appeal to Consequences of a Belief [page not ready] Appeal...

www.nizkor.org

Dr. Michael Labossieres homepage

http://www.opifexphoenix.com/phil/index.html

Here's a 40min video I found for anyone who wants to sharpen up their
critical thinking.

"Most people fully accept paranormal and pseudoscientific claims without critique as they are promoted by the mass media. Here Be Dragons offers a toolbox for recognizing and understanding the dangers of pseudoscience, and appreciation for the reality-based benefits offered by real science."

Here be Dragons

Here Be Dragons: An Introduction to Critical Thinking

Edit: Oh and dont be put back by the guy in a white lab coat that
you see on the video stillframe, he's just demonstrating
marketing techniques used by pseudo science...oh...people?

 

[gibran2]

Thanks for the link! I watched the video, and for the most part I thought it was informative and balanced. There are several examples where the presenter seems to go a bit too far:

At the beginning of the video, we are shown in rapid succession examples of modern day “dragons” - examples of pseudoscience. Some of the examples are clearly pseudoscience (psychics, ghosts) but others are not, the most glaring example being fish oil. Lovaza is a prescription fish oil medication used for treating very high triglycerides. It’s FDA approved, has been through clinical trials and all that other good stuff, so why is fish oil included as an example of a modern day “dragon”?

While discussing ancient Chinese remedies, the host rightly pointed out that ancient people did not have the medical knowledge that we have today, but he went too far. He implied that ancient people didn’t have any knowledge that we don’t have today, but there’s a lot we don’t know (how the pyramids were built, writing systems, etc). Also, ancient people weren’t a bunch of morons – they had the capacity to organize and establish great societies that endured for thousands of years – something we can’t yet claim for ourselves.

One of the stated “errors” of pseudoscientists is confusion of causation with correlation. But the host failed to mention that this is a common error in the “real” scientific community. For example, many studies have shown that children who watch violent television programs and play violent video games are more aggressive than their peers. The implication is that viewing violent TV causes children to become more aggressive, even though it’s possible that aggressive children find violent TV to be more entertaining than do their peers. Rarely is the public reminded that scientific studies showing correlation in fact do not show or prove causation.

The host makes it clear that pseudoscientists try to thwart critical thinking, and the implication is that the mainstream scientific community is never guilty of the same. If scientists and researchers need funding, or have particular agendas, they are just as capable of thwarting critical thinking as anyone else. The host made it seem as if scientists are above the rest of us mere humans and our frailties.

Near the end of the video, the host lumped together the Loch Ness Monster and the possibility of a black hole at the center of our galaxy. The speculation of a black hole at the center of our galaxy is a supported scientific theory, not pseudoscience.

Finally, skepticism and denial of the unknown are not the same thing. There are some supposedly scientifically-minded members of this forum who deny the mere possibility of certain things because of lack of evidence. Unless there is evidence that a phenomena is not possible, it is not reasonable to deny the possibility of the phenomena. There is much we still don’t know about the physical world and much to be discovered, and some forum members seem to think that “if it hasn’t been discovered, then it doesn’t exist.”

 

[imPsimon]

Good response!

I also reacted to some of the stuff he said but the important things I
think was the concepts of how to be critical and some of the marketing
techniques used by "pseudoscience" and "conspiracy theorists".
I dont think that the actual subjects he used was that important.

 

[eagleeyes]

the school of hard knocks sharpen my critical thinking skills

 

[gibran2]

the school of hard knocks sharpen my critical thinking skills

Based on this post, I’d say you still have plenty of room for improvement in the critical thinking department.

 

[eagleeyes]

lol yes i have plenty of room for improvement even though at this moment i am right where i'm supposed to be
that's the beauty of evolution

i am listening to this guy on that dragon video now and i will tell you i don't agree with alot of his so called 'critical' thinking.........
i think the floride i our water is disgusting as i do the toxic junk in vaccines in fact i don't think vaccines are even necessary for our health at all because my critical thinking of said says so.......lol......they guy has a few valid points but he's full of shyt for the most part .........in my opinion........

 

[imPsimon]

i am listening to this guy on that dragon video now and i will tell you i don't agree with alot of his so called 'critical' thinking.........
i think the floride i our water is disgusting as i do the toxic junk in vaccines in fact i don't think vaccines are even necessary for our health at all because my critical thinking of said says so.......lol......they guy has a few valid points but he's full of shyt for the most part .........in my opinion........

Exactly what is it that you disagree with and why?

I dont didn't really understand but are you against vaccines?

 

[eagleeyes]

mercury thermasil and a host of other toxic garbage they taint those vaccines with......hiv was deliberately injected into the bodies of unsuspecting masses like black africa and gay america ....just google toxic vaccines......back in the early 60s they made the kids take some vaccine at school i hid in an a voting machine and snuck around a large piano and fell back in line going back to class without getting that vaccine......that guardesil vaccine is also a scam and probably makes women sterile........vaccines laced with syphilis were given to prisoners and black so called mental patients........i certainly don't trust western medicine nor big pharma and their scams to destroy our bodies and minds.......i listened to that vid about a week ago and don't remember all the points i disagreed on but i feel if he was really a critical thinker he wouldn't have promoted vaccines and some other stuff i know to be factually incorrect

 

[Spicegnosis]

Wasn't very impressed with this video,but I did enjoy this podcast on critical thinking,
http://gnosticmedia.podomatic.com/player/web/2010-01-25T09_41_32-08_00
and I think the Dragon guy maybe guilty of some of the fallacies discussed.

 

[imPsimon]

Wasn't very impressed with this video,but I did enjoy this podcast on critical thinking,
http://gnosticmedia.podomatic.com/player/web/2010-01-25T09_41_32-08_00
and I think the Dragon guy maybe guilty of some of the fallacies discussed.

Yes "Dragon guy" gets pretty much slaughtered by this guy, haha!

That was an excellent podcast.
It's so fun to listen to people who are very intelligent and
can express it in a manner of which everybody can understand.

This^ podcast should be at the top of the page

Michael LaBossiere

http://www.opifexphoenix.com/phil/index.html

List of fallacies with explanations, very good information

Fallacies - Nizkor

Matteo Dell’Amico provides this feature in Italian Index Ad Hominem [page not ready] Ad Hominem Tu Quoque [page not ready] Appeal to Authority [page not ready] Appeal to Belief [page not ready] Appeal to Common Practice [page not ready] Appeal to Consequences of a Belief [page not ready] Appeal...

www.nizkor.org

 

[gibran2]

Wasn't very impressed with this video,but I did enjoy this podcast on critical thinking,
http://gnosticmedia.podomatic.com/player/web/2010-01-25T09_41_32-08_00
and I think the Dragon guy maybe guilty of some of the fallacies discussed.

Thanks so much for the link. This should be required listening for every member of the Nexus. I can’t recommend it enough. I haven’t listened to the second part, but I’ll be sure to do so soon.

It’s interesting to think about various forum members and the typical logical fallacies they use. There’s one in particular (he claims to be very rational and scientific) who uses many of these fallacies routinely.

This^ podcast should be at the top of the page

Michael LaBossiere
http://www.opifexphoenix.com/phil/index.html

List of fallacies with explanations, very good information
http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/

Why not edit your first post to include these links?

 

[jamie]

Ya so far the guy sounds like hes full of shit..Even his idea that dragons were simply unknown regions etc is lacking. It's rediculous.

I wonder if hes sponsored by pharma companies.

This is not critical thinking..seems the opposite to me.

 

[gibran2]

Ya so far the guy sounds like hes full of shit..Even his idea that dragons were simply unknown regions etc is lacking. It's rediculous.

I wonder if hes sponsored by pharma companies.

This is not critical thinking..seems the opposite to me.

There are two links, the “dragons” video and the “logical fallacies” audio.

Just for clarity, the video is so-so, but the audio podcast is excellent and very informative.

 

[Crystalito]

Truth is i like the podcast more, he is more thorough. I suspect the "Dragons" video may be a bit lacking because its more on the "pop" side, trying to be really brief and not really go into much detail.Maybe its more suited towards a more general audience with short attention span . Its more "wow-ish", more "pop-ish" than the podcast,and this is not inherently a bad thing. I also think the "dragons" one might not be too well balanced (for example some of the supplement that they show flashing by might indeed work, no concensus so far) because the presenter might fall to...the fallacy of "if i object to something i must embrace the diametrically opposite view". Hmmm...cough...Many people follow that path dont they? As if being in between or having a more balanced opinion is forbiden (to bring the whole thing "home" to the thematology of this board, look example the average discussion about cannabis in many forums or debates ,either one is totally FOR it or totally AGAINST it).

All in all rather interesting. Its kind of sad that fallacies can convince people and that it almost seems as if human psychology "universally" can fall prey to them.

 

[jamie]

Ya so far the guy sounds like hes full of shit..Even his idea that dragons were simply unknown regions etc is lacking. It's rediculous.

I wonder if hes sponsored by pharma companies.

This is not critical thinking..seems the opposite to me.

There are two links, the “dragons” video and the “logical fallacies” audio.

Just for clarity, the video is so-so, but the audio podcast is excellent and very informative.

Yeah the podcast was good..the video I was referring to..it reminded me of some late night infomerical trying to sell me something I dont need.