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"If an object is a polygon then it is a triangle (false)."You can’t solve a problem until it has been defined. The Federal government, once again, has failed to define the problem. Being led by the novice, Nobel Prize Winning, Barack Obama, the Congress has become another hostage on the road to Socialism. What is the real problem?The ProblemFirstly, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, since the start of the recession in December 2007, the number of unemployed persons has increased by 7.6 million to 15.1 million, and the unemployment rate has doubled to 9.8 percent (1). Secondly, per my...

Wolves do better on some tests of logic than dogs, a new study found, revealing differences between the animals that scientists suspect result from dogs' domestication. In experiments, dogs followed human cues to perform certain tasks despite evidence they could see suggesting a different strategy would be smarter, while wolves made the more logical choice based on their observations. In fact, dogs' responses were similar to human infants, who also prioritize following the example of adult humans.

My Uncommon Sense * About My Uncommon Sense * Contact Home Liberal talking point- Shut up Features / Politics / Uncategorized / Video Tags: Common Sense, Ethics, Politics July 12, 2009 0 Since the beginning of my now not-so-new political obsession, liberals have consistently failed to prove themselves to be informed, logical, or anything you’d expect from someone with strong political views. The logic is filled with fallacies, the information used is either false or used improperly, and they rarely take the time to work through your arguments. When a liberal does end up listening and thinking analytically about the...

  Make no mistake: I do not merely hate computers. I loathe, fear, despise, curse, and have constant torture and dismemberment fantasies about them. I know there are others out there like me, an entire unorganized underground. I've talked to some of them, in conspiratorial whispers. We are not cyberterrorists -- viruses hurt us more than anyone else. But we need a support network. We need a manifesto.   This isn't it.   The university that employs me gave every one of its nearly 1,000 professors a free computer. Having had no luck with IBM PCs in the past, I...

Evolutionists often attempt to use observational science—arguments from biology, paleontology, geology, or even astronomy—to support their belief. But the really interesting thing is that they base all their arguments on principles that ultimately come from biblical creation! As strange as it may sound, evolutionists must unwittingly assume that creation is true in order to argue against it. That means that Darwin was (in a sense) a “creationist.” All evolutionists must borrow the principles of biblical creation in order to do science (even though they would deny this). Here is why...

I wanted to address liberal arguments; I will address, specifically, two types of liberal arguments; namely moral relativity and passive tyranny. When liberals feel the need to argue with a conservative view point (and they often do), one common argument is that conservatives shouldn’t push their views onto others, because it infringes on their right to believe the way they believe. They argue this because their view of morality is relative, that is, morals depend on who you are talking to, and in what circumstance. The problem with this argument is, if you don’t believe in this relativistic view of...

The problem with being a logical human being is that every day, sometimes every hour, you get blind-sided like a quarterback cursed with an underachieving offensive line. It’s bad enough when a movie or a mystery novel scores a big fat zero on the logic meter, but when it happens in real life, if you’re anything like me, you find yourself wondering if you have somehow followed Alice down the rabbit hole.

A Ph.D. Statistician rips apart Chucky Shumer's statement on the logic for the Fairness Doctrine. Love to see Chucky die by his own words.

Less than five minutes into last night's presidential debate, John McCain started talking about a man he called "Joe the Plumber," who didn't think he would benefit from Barack Obama's tax plan. And Kevin Heron, a senior at McDaniel College, began scrawling on his bingo card. He was among 50 students playing "Debate Fallacy Bingo" - a game devised by McDaniel professors to show how the candidates' arguments often fail basic tests of logic. Each student had a bingo card, and each box contained a type of logical fallacy. Heron wrote "Joe the Plumber" in the box marked, "Appeal to...

One of society’s largest problems is that decisions on all matters, be it education, health, national security or any other issue, are no longer rooted in pure logic with a regard for what’s best for society. No longer do we analyze what’s best overall and then seek to implement sound solutions. Indeed, people who try to are often derided for doing so. To be sure, those on the wrong side of any issue often quote facts to support their agendas, but only those facts that suit its side. Contrary to what they may claim, such practice is not logic; it’s...

THE Busy Guy's Guide to Sexually Harassing Women. By Isiah Thomas. Rule No. 1: It is unacceptable for a white man to call a black woman "bitch." Rule No. 2: It is acceptable for a man to call a black woman "bitch" - if the man is also black. Yesterday, lawyers for Anucha Browne Sanders flipped a switch, and a giant version of Knick coach and president Isiah Thomas' head filled the courtroom. Thomas appeared on screen, giving a videotaped deposition last December in the sexual-harassment lawsuit filed by Sanders. As it played, Thomas - face-to-face with himself for the...

Pick up any biology textbooks, books, articles. And you will see the pervasive use of the word "design" - biological designs in cells, tissues, structures, bio-systems, organisms, etc. So, Darwin theorized that this design is due to blind natural forces. The alternative theory of course must be that this design is not due to blind natural forces, but is real design, i.e. intelligence-caused design. (I) Darwinist Theory: Design is due to blind natural forces (II) ID Theory: Design is intelligence-caused design Is Darwinist theory falsifiable? If Darwinist theory is falsified, then of course ID theory is affirmed. Similarly, if ID...

BE HERE, OR BE NOWHERE!

It takes a lot more integrity, character, and courage to be a conservative than it does to be a liberal. That's because at its most basic level, liberalism is nothing more than childlike emotionalism applied to adult issues. Going to war is mean, so we shouldn't do it. That person is poor and it would be nice to give him money, so the government should do it. Somebody wants to have an abortion, have a gay marriage, or wants to come into the U.S. illegally and it would be mean to say, "no," so we should let them. I am...

This thread is a continuation of the first thread "Questions For Atheists & Non-Atheists" Some points were brought up that I wish to address here. I look forward to the responses. Taken from one of my dictionaries in my personal library: "Occam's Razor. A principle devised by the English philospher William of Occam, which states that entities must not be multiplied beyond what is necessary. In a scientific context, Occam's Razor is the choice of the simplest theory from among the theories which fit what we know. In logic, Occam's Razor is the statement of an argument in its essential...

I recently took a personality test at my company called Meyers-Briggs. It’s been around since the 1940s, and is used to determine what kind of person the subject is. Apparently, I’m an INTP. I won’t go into the details of what that means, but one big thing it says is that I’m logical; I determine what I think will work in the future based on what’s worked before. Again, this is a personality thing and everyone is different. But honestly, I cannot fathom why so many are so adverse to logic... especially with the issues we face today.

Today we are fascinated with asymmetric warfare, net-centric warfare and precision warfare and we are convinced that heavy forces and the tank (yet again) are passe. Asymmetry works both ways. There is nothing quite as asymmetric as a tank driving over an infantryman.

Brain scans can identify who is more "rational" and who is more "emotional," says a new study in the current issue of the journal Science. Researchers at University College London put subjects into a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner and watched their brain activity as they sorted through some artfully structured choices. The researchers posed classic Tversky/Kahneman choices framed as gain and loss scenarios. In this case, the subjects were initially told that they would receive £50, but then were told that they had to choose between a "sure" option and "gamble" option. In so-called Gain frame, the...

The debate concerning intelligent design and evolution has revealed some confusion about the concept of religious faith. What constitutes religious faith? Traditionally, religious faith refers to a belief in a particular revelation, a specially delivered message, something we couldn't figure out by reason alone. Thus, the Jewish people have faith in the revelation they believe was given to Abraham and is contained principally in the Torah. Muslims believe in the message given to Muhammad by the angel Gabriel and recorded in the Quran. Buddhists believe in the revelation that came to Siddhartha Gautama and will lead them along the eightfold...

Trying to figure out what the name of the fallacy is with this argument: 1) God is love 2) God has declared only one way for salvation 3) Most of the world does not know about that way of salvation 3) Therefore, either a) God isn't love or b)There is more than one way to salvation

The Incomplete Gödel Gregory H. Moore Incompleteness: The Proof and Paradox of Kurt Gödel. Rebecca Goldstein. 296 pp. W. W. Norton, 2005. $22.95.A World Without Time: The Forgotten Legacy of Gödel and Einstein. Palle Yourgrau. x + 210 pp. Basic Books, 2005. $24.Such eminent 20th-century physicists as Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg are well known to almost all scientists, whether or not they happen to be physicists. Yet most scientists are unfamiliar with eminent mathematicians from the same period, such as David Hilbert (Germany) and Oswald Veblen (United States). A rare exception is John von Neumann (Hungary...

... David Boonin, though not responding to George, also discounts the pro-lifer’s claim that the newly conceived embryo is a distinct, living, and whole human organism. How can this be, he argues, when we don’t know the precise moment during the conception process at which the new zygotic human being comes into existence? Here Boonin is both right and wrong. True, we don’t know exactly when during the conception process that the zygote comes to be. Some embryologists argue that it happens when the sperm penetrates the ovum while others point to syngamy, when the maternal and parental chromosomes crossover...

Question: Hi, I was wondering about a bioethical issue that's really important today- abortion. Most of the debate about abortion revolves around when life begins, so I was wondering when most scientist's believe that life begins, since you obviously would know more about this subject. You don't have to give your moral beliefs or anything, but I would just like to know when you think that life begins... Thanks! =) Amit Srivastava Answer 1: This is an important topic, but even (or especially) for a scientist you and I must realize that my "moral beliefs" will affect the kind of...

GÖDEL AND THE NATURE OF MATHEMATICAL TRUTH II [7.27.05]A Talk with Verena Huber-Dyson I doubt that pure philosophical discourse can get us anywhere. Maybe phenomenological narrative backed by psychological and anthropological investigations can shed some light on the nature of Mathematical Truth. As to Beauty in mathematics and the sciences, here speaks Sophocles' eyewitness in Antigone: "..... Why should I make it soft for you with tales to prove myself a liar? Truth is Right." Princeton, 1950sEinstein & Gödel Photo by Oskar Morgenstern, Institute of Advanced Study Archives A true Realist, a true Platonist will not stoop to choose...

Random thoughts on the passing scene: Usually I like four-star hotels better than five-star hotels. The four-star hotels tend to be comfortable and attractive places with amenities, but without the pretentiousness and fussiness of five-star hotels. It is amazing how many problems are caused by the simple fact that somebody could not be bothered to listen. Why do we keep pretending that we know how to control child molesters after they are released from prison? How many more children must be killed before we face the plain reality that, if it is dangerous to let child molesters out of prison,...

A 17-year old Nigerian on work experience with one of Britain's rail companies helped save her employer thousands of pounds when she identified what was causing their trains to run late. Ade Sodeinde, who arrived in Britain last September, was working at Central Trains' depot in Tyseley, Birmingham. The youngster discovered crews were not boarding the trains on time, delaying departures from the depot and holding up waiting passengers. The analysis prompted Central Trains to recruit extra staff and get track upgraded. A company spokeswoman said the savings will be in the order of 750,000 pounds, because the firm is...

A structural lesson seems in order for fringe America and it's judiciary: Of this... And this... This... ... is a rational connection! Judge Richard Kramer has demonstrated himself to be incompetent in matters of law, and an imbecile when it comes to logic. In his ruling, Monday, striking down California laws that limit marriage to "a man and a woman..." he stated that, "No rational basis exists for limiting marriage in this state to opposite-sex partners..." Ignoring for an instant the historic condition of unification, which in itself constitutes rational or logical establishment of a cultural definition, the natural mechanism...

In todays society it not an easy task to raise two daughters. The influences from the secularist culture pose a war that most people lack the enthusiasm to fight. Tolerance were told is the key to liberal utopia, and this of course is the only right way to think. Basically, all of us Jesus freaks who are too stupid to understand how the world really works, should turn a blind eye to the departing virtue of logic, and moral values. The idea that the left holds a monopoly on logic and moral values used to make me laugh. But in...

February 14, 2005CONNECTIONSTruth, Incompleteness and the Gödelian Way By EDWARD ROTHSTEIN John Patrick NaughtonRebecca Goldstein's new book is about the mathematician Kurt Gödel. elativity. Incompleteness. Uncertainty. Is there a more powerful modern Trinity? These reigning deities proclaim humanity's inability to thoroughly explain the world. They have been the touchstones of modernity, their presence an unwelcome burden at first, and later, in the name of postmodernism, welcome company.Their rule has also been affirmed by their once-sworn enemy: science. Three major discoveries in the 20th century even took on their names. Albert Einstein's famous Theory (Relativity), Kurt Gödel's famous Theorem (Incompleteness)...

Im a conservative...and still struggle with the idea of whether or not to be a Christian. I find more in common with Ayn Rand's view that "rational thinking" is man's only absolute. Is there anything wrong with this thinking?

Atheism is the world view that denies the existence of God. More specifically, traditional atheism argues that there never was and never will be a God. But is this position rationally justifiable? Atheism positively affirms that there is no God. But can the atheist be certain of this claim? You see, to know that a transcendent God does not exist would require a perfect knowledge of all things (omniscience). To attain this knowledge you would have to have simultaneous access to all parts of the universe (omnipresence). Therefore, as an atheist, to be certain of this claim you would have...

How do these people reproduce? Do they have the capacity for love? Why doesn't logic pertain to their philosophy?

The HTLM Worm ! Half-truth virus corrupts human logic ! You can show your teacher this one, perhaps you can teach them a thing a two about logic, and how it can be corrupted. Here are some classic examples of how logic has been corrupted by the "half-truth logical" worm; The HTLM worm. ------ 1. Child Abuse - "Men who abuse, women and children victims" (HTLM Worm #1) That should be some men, some women and some children who abuse and children victims, including children who abuse themselves. The model of abuse is not only based on part of the...

It appears the Brits have climbed the Cliffs of Insanity and taken a collective nosedive into the River of Outright Absurdity. My friend, author Michael Z. Williamson, and I used to laugh about Britain, their unreasonable ban on armed self defense and their hysterical attempts to further correct the problems caused by said ban by implementing yet more stringent and bizarre restraints on people's rights. Mike was born in the UK. I used to kid him about the future of Great Britain. I used to tell him that soon, sharp implements will be banned, and people will be forced to...

Gödel and Einstein: Friendship and RelativityBy PALLE YOURGRAU In the summer of 1942, while German U-boats roamed in wolf packs off the coast of Maine, residents in the small coastal town of Blue Hill were alarmed by the sight of a solitary figure, hands clasped behind his back, hunched over like a comma with his eyes fixed on the ground, making his way along the shore in a seemingly endless midnight stroll. Those who encountered the man were struck by his deep scowl and thick German accent. Speculation mounted that he was a German spy giving secret signals to enemy...

In a study of logic, there is something which we call "undecidable propositions" or "meaningless sentences", which are statements that cannot be determined because there is no contextual false. One of the classic examples cited is the Epiminedes' paradox. Saul Kripke says: Ever since Pilate asked, "What is truth?" (John XVIII, 38), the subsequent search for a correct answer has been inhibited by another problem, which, as is well known, also arises in a New Testament context. If, as the author of the Epistle to Titus supposes (Titus I, 12), a Cretan prophet, "even a prophet of their own," asserted...

"He who is the cause of another becoming powerful is ruined" Says Machiavelli in "The Prince." While I wish Vice President Cheney a swift recovery and a quick return to presiding over a divided senate, I cannot help but think about the choice President Bush might make, should he ever be called upon to name Cheney's successor. Since W will not have to face re-election, his choices are almost limitless. There is the "rub their nose in it" choice, like a Bork or a Quayle. There is the 2008 candidate like a strong Republican woman... a Condi or a Lynne...

Bad Conclusions ================ Below are a few examples of bad reasoning causing bad conclusions. Though humorous, the principles are based in truth. IGNORING THE ADVICE OF EXPERTS WITHOUT GOOD REASON: Example: Sure, the experts say you shouldn't ride a bicycle in the eye of a hurricane, but I have my own theory. FOLLOWING THE ADVICE OF KNOWN IDIOTS: Example: Uncle Horace says eating pork makes you smarter. That's good enough for me. REACHING BIZARRE CONCLUSIONS WITHOUT ANY INFORMATION: Example: My car won't start. I'm certain the spark plugs have been stolen by rogue clowns. FAULTY PATTERN RECOGNITION: Example: His last...

  ----Original Message----From:  Joyce MorrisonSent:  11/4/2004 2:34:45 PM Pacific Standard TimeSubject:  Morrison:  The Fine Art of Persuasion   This is the unedited version.  Edit left out where the Attorney General and U.S. Attorney  turned their backs on the corruption.  The FBI took a peek and agreed there was fraud but quietly backed away.  A young man has taken months of gathering facts and figures and has evidence on top of evidence of wrong doing but no one will listen. Joyce   ----- Original Message ----- From: J Morrison   As I sat in the lovely auditorium of our high...

Posted by politmuse1 Added to homepage Wed Nov 03rd 2004, 01:20 AM ET I tried earlier, and no one wanted to believe it. Maybe now you do? *THE FIX IS IN.* If we're afraid to call it as is, there's no chance we'll ever see democracy or a Democrat elected in this country every again. PLEASE WAKE UP AND SMELL THE ROSES. Here are some facts: (1) All exit polls had Kerry ahead in in FL and OH. (2) All Democrats were completely confident, based (I'm sure) on internal polls. Kennedy said Kerry won. He was sure. So was the...

EDWARDS DEFIES LOGICON SUNDAY SHOWSAsserts Saddam “Imminent Threat,” Belittles Afghanistan Democracy And Acknowledges Can’t Pay For Campaign Promises_________________________________________EDWARDS PROCLAIMS SADDAM HUSSEINA “VERY SERIOUS THREAT” Huh?  So This Edwards Supports The President On The War In Iraq?  Even Russert Is Confused!  RUSSERT: “I think what confuses people, Senator, is that there seems to be a difference in rhetoric and emphasis. Back in October of 2002, you voted to authorize the country to go to war. In fact, you said this about Saddam: ‘I think Iraq is the most serious and imminent threat to our country.’ ‘The most serious and imminent threat...

We hear a lot in this Presidential campaign about 30-year-old events. People change a lot in 30 years, we're told, and that is true, although liberals certainly don't want us to think it's true about Bush. So let's have a little fun looking 30 years into the future, shall we? Let's say that 30 years in the future, Pfc. Lynndee England, the girl in the Abu Ghraib photos, were to be a candidate for President. Would you consider supporting her? Or does Abu Ghraib reveal character failings that are disqualifying? If your answer is that you would not support her,...

For all you budding Kasparovs out there, a team of cognitive scientists has worked out how to think like a chess grand master. As those attending this week's Cognitive Science Society meeting in Chicago, Illinois, were told, the secret is to try to knock down your pet theory rather than finding ways to support it - exactly as scientists are supposed to do. "This is a new result in the psychology of chess, as far as I know," says Mark Orr, a chess enthusiast and Ireland's first international master. The research could help developing chess players to hone their skills,...

How do you know what you read is true? When are the mouths on T.V. telling the truth? How can you overcome being a victim of public education? Thinking critically is an easy skill. But few practice it. Too often we believe what we are told without question. "Is the Truth Out There?" helps overcome these problems by applying critical thought to culture, history, science and religion.

Math Lab Computer experiments are transforming mathematics Erica KlarreichMany people regard mathematics as the crown jewel of the sciences. Yet math has historically lacked one of the defining trappings of science: laboratory equipment. Physicists have their particle accelerators; biologists, their electron microscopes; and astronomers, their telescopes. Mathematics, by contrast, concerns not the physical landscape but an idealized, abstract world. For exploring that world, mathematicians have traditionally had only their intuition. Now, computers are starting to give mathematicians the lab instrument that they have been missing. Sophisticated software is enabling researchers to travel further and deeper into the mathematical universe. They're...

Referring to the fallacy discussions previously posted (and linked below) may be helpful before beginning. Among the following passages, identify those in which there is a fallacy; if there is a fallacy, analyze it, give its kind (whether relevance, or presumption, or ambiguity) and its specific name. Which is more useful, the Sun or the Moon? The Moon is more useful since it gives us light during the night, when it is dark, whereas the Sun shines only in the daytime, when it is light anyway. — GEORGE GAMOW (inscribed in the entry hall of the Hayden Planetarium, New York...

Composition The term "fallacy of composition" is applied to both of two closely related types of invalid argument. The first may be described as reasoning fallaciously from the attributes of the parts of a whole to the attributes of the whole itself. A particularly flagrant example would be to argue that, since every part of a certain machine is light in weight, the machine "as a whole" is light in weight. The error here is manifest when we recognize that a very heavy machine may consist of a very large number of lightweight parts. Not all examples of this kind...

Amphiboly The fallacy of amphiboly occurs when one is arguing from premisses whose formulations are ambiguous because of their grammatical construction. The word "amphiboly" is derived from the Greek, its meaning in essence being "two in a lump," or the "doubleness" of a lump. A statement is amphibolous when its meaning, is indeterminate because of the loose or awkward way in which its words are combined. An amphibolous statement may be true in one interpretation and false in another. When it is stated as premiss with the interpretation that makes it true, and a conclusion is drawn from it on...

FALLACIES OF AMBIGUITY The meaning of words or phrases may shift as a result of inattention, or may be deliberately manipulated within the course of an argument. A term may have one sense in a premiss, quite a different sense in the conclusion. When the inference drawn depends upon such changes it is, of course, fallacious. Mistakes of this kind are called "fallacies of ambiguity" or sometimes "sophisms." The deliberate use of such devices is usually crude and readily detected — but at times the ambiguity may be obscure, the error accidental, the fallacy subtle. Five varieties are distinguished in...

Accident and Converse Accident The fallacies of accident and converse accident arise as a result of the careless, or deliberately deceptive, use of generalizations. In most important affairs, and especially inpolitical or moral argument, we rely on statements of how things generally are, how people generally behave, and the like. But even where general claims are entirely plausible, we must be careful not to apply them to particular cases mechanically or rigidly. Circumstances alter cases; a generalization that is true by and large may not apply in a given case, for good reasons having to do with the special (or...