“Some scientists have actually done this and guess what? They haven’t found a significant correlation between phases of the Moon and hospital admissions in the emergency room. Nor have researchers found a significant correlation between any phase of the Moon… — Robert Carroll Copy Share Image
“One of the first things I learned when I began teaching courses in critical thinking in 1974 was that those of us trained in philosophy needed to supplement our philosophical training with the study of various cognitive, perceptual, and affective biases or illusions. We had a lot to learn from the social scientists if we were to teach our students… — Robert Carroll Copy Share
“Perhaps the most common ad hominem fallacy is to attack the motives of the person making the argument. Critics of judicial decisions often cite suspected motives of a judge that might bias his or her decision, as if the judge’s motives were relevant to the cogency of the judge’s argument for making the decision. Even a biased judge can make… — Robert Carroll Copy Share
“I noted above that when I refer to an idea as unworthy of consideration (or words to that effect that might sound a bit harsher in context) I do not intend to cast aspersions on the intelligence or character of the one holding the unworthy belief. I must qualify that disclaimer. When I see or hear of anyone murdering strangers… — Robert Carroll Copy Share
“Societies progress by the free assertion of differing proposals, followed by criticism, followed by the genuine possibility of change in the light of criticism…The… — Robert Carroll Copy Share Image
“More than half of all Americans believe we can heal each other by psychic or spiritual means. About one-third believe in telepathy and about one-fourth believe in clairvoyance. More than one-third believe houses can be haunted. More than forty percent accept demonic possession as real. Twenty to twenty-five percent believe that the dead communicate with us. Only about forty percent… — Robert Carroll Copy Share
“We must work hard at overcoming the natural tendency to see causal connections and other patterns where there are none by examining all the… — Robert Carroll Copy Share Image
“About the only uncontested effect of cognitive training is that training in a specific area improves performance in that area but does not transfer… — Robert Carroll Copy Share Image
“This has the added negative effect of giving them the illusion of confidence. It is a hard lesson to accept, but the success of… — Robert Carroll Copy Share Image
“Some scientists have actually done this and guess what? They haven’t found a significant correlation between phases of the Moon and hospital admissions in… — Robert Carroll Copy Share Image
“It is not that hard to understand why most of us believe strongly in things that are palpably not true. We have a natural… — Robert Carroll Copy Share Image
“At the very least, one would hope that by becoming aware of the many ways our brain can trick us, we would arrive at… — Robert Carroll Copy Share Image
“Seventy-seven percent of Americans think it’s safer to talk on a hands-free phone than on a handheld phone. The empirical evidence shows otherwise. The… — Robert Carroll Copy Share Image
